THE FALLS CVTY TRIBUNE , FRIDAY , JANUARY 17 , 1908
masimnoxs ty&QN' imsav
the doctor. Two people were coming
toward him. It was Sam and Sally , returning
turning from their marriage.
By what he saw on old Baumgart
nor's face and hands , Sam wat
sobered. Both understood that the )
were approaching some tragedy.
"Who ? " asked Sally , suddenly ob
llvlous of Sam.
"Sam ! " she turned upon her hus
band with command. "Bring the doc
tor ! "
Sam went with satisfactory haste.
"Who hurt him ? " asked Sally , as II
he were ready to slay him who did.
"I. I killed him because ho would
n't marry you. You wouldn't marrj
him ! Oh , you devil J"
It was at that instant that the great
change In Sally came. She leaped be
fore htm Into the house and up to
Seffy'a room. When the old man slowly -
ly followed she was there with eyes
bent upon Soffy's bloody , unconscious
face. So she kept her eyes. She did
not speak. And when the doctor
came she was still there as at first
unconscious as he , the doctor said.
Ho was not dead , and presently he
breathed again. Hut his eyes remained
closed , and , late that night , when he
had drifted from unconsciousness Into
deep sleep , they put out the light and
left him.
When they came again he had dis
appeared.
XI.
When Spring Came.
That was a cold and lonely winter
for the old man. The bay mare stood
in the stable and whinnied for Seffy.
The old house was full of harsh
echoes. Its spirit seemed to have
gone. Seffy's father know now what
a rare thing Is Joy and what a joy
ous creature Seffy had been.
The ground was hard to till. And
often ho thought about what he had
said of Softy's mother.
Then ho would toll up the steep
stair to the garret he had become
quite feeble and take out of an old
German chest a daguerreotype of her
with Soffy in her arms. And some
times he would cry over It until his
beard was wet.
"God bless you , my little boy , " ho
would sometimes say , "that you cared
for her more than I did. You nefer
called her no names.
"I didn't know I could be so mean
to the dead who don't deserfe it , and
can't talk back. And , God-a'mlghty !
If any one's to be called names , it's
me ! not her nor you , Seffy , nor you !
For I oxpcct I'm a murderer ! "
And sometimes , when his loneliness
was too hard to be borne , ho would go
out and sit for hours and talk to the
old bay marc about Seffy. Ho fancied
she quite understood , and I do , too.
When the spring came ho plowed
alone. And this was hardest of all.
To plow around and around his vast
fields with no ono to meet in the
other furrow no one to talk , to smile ,
to laugh to then , when noon came , to
sit under the shudo of some tree redo
lent with memories of the pretty little
boy , where ho and Seffy had sat , from
his childhood to his manhood , and eat
the food which choked !
Oh , if ho could only have laughed
at himself , at Soffy , at the mare , at
anybody or anything ! If he could only
have laughed ! .
And he knew that every animal eng
$ g the place wondered and hungered for
little Seffy and questioned him with
pathetic eyes , while he , at first , guiltily
si kept silent then tried to confess his
shame to them.
; "Yas , " he told the mare , "I done It
I struck him here , right here ! Iti
J" , the face while his eyes was looking
" " ? ' in mine pleading and here was
_ jS blood and hero and here and dusl
"V In his hair and his eyes was closet
jf , and when I run homo wlss him hit
legs dangled like ho was dead. Anil
he crawled away somewhores to die
I don't know why they don't conu
and hang me. I haf told 'em all thai
I killed him. But no one don't arresi
tne. "
XII.
The Kiss Like Seffy's.
One day he went up to the vine
. > _ covered house on the Hill of Delight
' ' with a bundle of papers In his hand.
"See yore , Sally , " ho said senllely
"yero's you' papers. I glf up tin
Euardeensbip. You ken git anothei
ono If you not on age ylt. I don't keei
a durn who. I'm tired. If It wusn'
for you Seffy would bo allfe. "
Sally drooped her head.
"Yes , " she said , so humbly that hi
relented a little.
