The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-01
THE BUTTONS STORY.

When I first came into the world I
was very bright. was sewed onto the
coat of naval officer; very badly
sewed, for at a ball in the midst of a
waltz I came Off and rolled on the
floor. a little white gIoved hand picked
me up and held me close and shyly
dropped me into silk lined pocket
i saw him lose It" heard a pretty
woman's voice murmur. Il know it is
Mr.. Mortimer's''
That night went home, not to gen
tlemans room, but to q fair lady's.
All alone in this room with me, she
TOOK me from her pocket and
k-i-s-s-e-d me.
never was I SO surprised, but I soon
round It was not for my own sake.
4 know you do not love me now,
mortimer, she whispered; ''but you
nave worn this and I viii keep it"
Sne kissed me again and strung me
upon a little blue silk ribbon and tied
me about her white throat
and felt it beat
was not sorry that I had been lost
from the officers coat
ihdeeQ 1 detested him now, for from
what ms lovely creature said to me
II was plain that he had made love to
n5I ana at last Tilted her for some one
WHO na0 more money.
made up my mind, of course. that
should be worn about the young lady's
neck Forever but reckoned without
my host.
Youth IS youth
Fretty soon the young lady ceased to
talk SO much about Mortimer
Anotner gentleman had come upon
ens carpet Soon she was engaged
IN that evening was hastily cram
Lleo INTO box and heartlessly left
there. Rose was married and went upon
4 1sI bridal trip, and unless the lid OF
ing Of the fine doings.
" hen she had gone. her little sister
ealie INTO the room one day, spied me
anu carried me off. After that I was
lot long time a dolls watch hung
upon gold thread about a china neck
ana was carried all about the house
upstairs and down, even out into the
street sometimes.
At last-my destiny has ever hung
upon thread-that gold twist snapDed
IN TWO, and rolled into a space be-
tween the paving stones.
there lay deserted, forlorn and dirty.
n y gliding fast going and no one even
taxing any notice of me.
1t was the pavement outside little
PARK, a quiet. aristocratic place La
dies dressed in velvet and costly silk
swept past.
One day my lady came there. she
VINO had worn me on her heart so long.
she walked slowly up and down.
one Whlte hand was ungloved. Upon
Il Il. 5ilttered her wedding ring and its
She looked at her watch
he IS late" she says. Then she
plushed rosy red and whispered, No,
I looked. Through the leafv shadows
Of the park came my first owner, Nor
timer
They walked up and down together.
Often their feet touched me. 1 could
not hear what they said, but saw how
she looked It was enough for me
Again had the poor gilt button but
had voice how it would have cried
OUT
But. alas would she have listened to
me when she was needless of the mute
appeal of the wedding ring upon her
finger? fear not Often and often
after that they met there It was
springtiTne when they first came IN
the autumn. when the leaves had rus
tied rom the trees and carDeted the
ground, they cane there still Now she
often went, and he sometimes spoke al
most angrily- I knew something terri
bic was about to happen. At last one
morning Mortimer came TO the rendez-
VoUs.
Now, instead of her light tread. came
the rapid footballs Of an angry man.
saw for moment a face I had not
seen since Roses wedding dav-the
brown bearded face of her husband
An oath rang upon the air. / heard
the report OF a pistol: then Mortimer
fell across me, dead, and his Hfeblood
dripped over my furnished gliding.
After that came a crowd, a hustle
men in the uniform of the police
The body was carried away. The rain
washed the blood from the pavement
still 1 remained wedged in my nook
and on my breast one dry drop of that
hearts blood.
Years swept by. There was no gild-
ing left upon me; was bit OF rusted
metal, nothing more
One day a miserable creature stag
gered through the park Her clothes
were mere shreds and tatters. Her
face was miserably thin. Save for two
! Tapping slippers. her feet were bare.
She put her skeleton arms upon the
cold stones and laid her head upon
/ them.
Here he died. she said. MORTIMER
! Mortimer
And I knew Roses voice. Oh. a
faded and withered rose indeed
Then her eyes-dying eyes, knew
caught sight of me.
She put her finger under the crevice
of the stone and lifted me out
How odd" she said. It wore such a.
/ button as this was once over my heart
/ for a year because it dropped from his
/ coat How strange should find one
Then she took me in her hand. It
closed upon me. It was very cold.