Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-08-28
genial rays. The place was scrupulously
.nnt h,,t 1,ninf,al1a hnrn &c thnsn nonnani.

genial rays The place was scrupulously
neat, but painfully bare of those necessi-
ties which render life comfortable and
worth the living. Before the small stove
knelt pale, brave faced woman, labori-
ously coaXing a few chips and billets of
wood into q blaze.
This woman was Martha Dunn, the
long-suffering and faithful servant of
the Burgess family. She had lived with
them through their time Of affluence, a-a1
now in the season of their adversely she
had not deserted them. Brave Martha
Dunn. Your heroism, like that of SO
many others, is none the less noble
though it has never been cried in the
worlds ears.
This morning there were tears in the
woman's eyes, tears in her voice as she
murmured:
This Is the last Of our wood. and
there is only handful of coal left!
Heaven only knows what we shall do to-
morrow!"
At this moment a quick step in the
outer hall arrested her attention, and ris-
ing hastily she threw open the door. A
lad from neghboring bakery with a
well-hlled basket upon his arm stood
upon the landing Of the stairs.
Step in here moment, please" said
the woman; and when tho boy hesitated
to comply with her request, she added,
Il will not keep you; come i'm
The boy stepped into the kitchen with
evident reluctance and closed the door.
Well" Martha said, do you bring us
no bread this mornins?"
''Sorry, marin, but your credit Is dead,
and the master said as how l wasn't to
leave any more bread. There's your blu,
IL you want it," and taking from his
pocket the dreaded reckoning, he laid it
upon the table.
''Your master knows that he will lose
nothing by us!'' exclaimed the woman,
Indignantly; "Mr. Burgess will pay ev-
erybody some day on other. You can
certainly extend our credit for n morsel
Of bread"
"You needn't blame mev retorted the
boy; II haven't wasted your money. But
the old man has! Shame on him, / say,
for his gambling and hanging round bar
rooms day and night"
at is not true" cried Martha, con
scious flush mounting her pallid checks.
Il say it u.s." answered the boy; don't
| see him with my own eyes?'
Conscious that he spoke the baleful
truth, the woman said in n conciliatory
tone:
'Oh WELL we must make allowances
for n discouraged man; he has his faults,
but he is honest"
"Why don't he work like the rest of
us?' came the mattor-offact demand,
which caused Martha to give n start Of
dismny.
Work. she exclaimed, "a born gen
tleman, and Mt his agc!-but hush" with
an apprchensiye glance at an inner door,
Miss Claire may hear us!'
How is Miss Claire nowadays?" in
qured the boy, with sudden softenins
of his hard blue eyes.
Sick, very sick"
The honest fellow drew his sleeve
across his eyes so that he could see to
Withdraw the cloth that covered his
bread.
Poor Miss Claire" he muttered,
well here's loaf for her. Oh, you
may take it; if the master kicks, I'll
settle for it myself. l say, how is the
old lady getting alongT
Poorly, my good boy" replied Mar
tina, tears shining in her eyes; ''ahe
watches over her daughter and is rs
bravo as brave can be; shes n regular
martyr"
els that so? Then I'm going to give
you this 80. cent piece I've been saving
up, and you can divide it between them"
And throwing n bright new coin upon
the table with CHEEKY ring, he seized
his basket and was out Of the door and
down the stairs, before Martha could
fater her thanks.
But what her lips were not permitted
to utter, her eyes expressed, when, n mo-
ment later, Mrs. Burgess entered the
kitchen with a small basket upon her
arm.
CTo be contInued.l