"I got to do It. I ain't no accoun
no more. I ought to haf a guarded
myself. And people's making such :
fuss you ain't treated us right no
you ain't ! I guess I had better no
be mixed In. They say that you mar
rled a drunkard , and killed a man
and got to bo a drunkard yourself. Bu
I know bettor 'bout ono slug. 1 klllei
him. Yet they say that you marrlei
Sam chust to splto poor Seffy am
yet loflng Sef. Oh , Set Set wh ;
didn't she toll you so ! "
Ho went on heedlessly till ho knov
thrt Sally was sobbing. Ha raised he
face and looked Into It curiously am
saw for the first time that patlietl
wanness of which , also , people began
to talk.
"Sally , " ho said then , "you not
well ? "
"Quito well , " said Sally.
"Then you got trouble trouble , too ,
Sally ? "
"Oh , pappy , " she pleaded breathless
ly , "don't you turn away from mo'too.
JXEV nxr cor
I have no one but you ! No. I have
not treated you right. But , oh , life la
so hard to me ! "
"No , " ho said , smoothing her halt
with his gnarled old hand. "I'fo had
my eyes turned within. But I didn't
know you had trouble. I heard that
Sam had took to hard drlnkin' and I
sought you didn't kecr. You was so
reckless "
"Yes , " she sighed , "I am reckless !
And yes I drink sometimes. But
It Is that way I can forget. "
"I don't turn ag'ln1 no one In trouble ,
efen If they don't treat mo right and
drink "
"Forgive me ! Oh , forgive me , pappy !
The suffering Is mine ! "
"Yas , " he said , "yas don't cry. But
the suffering ain't all your'n. "
"No , " she said. "Not all not all ! "
"But , Sally , if I take the papera
back , you won't drink no more ? It
ain't nice efen If you air the wife of
a drunkard. "
"No. If you will be my friend , I will
try to be what I would have been as
Seffy's wife ! "
"It's a bargain and I'm rorry 1
spoke so harsh , Sally. Mebby , mebby
God knows ! wo ken comfort one
another. I Sally I need some one ,
too ! "
"Yes ! Will you let me ? I will have
no friend but you ! "
"Yas ! And I won't have no friend
but you , Sally. "
"Will you let me kiss you ? "
"Do you want to ? " he cried tremu
lously.
"Yes , " whispered the girl.
"Me ? Sally , lem mo kiss you ! "
Shu put up her lips almost solemnly
and with that their compact was
sealed.
XIII.
One Blow for That to Seffy.
Ho took the papers home again , anil
was very gentle with her afterward
for the things which the world blamed
In her. His was the only real kindness
she know. Her little canting worlil
had no pity for her. But to her drunk
en husband , In splto of all , she was n
loyal wife , and the old man liked hei
the bettor for It.
So It came to pass that they two
the bent old man and the girlish wlf
of the drunkard , separated more am :
more from the woild and came more
and more together. And often the }
were seen In the fields together ant
walking along the roads arm In arm.
With Sally's llttlo fortune at com
mand , Sam had gone rapidly to the
bad. And Sally came to know whai
tears wore , and that dreadful kind o !
waiting which falls to the lot of sucl
women the waiting for the fall of i
footstep which makes one shuddei
yet rejoice.
They told her to get rid of him , bu
Hho shook her head and thought of tin
inscription In her wedding ring.
After a while It was the gentle ok
man who helped to make these vlglli
less Intolerable going away stealthllj
by the back door when Sam's mislead ]
step was heard at the front an ange
of light If ever there was ono li
plowman's jacket.
It fell grimly to his lot , too , to pro
vide for Sum by diinlnlbhing the llttli
faim ho had longed and hoped for
acre by acre. There was no contcn
tlon between them as to this. Tin
young wlfo's wishes were his law.
"Ho married me for that , " Hald Sally
Iho first time , "and 1 let him marry mi
for that just for faplte. Only no one wa :
spited but me but me well , ho shal
have it all all" her volcobroke , i
little "all but the pastuio-Ileld thane
no ono shall have but you or Soft ;
when I die. "
Only once ho Intcifeied. San
raised his hand to strike hur and _ lu
laid the drunkard at his feu I with i
blow such as ho had struck hut enc <
buforo in his life.
"I um her guardoeu ! " he cried as lii
struck. "By the Lord , I'm her guai
deon1"
For a moment ho slontfl ovr ihn
prostrate hruto. Then ho stood up
trembling before Sally.
"Forglf mo , " ho hogged. "But I
couldn't help It. It done Itself. Mobby
God-n'mlghty only knows ! It was
a chance to of on up for the other ono.
