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l. ' \ . Ir' . ' . . . . . . . .
} . ( 'It
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Only a Little Child.
° * ) nh' n little child whom few could know ,
And yet 1 wonder why my warm tears
flow \ ?
i Dnly a little soul that' ' taken flight .
Only a lllUc eofiln-HIIIIIl and while ,
Amid the roses sweet aR Innocence
" Amid the roses sweet 11:1 : : hcav'ns Inecnse.
l'wo won 'rlng limpid eyes drooping In
death
Whilst angels hover near with bated
brealh.
1 wo tiny hand upon 1tiny breast ,
fwo restless IHlll'rlng feet fore ' or at
rest ! !
' Dh ! lllUe snowy breast 1'0 pure so fair !
Oh . little loving heart so still In these !
;
Only a. llltlo babe-a little child ,
Yet when ho died the gentle Shepherd
smiled .
A little lamb to join the hock above ,
Another little lamb for Him lo 10\'e.
Only n little babe-a little child ,
Yet when he died the shepherd np there
smiled .
A SINGULAR
SITUATION
"Lost , br : thunder ! " exclaimed God-
frey Barrett.
And as though In corroboration of
his dismayed remark , there resounded
from the lowering heavens a cracks -
s ling , long rumbling , crisp as the cannonade -
nonade from a battery of art1l1ery.
The man stood still on the country
road and looked around him , trying
to decide In' what direction lay the
town from which he had started out
that morning on a trip of exploration.
ti "Mlght tropical scone for Illinois , "
, ho muttered. "One can't see a house
for vegetation. Hallo ! Those are red
gables showing through the trees ! "
He turned off briskly In the direction
" of the house. lIe would ash shelter
until the coming storm was over , and
. hen make his way back to the vII-
Ul ' \ ;
\ ' " lage.
" . ) ; The day had been hot. Even now
" ' " " ' . ' < . ( sultriness hung like a palpable thing
. , : . ' aver the land. To the south and casts
: s , . the sy ] was deeply purple. Through
I . , its serrated cloud , banks tridents of
I } i ' fire pltchforled their glittering way.
t 'r ; ' The cottonwoods at either side of
it : : " : ' ? , , . . the path up which the stranger walked -
" ' ; > i
; , " , . " c . , ed were moving ' restlessr. ] The pale
-
" inner lining of their green eaves
made an uncertain shimmer in the
Im I , . premature dusk that was settling
' : . down upon all things Now and then
j a bird chirped-a tiny , fluting note of
. .
: . . . prescient agitation.
. The house upon which Barrett
came was not large , but it was built
in colonial style , and conveyed the
; i "i impression of comfort. The , door ,
'
I' : : . : , ' . ; , ; . : : , t . standing wide open , revealed a square
i . " , ball , with rugs on the polished floor
I ( ' . ' " and dwarf bookcases let In under the
{ : ' " stalrwar.
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"Lost , by thundorl"
4'Oh ! " cried a sort , excited volco. "It
. ts you ! You have como-at last ! "
Godtrey Barrett's hand dropped from
! the bell. A lay } appeared at , the end
- - 'ot the hall. She seemed shy , but re-
- r jolced. And , as she came out ot the
ii .
semi.gloom in the light from the door.
way , her nppeamnco gave tollfl'ey ;
, something of a shoclt. There was
something uncanny about her , And
yet , she was unusually hand3ome !
\Vhy did you not write mo to expect .
pect you ? " she asked. A spasm as of
pain contorted her features , and she
laid her hand clutchingb' upon her
bosom "Come- 'ou are wolcol11o-
. dear ! " She held out her arms In expectant .
pectant greeting.
It was the fact that her face , hair ,
attire , all were white , BUI'l'ett decided ,
that gave her such a ghostly loole.
And yet the face was youthful , de-
Suite Its coronet of thick , soft huh'
But there was something In the eyes
that he had never seen hefore. It
was an expression , vague , wistful ,
longing , that at once attracted and
I
repelled him. Most of all , It aroused
in him an InexpJcable ) sense of com- I
passion.
He went forward and took her
hands. He had an idea that this was
the proper thing to do , though ho
could not have told why.
"If you wiII be good enough to let
me stay here until the storm Is over , " I
he began , and a rushing torrent of
rain confirmed his request.
"Ah , longer than that " she said.
She smiled-a slow , sweet smile , Inexpressibly .
cxpl'eBslbb' sad. "Now that you have
come at lust you must stay until It's
time to go away on your next vo ' -
age.
age."But , perhaps , " looking ] at him wIth
uazel eyes grown suddenly brilliant
with hope , "perhaps you will not have
to go on another voyage. Perhaps you
can remain at home-now ! "
Barrett was at a loss for a repl ' .
