The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-01-26

Martha
ButterWOrth'S:
Thanks
She Pound Cause For Them
q That ThankseivinS Day
Nv clARIssA MACKIE
, Ospyr1ght By American Press Asso-
citation, I'M.

II
citation, III III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
~0sve thanks for whatY' demanded
Martha Butterworth nercely.
sBeing alive, Of course. for one
thing" retorted her roommate. old
NrA Lloyd
sAhvey' snifRed Martha. livery
body else IN the world y alive ~ well
- I b. I don't consider that any
special oct Of Providence"
"You'rs sacrilesious. Martha" said
Ma Lloyd solemnly.
Il 6pose I be. l s'pose ! BE-" said
Martha drearily. and she stared from
the window down at the frost n1pped
lawn Of the old ladies' home.
Martha Butterworth hated the old
ladies' home with a fervor that few
Of tn inmates understood. Most OF
them were simple minded old women
who had invested q little nest egg Of
savings In the institution to receive
dividends of q lifelong home and de-
cent burial.
They had been q congental company
nntf Martha Butterworth came into
their midst. Many Of them had known
Mrs Butterworth In her younger days.
Then she had been quite q parsonage
In the county, for her husband. Darius
Butterworth. had been known a. the
richest farmer within a radius Of TWEEN
ty-flve miles. But Darius had fallen
q victim to the gold mine fever and
awoke one morning to ind himself the
possessor Of a big tin box full of
worthless mining stock while even his
farm had been mortgaged to its full
value.
The horde Of censorious relatives
which Immediately gathered at the
Butterworth farm and clamored their
disapprovai Of Darius ''crazy invest
ments" proved to be too much for
the patient. unbusinesslike Darius.
who, dazed by the great misfortune
that he had brought upon his wife as
well as himself. promptly disappear
ed, taking the box Of beautifully en-
zraved stock certificates with him.
! The closest search failed to reveal
the whereabouts of the fugitive farm
er, and the aforesaid relatives. still
censorious. but In a mute. heartbroken
sort Of way. helped Darius bewilder-
ed little wife to close up all the affairs
that hungry creditors had not already
bounced upon. and they agreed that
Martha should live i'm turn with one
and another of them until Darius
should come back or something turn
ed up.
The bread OF dependence is bitter,
and for Eve long years Martha But
terworth tasted gall and NORWOOD.
Then she packed up her few belong.
ings and took a position as house
keeper In the family of a man who
had an invalid wife.
For ave more years Martha looked
for her husbands return, and then
hope died In her breast with the end
ing Of the tenth year Of his absence.
Shortly after this a severe attack OF
, rheumatism crippled Martha's busy
feet and so she gave up her situation
and. @king her small savings. did
what her soul loathed to do-she be
came an inmate Of the old ladies
home IN the adjacent busting little
city.
She hated the home. She detestet
} the simple minded. contented old wo
} men. who were well pleased will
} their lot Not one Of them had known
n great prosperity as Martha Butter
worth. and not one had suffered thu
I pangs Of fallen pride or endured thu
! grief Of uncertainty regarding a Loves
D ones safety that she had. and. al
though one Of them knew Marth,
! Butterworth's story-and In c0nse
quence all the others were soon pos
I sessed Of 1t also-they could not un
I derstand her deep rooted bitterness o
! spirit. and they withdrew from he
company and left her alone.
Old Mrs. Lloyd. the woman who ha,
4 known Of Martha's affairs. also knew
that Martha Butterworth had been
4 very brilliant pianist In her day. Be
4 fore Martha had married Darius sh
D had taught music. and after she wa
married she played for her husband
pleasure. For ten years her wor
I hardened fingers had not touched pi
ano ksys-her own plano had gone 4
4 ths auction sale that followed the ger
I sral erash-and in spite Of Mrs. Lloyd
, pleading that Martha enliven thei
D long autumn evening" with ''tunes
J % the big square piano In the parlo
I q the home Martha had ~ steadfas'
N refused to touch II.
thankful indeed mutteeed Maj
4 Ia again after Mrs. Lloyd had lei
, he room. II declare! Sometimes
D think II ! was q man I'd swear!'
J ~ blushed after that remark an
~ hee thin face In her handi
4 sDvssythinG's gone wrong- she wal
Sl00 oo(tly ITO think after ha
Sl0vo0 $500 that rheumatiz shout
> IeateA NJ IN the feet. only 10 leave III
D minute got into this home! II
! AAdn't been % hasty I might hav
IDo0o On working. I would soon hav