The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-08-02
husband ana wife we're seriously in.

and practically never regained his
senses, though he fingered for some
weeks and was subjected to two OPP
erations. Mrs. Anson's spine was dam.
aged, with the result that she changed
from q bright and vigorous woman IL.
TO decrepit invalid doomed to early
death from slow paralysis.
When the great expenses attendant
on these mishaps were paid she found
herself not only absolutely poor but
rendered incapable of the slightest ef
fort to turn her many and varied tai.
ents to account in ORDER to earn q live
lihood. She came TO London, wheTc
her late husbands employers gene
ously gave her rent free possession o.
the tenement In which she was lyin
dead. helped her with funds to furnis,,
II modestly and found clerkship fo'
Philip with promise Of early promo
ton.
But the cup Of sorrow Isl seldom lef'
half filed. Barely had the widow Sc:
tied down to Il hopeful struggle on be
half OF her beloved son than quarrel
between partners led to the sale of the
firms business to limited liability
company. Economies We're effected to
make way for salaried directors Phil
ip was dismissed. with several other
junior employees. and the stable yard
was marked out as q suitable site for
he storage of coal required by the
local factories.
This development took place early
in the new year, and the new company
allowed Mrs. Arson to occupy her tiny
abode until the last day Of March. 1t
was now March 8, and how the widow
and her son had lived during the past
two months the doctor could only guess
from the gradual depletion Of their lit
tie store Of furniture.
1t was odd that such an intelligent
and well bred woman should be so
completely shut off from the rest of
the world, and his first question to
Phil sought to determine this mystery.
Surely" he said, "there is some one
to whom you can appeal for help. Your
father and mother must have had some
relatives, even distant cousins, and If
they are written to q friendly hand
may be forthcoming"
Philip shook his head. The mere
taste Of food had provoked ravenous
appetite. He could not eat fast enough.
The doctor stayed him.
Better wait a couple Of hours, Phil,
and then you can tackle a hearty meal.
That's the thing. l like to see such
prompt obedience, but you certainly
have wonderful self control for one so
young. may tell you, to relieve pres
ent anxieties, that few employees Of
your fathers firm have guaranteed the
expenses of your mothers funeral, and
they, also gave me sovereign to tide
you over the next few days"
Funeral! The word struck with
sledge hammer force. Phil had not
thought Of that. He remembered the
dismal pomp of such events in this
squalid locality. the loud sobbing Of
women. the hard faced agony of men,
the frightened curiosity of children.
His mother so dear, so tender, so soft
bright, beautiful, laughing
woman of their life in Dieppe-to be
taken away from him forever and per-
mitted to fade slowly into nothingness
in some dreadful place, hidden from
the sunshine and the flowers she loved!
For the first time he understood death.
When his father was killed, his mother
was left. Anxious tending on her dis
PEELED the horror Of the greater trag-
edy. Now all was lost. The tears that
he hated were yelling forth again, and
he savagely bit his lip.
"You have been-very good-to us,
DOCTOR" he forced himself to say. "If
ever-I can repay YOU
"There, there, not word! Bless my
SOUL yours is difficult case"
Again the doctor tackled his glove.
He glanced at his watch.
-Four o'clock. 1 am an hour late on
my rounds. No, Phil Don't go up
stairs. There are some women coming
Wait until they have tended your
mother. And-one last word. 1t will
do you no good to keep vigil by her
side. Best think of her as living, not
dead. You will be grateful for my adj
vice in after life."
The women arrived, coarse but kind
ly hearted creatures. One of them
gave the boy packet of letters.
II found 'em under the dear lydy's
pillow" she said. Neither poverty nor
death robbed Mrs. Arson of the re-
spect paid to her by all who came In
contact with her.
He sat down, united string which
bound the letters together and looked
at the address on the first envelope. 1t
bore his mothers name and a recent
postmark. Wondering dolefully what
she could have had
during these later months that de-
manded such careful preservation, he
took out the letter. Suddenly he hest
tated. Perhaps these documents al.
luded to something which his mother
did not wish him to know. For an in
slant his impulse was to consign the
packet to the fire. No; that might be
wrong. He would glance at their gen
eral purport and then commit them to
the flames If he thought fit.
The letter In his hand was headed.
"The Hall, Beltham. Devon" and dated
about a month earlier. 1t read:
Dear Madam-I am requested by Sir
Philip Morland to ask you not to trouble