And ylt It was a righteous blow yas ,
It was a righteous blow ! "
"Yes , " she said. "You are the first
that over saw "
It was too latu to stop , And before
It was done ho know that this was not
a now experience to her , and that she
suffered It and was almost glad of It
for penanco.
"By the Lord , " cried the old man ,
"If ho ofer strikes you ng'ln I'll kill
him ! "
"No , " nald Sally softly.
"Yas ! " he Insisted with some of
his old violence.
"No , " she repeated sadly. "Because
It Is all my fault all the shame the
shame because I deserve it ! And
'Thou shalt not kill ! ' You know wo
have tempers ! And we have both
used them ! "
Ho shuddered and thought of the
plowed field with Soffy lying there.
"Good night ! " ho said with averted
face.
"I didn't mean that , pappy I didn't
mean that you killed him. He's not
dcn'l. I'nppy , kiss me good night !
And forglvo me. "
But this also made her dearer to
him. And so , llttlo by little , they
drew closer and closer , until a certain
happiness was his and a certain con
tent hois. Occasionally they laughed.
But this was not often. They were
well satisfied to sit before the winter
fire , she with an elbow on his knee , he
with his rugged hands In her hnlr.
And after n while she would nsk him no
moro to kiss her good night he did
It as of right , and very beautifully ,
on her hair so much like Seffy , that
first dear kiss that It made her sob
always.
"Just like Soffy ! " she said the first
time and cried , pushing him out of tha
door when he would have asked a
question.
But he asked his question one day.
It was whether she had loved Seffy.
"Not till Seffy comes ! " she cried. "I
won't answer. "
"Sally , " ho said solemnly , " 1 killed
my llttlo boy. Ho Is dead. I hurt him
I made him afeared of me he
dragged himself away to die , llko wild
animals that air hurt by men. So you
will have to tell me. "
"No no ! " she begged. "He Is not
dead. And some day he will come
back to us you "
"Sally , you said 'us' ? "
"Yes. Forgive me. I meant you. "
"Did you mean ma ? "
"Yes oh , yes ! "
"Cross your breast ! "
She made this adjuration with a
smile.
But when he had gone , she groveled
on the floor and cried :
"Us us us ! "
XIV.
For Seffy's Sake.
And so three nearly four years
passed and Sam was dead.
"Pappy , " she said afterward , "you
have been very good to-me ! "
"And you to mo It's efen say
nosslnc moro. "
"You have kept mo from going
crazy , I think. "
"You luif Icon * my ol * heart from
breaking , 1 expect. Yus , I know , now ,
that there Is such n sing as proke
hearts , " he averred.
"Pappy , I "
"What ? " asked he.
"I don't know what I'm going to do
now. I got to work for my living , I
expect. There Is not enough left
for "
"You'll nefer work for you' keep
while I'fo got a dollar , " said the old
man. "I owe you that much for
for "
* She liked that. She was sitting on
a low stool at his feet , her elbow on
his knco her favorlto attitude. She
crowded a llttlo closer.
"Pappy , " she said presently , "let me
come and keep your house. "
"Do you mean that ? " asked the old
man Joyously.
"Yes ! " she snld.
"But why ? That's hard work for a
gal that's not used to It. "
"Oh , maybe I want to be where Sef
fy was. For some day some day
he'll come back and 1 want to hi
there to usk his pardon. "
They wcro silent for a while am
then the old man bald huskily :
"You shall. You shall sleep In Seffy'i
bed. You shall look In his llttli
ciacked looking-glass. You shall so
In his place at the table. You shall hi
my Seffy ! And wo'll wait for him to
gcthor and we'll bose ast his pardoi
when ho comes whun ho comes. "
"May I rldo his mare and plov
with ; ier ? "
"You you you ? " ho questioned li
his ecstasy. "Ken you ? say do you
sink you ken ? "
"Yes , " she said very softly. "If you
will let me , I will ho all and every
thing Soffy was to you. 1 took him
from you. Let mo do my heat to replace -
place him. It Is for that that , only ,
that 1 hiiva carod. Wo shall rout this
lumso and that will help for I know
you have boon getting poor , too and
and It you will take It 1 I want
to glvo you the pasture-Hold for
oh , for Softy's sake. Will you take
It ? " For ho had demurred. "For Sof
fy's sake just ns you would take It
from him and as ho would glvo It to
you If ho were all here ? I want to
bo both son and daughter to you. Lot
mo be Seffy and myself too ! It la
much but let mo try. "
But ho had caught that llttlo slip
of the tongue , ami was dumb.