She tool him for someone else-some
one dearly loved at that. And she
looked so 1 fragile. If he were sud-
denly to undeceive 11,11' as to his Iden-
tity would the shock seriously affect
her ? He had noticed the Instanta-
neous agony the sight ot him had
caused her.
"I thinle-ma 'be- " ho began to
stammer. Under the pretense of put-
ting away his hat he released him-
felf. He had jerked It under his
arm when he went forward to take
her hands Now as he turned toward
the hall rack he saw In its mirror that
another woman was coming swiftly
across the drawing room behind him
-a younger woman.
He flung around qnlcltly. "I beg
your pardon for this Intrusion , " he
said.
said.She
She looked apprehensively at the
woman In white , then up at the
straight , athletic young stranger ,
with the fine broad.based brow and
frank , fascinating blue eyes. And
he , Ie turn , was conscious of profound
relief at meeting her gaze There was
nothing ' bordering on the supernatural
In this fair girl Her house dress of
ping lawn was daintily coquettish.
And her eyes , the clear , unembar-
rassed eyes of a slll1ny.souled maiden
.
gave assurance of sanity and com-
posure.
"You were overtaken by the storm ,
I presume Will you not come into
the IIbrary'and walt until It Is over ? "
She closed the door , for the rain was
heating In at the threshold , then indicated -
dicated the room at the leCt. "Aunt
Alice , " she said coaxingly to the wom-
an In white , "will you not come to
your own room and rest ? You look
very tired. Come , darling ! "
She spoke as she might have
spoken to a little child-entreating-
ly and with affection. But the other
pushed her away with a sudden , nerv-
ous gesture
"I don't know what you can be
thinking ot , Bertha , " she said impa-
tiently. "Why should I go away-
now ? Don't you see that Henry has
come back ? "
She moved closer to Barrett and
put her thin hand on hIs arm with an
air oC possession
" 0 merciful heaven ! " lllurmured the
younger woman. She clasped her
slim pretty hands with a swift gesture
of despair. Barrett met her appealing
glance and nodded. She scanned his
features slowly from brow to chin
with keen , scrutinizing gaze. Then
she , too , nodded omvrehendinglY.
p.-
. . .
. .
"I sea the resemhlance. It Is as- ;
tonlshln- . " she said Theil , with the
same beguiling , gentleness she turned
imploringly to the woman ut Durrett's
. .
sde "Dear . " she pleaded , "coUle with
Bm.tha. Como with me "
. .
iou lied to me ! " cried her aunt
sharpl You told mo-all of you-
that Henry was dead , You said ho
was drowned at seu. nut ho Is hero.
IIJ has como baclt. I always know ho
wOllld come bnck. Dearest , " she
turned to Godfror , her clinging fingers ,
/ers / tightening their hold upon his
arm , "YOII will not go away-ever-
again ? "
He was beglnntng to understand
the singular situation in which he
found hlmseJr. lIe knew now what
that distant look In her eyes meant.
He patted her hand tenderly. He
BIWlto in a lowered voice. "I am very
tired , " ho said. "I have walked far.
You will go und try to rest n little.
You will \ let mo rest also And then-
pl'I'halls-we will tulle-Iater- "
"Oh , I am not In the least tired , "
she cried , joyously . "I am only happy -
pr , happ And was sometimes afraid
I was never going to be happy again.
But , of course , It you have traveled
ffiil z
I
I
1
I
f I
? /Go/- .
"You have not kissed me , Henry. "
far , I will leave you alone until you
send for mo. " She moved away , then
turned back. "You have not kissed
me , Henry , " she said reproachfully.
He looked ] hastily at the girl. Her
sweet eyes were dim with tears She
hurriedly bent her head He stooped
and touched his lips to the pallid
cheek at the elder woman. She flushed -
cd at the touch. She smiled-gladly , '
exultantly , and without further protestation -
iestatlon went nwar.
When the girl returned she closed
the door behind her. She struck a
match and lighted the fire laid ready
In the grate for just such a rainy
afternoon as this and pointed to a
chair.
"I have looked again , " she said , "at
the picture In the room ot my poor
uunt. You are very like her lover
of many years ago. He was n naval
officer and went away on his last
voyage before his marriage. When
she heard that his ship , wIth all hands
on board , had been lost , her mind
gave way. And when Henry Allison ,
Who had been supposed dead , return-
ed-a. rescued survivor-she did not
him. ' is' "
recognize Wh-what It ?
