Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-06-04

on MS chlld'S hot brow and spoke ten
Derry to the little sufferer Then he
turned away, mutely pressing the
mothers hand
The doctor came, and after an exam
ination serious look settled on his
face. Then followed night of anx-
ious watching and waiting, while the
child tossed and moaned, and every
moan cut the parents hearts like q
knife The doctor came again in the
morning and looked graver than yes
terday. Before he left he told the
man and wife to be prepared for the
worst
In the night a change came Two
alternatives arose before the dream,
one that the woman came out of the
s1ckroom with blighted look on her
face, saying, Its all over" He groan-
ed and shut the vision out by closing
his eyes. When he opened them the
other alternative was before him.
Ned, there is a change. He is Sleep
ing quietly, and his skin is moist" he
went to the sickroom and put his hand
on the child's cheek, then turned and,
clasping the mother in his arms, said
fervently, '"Thank GodY'
Day dreams as well as those that
come in sleep shift quickly. Ned saw
himself prosperous, rich. He sat at
one end Of dining table, his wife at
the other, with children of all ages on
either hand. The Oldest was now. a
sturdy collegian. who had carried all
the honors of his class; the next, a girl
OF nineteen, just engaged to one of her
brothers classmates. while the others,
boys and girls, ratified their knives and
forks. making a greater clatter. by all
talking at once.
DO you remember, DEAR" he said,
that smoking case you made of some
wooden stuff despatched with bow
knots? That was the stupidest thing
you ever did in your life. 1 can't
imagine anything more ridiculous.
Ha. hap
Ned Barnes had gradually been sue
cumbing to the quoting influences Of
tobacco ana when he spoke these
words he was dreaming in slumber.
His loud "Ha, haY' awakened him.
BY Jove," he exclaimed, yawning;
my dream must have been part while
awake and part sleeping! I'd like to
dream it all over again. No; not that
part about the child dying. No, MOI"
He shuddered and gave a quick pull.
at his pipe. But no smoke came. It
had gone out. Laying it aside, he
arose, undressed and went to bed.
But before going to sleep he made a
resolution with view of turning his
dream into reality, and the next day
he put it into practice.
Can you tell me-" he said to the
manager of the. woman's exchange,
who made the smoking case bought
here the other day.?
The woman hesitated, asked why he
wished to know. consulted with anoth-
er woman. then said that the article
had been made by young girl whose
necessities were considerable. If Civ
ing her address would be of any bene-
fit to her it would be given. Barnes
said that it would. He had been so
pleased with the article she had made
that he would like dozen Of them.
To this the lady replied that he could
order dozen through her, but he said
in so large an order he would prefer
to deal directly with the manufactures.
After much delay he finally got the
address
Ned was tempted to write the girl
that he had purchased her smoking
case and had received her missivese
but. deeming this incauious. herset
about finding some one who would
give him an introduction to her He
at length succeeded in this and found
in the girl he sought one whose family
had in former days been prominent,
but whose property had melted away.
She had never known anything but
adversely. though she had inherited
from her mother the manner of lady.
She was rather pretty and generally
attractive. Barnes, under the influence
of the episode of which she was igno-
rant, took quite fancy to her. He
followed up the acquaintance, and
gradually it appeared to him that,
though she was stupid on the surface,
beneath was a deep current of common
sense.
Since she was the only girl he knew
with whom he could begin married life
on practical principles. he resolved to
ask her to marry him. He preceded
his proposition by taking from his
pocket the missive he had found in the
smoking case and handed it to her.
She read it and looked up at him with
cheeks atiame
Where did you get it?" she asked.
II bought the smoking case you sold
through the woman's exchange. You
ask in the note if ! don't think you
struck bright idea in making the
smoking case. certainly do. re-
ciprocate all the rest you said and pro
pose to end our mutual loneliness by
union. Will you marry me-?
That was dozen or fifteen years
ago. Mrs. Barnes proved an admira-
BILE manager. thus giving her husband
great advantage in making living
ncy To-,