Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-06-30
1ACE r. BEND was dry goods
4 D merchant doing business in
9 M G Broadway. He employed
q AVA r number of girls to sew
NcR for him many of the arti-


Giles he sold.
IN few years he had amassed quite
a fortune, and he now lived in Madison
avenue, in fine, stately mansion.
He had son at college-a fine, no
BILE young man, whose ideas were
somewhat different from his fathers
He showed this, after leaving college
by falling in love with one of the girls
who worked for his wealthy parent
The name of this young woman was
Martha Stephens. She was intelligent
refined and of domestic nature-jusi
the one to please the fancy of Richard
who, of a lively nature himself, pre-
ferred the sedate of the other sex.
Mr.. Bend stormed violently wher
Richard announced his intention OF
marrying Martha.
He at once discharged the young CIR
from his employ, thus driving her tC
the extremity of want and suffering
as she had a crippled mother on hel
for support.
Pale as death, she entered the apart
ment where her mother sat on the
evening she was discharged.
Mrs. Stephens endeayored to con.
sole her child.
Perhaps we may hear from your
uncle while you are looking up EN-,
ployment," said she.
Martha shook her head.
The uncle alluded to was Robert
Stephens, brother of the young girls
mother, and who had been absent
from home, doing business In San
Francisco, for many years.
He had, until the past few months
been in the habit Of occasionally send
Ing small remittances to his sister, who
had been much benefited thereby.
Why he had ceased to do so was O
mystery to i1rs. Stephens, who, how.
ever, concluded that he mnst be sick
Martha. however, feared that he had
been lost at sea, as in his last letter
be had stated his intention of coming
home, and the young girl had soor
after read in paper an account oil
the burning of a vessel with great loss
Of life, on her passage from Portland
Ore, to San Francisco.
Even while Martha was Responding
however, there came q knock at the
door, which being opened, admitted
Richard Bend.
Mrs. Stephens had seen him be
fore, and liked him very much.
He stayed on this occasion two
hours, and before he left Martha had
consented 20 be his wife.
He had not concealed from her the
opposition of his parent to his union
and she had said:
mo, Mr.. Bend, will not make trou
BILE between you and your father"
"You love me?'
"Yes, could not express how much.
''Then will have you," said Richard
firmly, "even if my father disinherit
me, as he has threatened to do"
II cannot consent to cause you al
this trouble"
ut will make no difference abou
fathers money" answered the high
spirited young man, "as 1 would no
now accept dollar from him, whethe
l married you or not"
Martha's eyes beamed proudly upol
the young man, especially as anothe
impeachment to her union with him wa
now removed.
He could not think, even had b
been inclined to do so, that she mar
ried him for his money, if she accepte,
him.
She put her hand in his.
Il am yours"
The wedding day was fixed for th
following week.
A few friends were invited when th
day came, and Martha Stephens an
Richard Bend became man and wife.
The young man, on the very day o
his marriage, received a letter fror
his father, disowning him, and biddin
him never darken his doors again.
For this he did not care pin.
He engaged humble lodgings for hin
self and wife, and obtained a situatio
as clerk in a newspaper office at
modest salary of fifteen dollars pc
week.
Martha and he were very happ.
The crippled mother found, with thes
two; a home, both often denying then
selves that they might obtain con
forts for her.
To Richard, who had been used |
all the luxuries of wealth, this way I
living seemed rather depressing, "
lie never complained.
Whenever cloud came across h
brow there was Martha, ready to chez
him with a smile and an embrace.
She kept their three little rooms j
the neatest order, for she was an G,
cellent housekeeper, and, whenever L
came home, and saw the cleanly-sweI
| oilcloth round the stove, with the {:
coiled upon it, and the canary hoppin
about in its cage on the wall, the hun
BILE little place seemed TRANSFORMS
| into a paradise.
Martha was ever ready to wait upo
him, to contribute to his comfort in
thousand ways. The moment he fl
ished his supper and -ose, glanciI
around him i'll a certain peculiar
wistful manner, she, knowing what
wanted, would run and bring him h
pipe and tobacco.
Then there were his slippers ever
aand, and when he finished smokin
the glass Of fresh wafer was brougl
% him before he could leave his cha
70 obtain it himself.
Sometimes lie would smooth biz
aair, and tell her she must not til
| herself by waiting on him so much
But this always had the effect I