Godfrey had risen excltedy to his
fcot.
"Henr Allison was my mothm"s
brother. That accounts for my resem-
bance. ] He has been dead many
years. "
"Yes , I know. You have noticed
how trail Aunt Alice Is ? Your coining -
Ing has made her so content. What
was that ? " She had risen. "Quick ,
Rosa ! " to the maid , who had burst
Into the room , "Aunt Alice has fainted .
cd , you sa - _ Send Tom for the doc.
tor. These fainting fits are serious
with her. "
She ran from the room and up the
stairs. Barrett hesitated and followed -
cd her. A sobbing cry came to him
as he reached the landing. Ho need-
ed no explanation at its cause when
ho stood In the doorwa ' . The woman
. . . . . .
. . . . ,
. _ _ , . . . . . . .
- . . _ . _ .
.
.
seated In the window , an old photograph . '
graph clasped In liar stiffening flu-
gars , would hover more look and long
and listen for the tep , and the voice
that might not come.
But Gol1frc Barrett returned to
the , scene oC his stranfip adventure
again and yet again. Nor cOllld Del'-
tha Craig long withstand the ardor of
his wooing.
"I think I began to care for you , "
she admitted , "whon I saw how kind
you were to poor Aunt AlIco. "
"nut I , " he hesitated with lover ] .
bravado , "cared for you before I really -
Iy saw 'ou , I think I fell In love
with the little anxious taco I saw
reflected In ! the mlrror.-Allco klll'
nor in Boston Globe.
STORY OF A 'POSSUM.
-
Jones Bought One for the Purpose of
Fattening Him.
"Now , " salll Jones , when ho had
pall the man a dollar and a quarter
for the lean , hungry-looking opossum :
"Wc'll take him to the back yard , and
put him In that old mocltlll'.blrd cage ,
for the present : and I hot you ' that
In loss'n two weeks wo'll have him as
fat as a butter ball ! And then wo'll
slay him , and have him cooked as
brown as a berry , with 'tators all
'round him and gravy that ' 11 bo as
rnouth-watorln' as a canomill drlpptn'
julco. 0. it'll bo a feast to make
you smack your mouth the rest 0' your
IIfo ! "
Tao 'possum said hover a word.
Like n'ror Rabbit , "he lay Jaw , " and ;
suffered himself to bo emIJaled In the
bird cage , and in no way resented the
Jibes and laughter oC the children , as
they crowded round his prison-house. i
lIe was what might be called a wise
' ) lossum , who well knew that the
whirligig of time brings Its revenges ,
and that all things , Including bill collectors .
lectors , come to him who walts.
So ho waited.
That night Jones retired at his
usual hour , to dream of tat 'possums ,
cooked to n turn : and so pleasant
was his dream that , when the hired
boy came to wake him ho threw the
alarm clock at the boy's head
"Ef you please , suh , " said the boy , '
from safe distance "dat ' "
a , 'possum"-
The magic name brought Jones to
his feet. "Well , what about the 'pos-
sum ? " he bawled.
Not long was he in Ignoranco. The
monster had gnawed his way to free-
dom from the bird cage , and , finding
seven game chickens and nine regis
tered pigeons In his way , ho forthwith
dispatched ) them , and having break'
fasted to his satisfaction , he departed
for his old home , In a swamp about
five miles to the southward.
Jones looked from the boy to the
hlrd.cago : then his eyes wandered
over the field or the slain. Then ho
smashed the cage into a thousand
pieces , and when his wife , alarmed by
screams in the bacIt yard , rushed to
the scene , she discovered Jones beat.
lug time boy , who was bellowing for
his life !
And when it was suggested that ho
had hest devote his energies to catch- ,
lag time 'possum- ;
"D-n the 'possum ! " said Joncs.-
Atlanta Constitution.
Solve the Tramp Problem. i
Out In Colby a remedy for the
tramp nuisance has been tound. The
city council had 1,000 meal tickets
printed and distributed them among ' ,
the worn on. When a tramp knocks i
at a kitchen door and asks for a
"handout" he gets one of these tick-
ets , which Is good for a meal when
signed by the city marshal. When the
marshal gets hold at the tramp he
compels him to work a couple or
hours In payment for the meal.
Tramps are scarce In Colby. s
Independence for Negroes.
An Atro-Amerlcan stock company
composed at negroes , has been organized -
ganized in San Bernardino , southern
CalitorIlla. It proposes to bring to
that part at the state all time South.
era negroes who have the will and
the money to make themselves Independent -
pendent RI ranchers and orange erow
eri\
r
