The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-22
Our Daily Sbort Story

the organ played and voices chanted. The cluttering branches beat against the panes. and the wind sob bed and moaned among the trees. But in her sadness and lone despair as she looks once more into the past, she builds anew In her heart the purpose set before her. NThe old days of brightness and joy-gone! In place of light and sunshine-this! And she shivers as she gIances about the chill. gloomy kitchen. To this has sho been brought--and for what? And why?
 Greed. blind. accursed and insensate greed. Her husband has bsgrudged her the few pennies for her cheap cotton gloves. for her print gowns and mean shoes. An! and how she has toiled-God, how she has been a slave for years! Tolled for her small fami- ly--thank heaven. all but one are now under the dead leaves in the one little burial place on the hillside, where the pines cast long, slender shadows over the frozen ground. And the one away. driven from home by his fa- ther's hardness and greed better were he laid with the rest. A drunken sot wandering on the face of the earth like a lost soul. She alone is with this travesty of a man.-she alouc to
 
 But the purpose in her heart burns brighter while she contemplatss the brightness of the past and the sordid life she now lives and hates. Rising she says:
 Down at the church meeting the other night the folks asked me what we were going to do this year for the poor of the village2 Of course they supposed we would do just as before l-nothing-"
 And they supposed right We will do nothing, nothing. We can't afford 1t, Hester; we can't afford it."
 But the woman continued as though she had not heard his word:
 q told them we were going to give the poor of the village a nice dinner this year"
 Hester Hester: stop! You should have asked me-"
 'As well ask a stone-for your heart is but stone, cold and hard folks a great dinner. promised-' No, no, Hester; it will not do. It will cost a lot of money to feed the poor. They are ever hungry. They will eat so much--'
 What of it? It will all come back again. I have promised. I will keep my promise. Henry you have pinch ed yourself, and gone with mean clohes-for what? Money to add to the store in the bank. You have pinched me and I have gone with mean clothes-for what? To add to the accursed store in the bank That stingy bank that never gives me q decent dress, nor comfort, nor peace and happiness, That cruel store In the stingy bank drove our son from us. The rest are dead-peaoefully and happily dead. But you and are here yet. We ara here with our mean ways. hard hearts and our money in the bank. I am going to lift the evil spell from this place tomorrow will have my way if 1t Is the last act dc on this earth. And by the living God , you nor your greed. your money in the bank, nor anything else will stand , in my way!" And reaching out the woman swept the candle in the sink where 1t expired.
 ray of moonlight struggled through the pane and fell upon the figure of the gaunt woman standing there with one hand uplifted in tho middle of the room And in the shad- ow the man shrunk lower and lower In his chair and breathed heavily. 'Hepsy, Hepsy. you are right, my God! I have been blind all these years-stone blind. I have been a de. mon of greed"
 But a demon no longer, Henry You will be man from now. I will lift the evil spell from this place to. morrow if live"
 The greed is gone. Hepsy"
 The man staggered to Hester's side he took her hands. hands so hard and gnarled with toll He laid them about his neck. And when he felt the , touch of her cheek against his, his heart melted and he scbbed while she stroked his hair and murmured: Thank God for thisw