Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-01-21

I
widow Of carpenter, with four chill.
dren to feed. Illness had handicapped
Ler until, with the food and fuel alb
sorbing all she had In the world, she
was reduced to absolute beggary-not
a crust in the house, not stick of
wood for her fire. Her husbands tool
chest she had kept all the years since
he had gone-just, suppose, as keep
your chair and your slippers and >smok-
ing jacket ready and waiting for you
poor woman! Maybe she liked to think
HE would come home some day and +
again stow away the things in the old |
chest. Although it must have been
holy thing to her.. the pinching cold |
drove her to desperation and she broke |
it up for fuel. I can fancy the hot |
tears binding her as she struck each |
blow, and then she fumbled over the
splintered pieces there was shrek
from the oldest girl. Money, man.
ma! Money! Half crazed and only
half comprehending, she stood daZed
end swaying while the child dove
among the broken sides of the chest
end held up three crisp new banknotes.
The poor mother. tainted. and when
she came back to life and looked into
the frightened eyes of her children and
remembered it all she was wild with
JOY Money! That meant food and
warmth! Mary and Grace were to
run to the coal yard to get two buckets
of coal, while her mother tidied herself
| for visit to the store. In twenty min
| utes the children were back again but
| in q panic and accompanied by an Of
hcer. The ten-dollar note was coun-
\ 1'terfeit. So were the other two-and
as the truth forced itself home to the
Door woman her tired brain gave way.
| Mrs. Lamberson wanted us to do some
thing for those children and we did.
Tom. that thing haunted me. and In
the paper this morning I saw the story
Of the tragedy, and. Tom, the notes
were your notes.-the tens Oh the First
National Bank; you know the ones!
, Oh, Tom. Tom! Think OF that Eoor
Cevil and the suffering that came to
; him through you and your friends In
, what you used to call your "enter'
prise" And that woman. with starv'
ing eyes and matted hair. muttering as
she sits idly in the corner Of her bare
, room! You couldn't have known wha'
:. it all meant when you went in will
= them. You were so tender and you
:, hands were such kind hands. Yo'
would not knowingly hurt a duml
= brute, for know you had the heart
woman; and vet, see what tn
wretched work of thoso- Js"is b. b.
il through the remaining Years cth aha~ :.
'e to mass before your are free? 1 wis
II could have good cry-perhaps
~ wonld help me. I guess l nave III
~ horrors. I only know that 1 am Amos
>, beside myself with shame. anu pi'
H. and remorse.. And through IL an
u must keep my secret hidden anu Il
y. mono suspect-not even Dorothy, WI
! g often asks for ''papa."
pray for the time to pass QUICK
door heart, and when the day 90
:. es. let us 60 away from here. al
+rv +o atone for some of the suHerll
~: wo nave caused. Your heart-brok
las we ~ NELL
ere His hand dropped listlessly to
lne knee and he closed his eyes. tears .r''
hu ,ed down his cheeks. "Thank Go(
lsy, ha cried ferventIy. ''Thank God II
as- all passed, and that by His grace
have regained something Ct wnat
ou, lost" His wife's face was press
inu close to his and she petted him as
ces: might have soothed child. so II
sn. sat while the clock marked the spe
Ca,, ing minutes. .,
10" "Never mind. dear heart she w
'eee cred. "it is all over now. Let US
you only at the future. The letters are
tue q part Of the past. Let us put II
no" away forever" She gently dre"
you, Get from his unresisting hngers
Ill tossed it with the others upon the
,'ns , ing logs. Together they watched
nou flames burst into new life: ana
eA 1.othing remained but the glowing
were crumbling ash. they still SAT han'
tnes hard. dreaming of the happier. pc
salu' full days that were to come.-"asl
IA " ron Star