The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-06-12
! CHAPTER VII.
THE LOST PLACE.

No prophecies ever come true ex-
cept prophecies of disaster. Perhaps
the reason is that there have never
been any other kind. Katharine went
about her duties with a sense of i'm
pending disaster due to Dittmer's pro-
phecies. The children carried on in
their usual fashion; the mother worked
and contrived; the precise bald-head-
ed father came home every day and
read the paper slowly, with his legs
crossed, just as usual; and yet some
thing dreadful was going to happen to
them.s If you knew that the day after
tomorrow there was going to be an
earthquake of so vast and extended a
character that there would be no time
to escape. would you warn the UNI
thinking folk or would you leave them
to their fate? If you warned them,
for every one who would betake him
to his knees, dozen would take to
drink. Better leave them unconscious
until the end came. AS well warn
the skipping lamb that in a day or
two he viii be hanging up, with his
wool gone and his inside scooped out,
in butchers shop.
The blow fell few days later.
1t was on Saturday afternoon, when
Mr.. Emptage generally came home at
half-past two and spent the rest of the
day with the family, not disdaining
to turn his hand to household jobs;
few family men, indeed, were reader
at mailing up a blind, mending door
handle, or any of those little matters
for which the plumber is too often
called in. He generally came home
cheerful and ntented-tenuity Of In
come is not felt if you desire no more
than you have. This day, however, he
returned in a condition which--unjust-
~, / declare forced those who saw
him to think of strong drink.
John" said his. wife. sharply. What
is the matter? Where have you been n
His face was white, his lips tremu-
lous. his hands dangled at his side--a
most undignified thing for hands to do
land he swayed from side to side.
"Johnr' his wife repeated. whats
the matter?"
HE is i'll, Mrs Emptage.' said Kath.
arine. But she knew what had hap
pened.
"Childrenr' the poor man groaned,
"wifel Katharine~ he sunk into an
armchair and buried his face in his
hands" I'VE are ruinedi"
Had he, then, been dismissed.
"Johnl What is it? Tell me, quick
What? Johnl Speak upl''
maria, I will. Give me time. rye
eaten no dinner to-day ait all. What
right had I to be eating dinner with
the poor children never going perhaps
to have any more?' He uttered these
awful words with his face still in his
hands, so that they had a muffied
funeral sound, like the drums at the
burial of soldier.
"Oh, Johnl Speak up!'' his wife re-
peated.
The younger children began to cry
The elders watched their mother and
Katharine. 1t would not be becoming
in them to begin the crying until they
set the example. But they were terri.
fed. John sat up and looked slowly
and solemnly around, shaking his head
His children were about him, his wife
was at his side, and in front OF him
was the governessl Oh, how few Of
his contemporaries had governesses
And now he felt In moments OF
great trouble 1t is the small thing
which seizes first on the mind. Johr
Emptage suffered less pain at the mo
ment for the loss of his income thar
for the loss OF his gentility "Oul
governessi MY chiIdren's governessr
New lie would be able to say these
words no longer.
Business he began, with a groan
''has been terribly bad. It Is bad witt
everybody, but in onr trade 1t seems
to have gone altogether
"Well. my dear, you hare said thai
so otten.n
Eat last the partners have reduced
The establishment Reduced reduced
the establishment, Maria.y
eJohn~ shrieked his wife, syor
haven't lost your hefthg
sThey've sent away half the clerks
three are gone; aud they've cut dowf
the salaries Of those who stay on
I'M cut Gown. Maria children oul
father rms been cpt down.