Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-24

don't make out the pctur. Louisa,
you'll never learn that child to walk
IL you carry him so And it's bad for
your back to carry such burden"
That's what mothers backs are
made for" said Louisa. laughing and
kissing her mother. Kisses were rare
among them. but IN those days Louisa
felt as IL she must he Grace and her
self too.
Whether she was sorry or glad, the
days went by with Grace. and in their
course she began to understand through
the little she saw of her husband that
they were critical days. ITS make or
break he said to her once And as
she saw his preoccupation and his
anxiety day after day and the breath
less way In which he lived she felt
breathlcss herself She scanned the
market reports and specials: she listen
ed as she could to the talk OF stocks
ana points and margins. yet she could
make out but little. and il was all very
haraSsing. She thought she had under
stood at last that everything depended
" III.
If 1t could be brought about. meant
wealth beyond dreams for all concern
ed and, II 1t couldn't, meant ruin. Rut
1t was going to he brought about: IL
couldn't fail; women couldn't under.
stand business of this sort; she must
possess her soul in patience. And she
tried to do as she was told But she
knew now that her husband had every
thing staked on one throw She lea med
over him in his snatches OF sleep. NUT
tering and tossing in his dreams. and
as she smOothed the lock lightly from
MS forehead she felt she would take all
the anxiety from him if she could give
him either success or peace of mind
He had grown white and gaunt of late,
eating nothing. waking before light. sit
ting lost in thought, starting at slight
sounds with all his nerves on edge. hur.
rying as he walked as II he pursued
something flying from him,
He was very much later for dinner
one day than ever before. Early in the
afternoon telegram had come and had
been brought up to her. kilograms
usually went to the downtown desk
She waited. expecting her husband. a
long while. and then. as he did not
come. she opened IT, She said il might
be from home. But she was conscious
that that was not the reason she open
ed it.
1t was very simple message and in
very terse language. "Gone up" But
she knew in an instant what it meant
and she summoned all her forces about
her.
Her HUSBAND came In after awhile
rather more boisterous than common. v.
do you know where my old silver
watch is?" he asked while maxim his
toilet.
why, to be sure; in the upper draw
er In my dressing case"
with the two keys" he laughed
You're sentimental woman. sun.
pose you have some fancy or other
about those keys. You're all ready for
the dinner and look Ike a princess.
Eoggery's becomln' to you. You like
it,"
II don't know" she said. ~ used to
IKE my old pink ginRhams
$50 did T." he exclaimed. "Tiresome
work. this going out to dinner business
I'll be ready in no time. Which is It
tonight? Harder work than when
went trainin' 18th the militia"
II was several times In the course OF
that evening that Captain Harding
looked At his wife with smile Of
triumph In spite of circumstances.
With what an air She carried it off. he
thought. How she became wealth and
splendor! And yet the girl In the pink
Bingham dress had been az pretty.
The truth was that for the first time in
this career Grace felt sure of herself
and on her own ground.
well" he said to her when they
were again in their rooms. Il don't be-
lieve any Of those men felt AS proud
Of their wives as ! did of you. This Is
the sort Of life you were meant for.
It's too bad-Im sorry. But now brace
up. I've something to tell YOU"
"NO. you haven't" she said, laughing
her great blue eyes blazing, 1t seemed
to him joyously. And she drew the tel.
egram from under a book.
by George" he cried. gazing at her
with fresh admiring pride. "You beat
the record. That's what call sand!
And you knew 1t all the time! Well.
there 1t is. amt no match for these
fellers. BY selling my watch and your
jewels and furs we'll get out whole and
have enough to buy little stock Of
fresh goods for the store. And-and-
what do you say"
THAT we can't start an hour too
soon" she cried.
Then we'll 70 back and Just open up
the store and dust II out 20 u nothin'
had happened, 90 II we'd been out to
see the world and had seen 1t and was
satisfied and was back again to the old
stand with some new notions" he said
gayly. Slowed our wild oats, 80 to
say"
And III give you raised biscuits and
doughnuts for your breakfast. And I'll
feed my chickens and have my plants.
I'll have a jack rose. Why. Charlie.
we'll be real happy yet"
"You better believe! And with this
load on my shoulders! It'll he nuts 70
your grandfather, though"