They sat silent by the ( Ire for a long
time then. Presently the old man rosu
and lifting her ho said , with a smile
such as she had never seen on his
face :
"Yas for Soffy's sake come !
Now ! "
It was night. But ho led her from
her own house to his. And that night
she slept In Softy's bad.
Ono of Sally's duties was the nightly
reading of the Farm Journal. And
just now tills paper , edited by a gen
tleman who knew nothing about farm
ing and by him edited well was full
of the great meeting of the National
Farmers' Lcaguo of the United States
of America , which was in session at
Omaha.
"By far the most Intelligent and
Intelestlng paper of the session , thus
far , " Sally read one night , "was that
on 'The Proper Succession of Crops' In
Maryland' by the youthful president
of the Kansas State league , Mr. "
Sally rose suddenly and vanished to
the kitchen where there was a light.
"What was It ? " asked the old man
when she icturncd.
"I I choked , " said Sally quite
truthfully , "and went for a drink. "
"Yas don't read no moro. Wo'll
find out about the succession tomorrow
row night. But what was the smart
feller's name ? "
She pretended to look for it , and
when she pretended to have found It :
"Mr. S. P. Brown , " she read.
"A Kansas man about Maryland !
Huh ! "
But that night , after Softy's father
was In bed , Sally wrote n pitiful letter
perhaps the first she had over writ
ten :
"Dear Seffy ( It ran ) :
"Please come homo. Come as soon
as you get this. Your pappy wants
you. Ho Is oh } and sorry , so please
come right away.
"Sephenljah P. Baumgartnor , Senior. "
But the envelope was addressed to
"Mr. S. P. Baumgartnor , Jr. ,
"President Kas. State League ,
"Kansas. "
The post-mistress smiled Indulgently
as Sully handed In the letter the next
day.
day."A
"A long way off , " she said.
"Yes , " said Sally , fidgeting with her
bonnet. "How soon do you think It
will get there ? "
The post-mistress reflected.
"About a week , " she snld then.
"So long ? "
But , ns a matter of fact , she had
thought it would hike luuuur. KHIIHHH
wp.s a vague place In those days , and
a vast distance away.
"Well , " said the post-mistress com
fortingly , "mebby not quite so long ,
But bettor not count on Its gettlug
there sooner. I'll give it a good stait.
I'll put It In the mall bag now. "
"Thank you , " said Sally.
She watched her put It Into the bag
and then went dreaming home , and
for all of the two weeks of waiting she
was very happy diearning always.
Poor girl she had made her life so
unhappy that joy seemed divine. She
was sure of Seffy. Sometimes she won
dered with a blush and a start If he
might not pome himself In answer ,
She would not have been surprised to
have him steal up behind her that
was his way , she remembered and
call out softly her name. So she went
about almost on tiptoes so that shr
might hear him If ho should. It was
a llttlo dlfllcult to keep it from the in
qulsltlvc old man , who did not quite
understand her sudden happiness. Bui
she did It.
And , finally , the two weeks were up
She was quite sure Seffy would no !
waste ii moment with his answer. Anil
ho might use that mysterious Instru
ment , the telegraph , which she under
stood would not take more than ar
hour from Kansas. She supposed hit
message , even If he used the tele
graph , would come to the post-olilco.
The ceremonial of a letter , will
simple people , Is as much a matter o :
concern as a treaty between two na
tlons. And now , as she dressed her
self In her best clothes to go to tin
post-olllce , she felt , bomehow , as 1
she wore to be In Softy's persona
presence , and must bo as Imnraculuti
as always. She wondered how hi
would addioss her forgetting tint hi :
answer must come to the one whosi
name she had signed. She hud hcaii
of various most dear head-lliu'K to lot
tors. I am afraid she bfiiKlvd at al
this. For , as she looked in the glass
she saw a face so radiant that sh <
looked again tu Identify It.
