The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-04-09

few minutes. III tell ye ',
wards. | won't burt lido loa4 It 10
e-please-piease!"
1t was not only the agony of the cry
her eyes were burning into the eyes
opposite hers. She had lad hold upon
the claaK-oefore Mrs. Van .iover
could speak she had it On, and was
clasping the fastenings.
1t was a handsome cloak, i0nG and
silk-lined and with a hCh fur lO44ar.
1t had been one OF the brides FIRST to-
kens of wealth, and she had been very
proud of it. Now she discovered to Ter
amaZement that the face above the tur
collar was sOftened and refined by IL
until it was no longer commonplace
The battered hat was hastily snatcned
OIL and hidden under the cloak She
lay back in the fine cloak, as one to-
the manor born, and awaited the COM
ing of the man that was hurryng in,
We'll, If that amt you, Lyddy, shore
enough" he drawled, holding out
large hand; and she looked up, as
though she had just seen him, and
cried:
why, how are ye, Benz"
IL thought | knOwed ye." he ex-
claimed, with bovine amaZement But i
yeti wasn't shore till l come in
How's Sam? Or is he along with ye?"
he asked, looking around the car. /
ooh. Sans ali right" she answered,
easily. mo. he isn't with me- He's
been in Chicago sev'ral weeks now
lookin' after some important business !
though I won't min tellin' you, Ben
like as not we'll move to Chicago, or
some other big city. Sans maxim too
much money to stay in little country
place. !
by Ned, Lyddy, you an Sam must
be flying high" exclaimed the country-i
man, in awestruck tone. 'Jes' look at
| all that toggery-"
ooh, this?'' she said, glancing indif-
| ferently down at the cloak. well, ye
| know, just anything'll do to wear when
| folks is travelin'. 1t amt worth while
| to put On real good clothes jest t0
| knock out on the cars" !.
The owner of the cloak gasped, and
| Bens jaw dropped; but Lyddy went CA
without fiinching:
I'm so glad We come aboard, Ben, ~
she said, leaning her cheek against the
soft fur Of the collar and smiling upj
at him. 1--WE always felt a. interest int
! Ills place for the sake of Oh times, butt
I'd hate to live here Sam says he
don't see how I ever stood it. It's
mighty dif'rent Twin where We can see
comp'ny all the time-an' havin' plen-
ty O. money to spen-an always gOin'
somewhere"
Every moment Ben had been feeling!
larger, more awkward, worse dressed !,
He stumbled to his feet and held out
his hand with sheepish grin.
well, the trains fxin' to start" ne
said. Il reckin I'd better make myself;
skeerce Well, good-by, Lyddy. III
tell the folks l seen ye"
He went out of the car, and presently
the train started, leaving Ben and the
struggling town behind and getting out!
to the brown and yellow prairies again |
Slowly, tremblingly, Lyddys fingers
were fumbling with the fastenings OIL
the cloak, but her eyes were still dry
when at last they met the eyes of the
woman who knew like in the cities.
'"That was the town where l grew!
up, Lyddy said, in the monotonous
voice which had come back to her.
Everybody hated Sam there--they was
all mad when I married him-they'd
a. been glad to -anything-ary-
thing bad"
'Were any of those things you told
him true?' asked Nell, who was be-
ginning to learn many things. Lyddy
drew the fur collar about her face for
the last time, and held it there mo-
ment
Sam went off an lef' me six months
ago. she said III dry voice. L amt
heard from him since. I'm wash1n'
dishes in the hotel at Baird
The newspaper woman gave a little
cry and caught one of the hard, rough
hands.
"Oh, you poor, poor girl!'' she cried
from full heart. LET me help you
a little-I can save you from that, at
least"
Lyddy took the cloak frcm around
her shoulders and laid it over the arm
of the seat, where it had been at first
'"There wasn't but one thing want
ed she said; IAN since | can't have
that, the rest don't matter Thank ye
for the cloak. 1t makes great diff
renee in a body's feelin's, don't it?"
Mrs. Nell Van Hover sat still, gaz-
ing with moist eyes at pale, worn
woman in a shabby dress and a bat
tered hat The pale woman stared out
of the window, counting the miles To
Baird, and the hotel, and the dish
washing
"And I called her commonplace" the
woman with the moist eyes was saying
to herself.