The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-06-04
Continued from yesterday.)

stances Of this poverty stricken house
hold SO far as they were known to him.
Mr.. and Mrs. Arson had occupied q
fairly good position In Dieppe, where
Philips father was the agent of an old
abliShed London firm of coal ship
pers. About two years earlier both
husband and wife were seriously in
jured in a motor car accident. Mr.. An
son sustained conclusion of the brain
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 a bright and vigorous woman in
to q 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 eff
fort to turn her many and varied tai
ents to account in order to earn live
lihood. She came to London, where
her late husbands employers gener-
ously gave her rent free possession of
the tenement in which she was lying
dead, helped her with funds to furnish
it modestly and found a clerkship for
Philip with a promise of early promo
ton.
But the cup of sorrow is seldom left
half filed. Barely had the widow set
tied down to a hopeful struggle on be-
half Of her beloved son than a quarrel
between partners led to the sale Of the
firms business to a limited liability
company. Economics were effected to
make way for salaried directors. Phil
ip was dismissed, with several other
Junior employees, and the stable yard
was marked out as a suitable site for
the 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 5, 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 we'll bred woman should +, 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
they are written to a friendly hand
may be forthcoming"
Philip shook his head The mere
taste of food had provoked a 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. l may tell you. to relieve pres
ent anxieties, that a few employees of
your fathers firm have guaranteed the
expenses of your mothers funeral, and
they also gave me a 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
cheeked-the 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 a difficult case"
Again the doctor tackled his glove.
He glanced at his watch.
-Four o'clock. l 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 ad-
vice in after life"
The women arrived, coarse but kind
" hearted creatures. One of them
gave the boy packet OF letters.
Il found 'em under the dear lydy's
pillow" she said Neither poverty mol
death robbed Mrs. Arson OF the re,
spect paid to her by all who came n
contact with her.
He sat down. united a string which
bound the letters together and looked
at the address on the first envelope Il
bore his mothers name and recent
postmark. Wondering dolefully what