Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-01-04
LORA
BY WIZ. HEIHSBURG
BY WIZ. HEIHsBURG

She had no right even TO blame her
mother-in-law; she was a loving
mother, angry with her for showing SO
plainly her dislike to her son, who was
her own husband. The offensive words
buzzed about her ears like d swarm OF
bees, and now and Their one hurt
keenly.
But she did not finch, it was a mat
ter of such Indifference to her; it
would pass, and then would come
quiet, eternal quiet. She did not turn
round till her mother-in-law bpoke in
to nervous sobs, and dropped into a
chair.
Il beg your pardon" said L0ra; 'it
Is hard for me 10 pretend TO what
do not feel"
But that is outrageous" screamed
Frau Becher, breaking out afnesh;
and you say it so as matter of
course. What. He might have got
somebody better than such poverty
stricken girl, whose brothers have TO
have their debts paid to keep the
family from disgrace; That is all the
thanks we get for paying out thaler
after thaler, so the high-born Frau
Won Tollen can pay her butcher and
her shoemaker"
My mother?" inquired Lora, grasp
ing at the arm of a chair, you have
| given money to my mother?"
What can | do, | should like to
| know. when she begs of me?" cried
the shrill voice. here is the third
letter within few days-there, look
at it, if you don't believe it," And she
felt in her pocket and took out card
with a black border, and threw il
down on the floor in front of Lora.
There's a luxury for people who have
to be always begging for money
there must be black edges on the
cards--but it's all of a piece with the
whole establishment"
Lora picked up tile card, and read:
Dearest Frau Beci1er:
Gould you lend me twenty marks
more. stjll the LIST of January have
had so many expenditures on account
of my husbands death and Lora's
| marriage. which took out so many lit
Ftle, sums, thai find myself in some
diffleulty. Pray excuse me for
troubling you lngain. 9,.s
Yours,
] - efa Marie Won Tollen."
Lora was crimson with shame. She
HAD refused to ask for money for her
| mother, and now she had gone secret
lily to her daughters mother-in-law!
How much did you lend my
mother?" she inquired
Forty marks--0f course iii the eyes
CT people who do not know how hard
IL Is to earn a PENNY, that Is nothing
at all-nothing!" she cried.
Lora went to the broken table, drew
out a drawer. and came back with
four ten-mark pieces,
Here is the amount you lent my
mother" she said, putting 1t down be
fore Frau Becher on a mosaic table
Il am sorry did not know the full
extent of my mothers needs"
Frau Elfriedas angry face put OF
scornful smile. 1T is charming
when one is fried in ones own fat!
she screamed. and began to laugh a.
} systerically as she had cried before.
You are mistaken" said Lts
coldly; lit is the last money that
earned by my work. have neve
: yet taken anything from him whos'
name | bear"
: She went past the hysterical VIC
, man into her bedroom, and shut TIL
: the window and looked out into tn
! wintry park. A heavy black clou'
, hung over the trees; on a tall popla
Y in the foreground sat a row of me-
lancholy crows-otherwise there wa
= no life In the gray landscape tina
| stretched out before her as sad an
/. desolate as her own existence.
"Only to see him once more, an
| then--and then--"
I She was conscious that she was dc
ing wrong, according to the laws c
}. God and man; but deep as were he
/. religious feelings, she could no longe
9 endure the duties that her marriag
Q imposed upon her. She considered ths
!. there were rights. sacred rights, whic
. stood niger than those which boun
? her 10 the man whom she could NJ
. love. And as she no longer posSeSse
/. these rights she had firmly decided I
E call to her aid power before whic
all must give way-right. duty, force
; everything. And then-then," sh
murmured again.
She could no longer pray, her min
| was so filled with one idea. She ha
. not slept well for long time; as 500
as she lay down she heard the soft ri
pie of the quiet little river behind he
parents house. And in the daytime
, when she was condemned to mac
| iNity, and sat alone at her fireside, sh
; pictured TO herself hcw it would b
when the announcement was mad
that young Frau Becker was dead
, / a,ou,palt Che thOuct ont every dS