So , all the more she dressed hersel
with the sumo cnru she would huvi
taken were she going to him Insteai
of to the post-dlllco for his letter. Sin
remembered what he had said abou
her hair , and she ventured to pull I
about her face , much us It had beci
that night In the dark parlor. But a
the thought of that the tears cam
slowly Into her eyes. She had beei
very happy that night. It was all th
happiness she had ever known , i
seemed now. She dried her oyoa an
then she sat at the table where Seff
had often sat , and looked again In his
broken mirror , The radiance was
quenched. Her face was palo and thin
now. She thought of It quite as If ho
wcro soon to sco It.
"I wonder If he'll think me hand
some , now ? " She shook her head
doubtfully nt the face she saw In the
glass. "No , 1 have no rod cheeks no
more and my eyes are bigger and
my lips thinner and my hair Is paler
nud my hands "
She remembered how ho had kissed
them , and put her head down and
sobbed. They did not seem nt to bo
kissed now nor worth kissing.
But the post-mistress liked her bet
tor that way and so do I. For she had
acquired a daintiness that was almost
Immaculate.
As soon as Sally came , the post-mis-
trosn smiled and shook her bond. For
nho had understood what the letter
contained quite ns It she had scon It.
And she had watched anxiously for the
answer.
"Not yet , " she said compassionately.
Sally's logs weakened and slip
clutched at the llttlo shelf before her.
It took a moment to swallow the thing
In her throat. Then she murmured :
"It's two weeks. "
"Yes. But he'd have to bo pretty
prompt to get It hero by this time. "
Sally had boon sure of this prompt
ness. It never occurred to her to
doubt. She would not have wasted a
minute. She turned hopelessly away.
"Perhaps to-morrow ! " said the kind
post-mistress.
Sally veered , smiling.
"You think so ? "
"Perhaps. Ono can never toll. Don't
worry , dear. You see the address was
very vague and It may bo some time
before they find him. "
"You don't think It Is too late ? "
"I hope not , dear. "
She had not thought of that before.
She had fancied him waiting for some
such recall. But , of course , ho had
formed other ties ho would bo glad
to forget her. Ho might bo married !
Of course ho was ! Otherwise ho could
not bo a president !
"I EUOSB It's too late , " she said
again.
"I would not think that. The ad
dress was very vague. But , after you
were gone , I took the precaution to
put a return address on the envelope ,
and If he does not got it , It will come
hack ; but that will take some llttlo
tlmo. "
There was nothing tlio novt day nor
the next , nor for the pi" ' iftpr-
ward that she went to the post-ofllce.
She was no longer dressed up for the
trip , and she was glad now she had not
told his father.
For a while she had to lock herself
In her room when the desire came on
her to go to the post-ofllce. And then
she remained away tlueo days , then a
week , and then the post-mlstiess ad
mitted that the letter had had tlmo
to bo returned. She must not glvo up
though. Strange things happen , some
times , with letters.
The letter had been returned , the
post-mlsti ess had It then. But she
pityingly thought it best that Sally
should wait for It still , while she tried
to send It buck to him.
Otherwise It was very much as Sally
had planned and hoped , save that she
was a bit sadder. She kept Soffy's
father's house , as , perhaps , no house
wna over kept befure. She had not
been famous for the keeping of her
own house In the days of her coquette-
ship. Her grandmother had attended
to this and then a maid who In
terpreted her faultlessly. But now her
own hands did all and did It with
love. And she did replace Seffy and
moro. For she plowed , and , after a
brief apprenticeship , no ono did It bet
ter. The bay mare was ns kind to
Sally as she hud boon to Seffy. Noth
ing In his life had ever been so sweet
to the old man us these rests when
they met. And no food was over so
piquant as that eaten under the trees
at their nooning.
Sally still wont to the post-olllco ,
and the post-mistress still hud her letter
tor where she could luuo put her hand
bund upon It , though she merciful ) }
concealed this.
But there was no hope. Not a woul
of coulldunco had pubscd between
Sally and the kind post-mistress , bul
oai-h know that the other undorbtooi :
quite as If their confidence was com
pleto. So that It was as if they spoki
of an old mutter when Sally said , one
day :
"Yes 1 guo&s It's too late. He's
married. "
" 1 wouldn't think so , If 1 were you
till I heard from him , " said the com
passionate woman behind the coun
ter. "I thought so once. Ho went ti
war. I hoard that ho was killed ,
married another man just oh , jus
because ! Thou ho came buck. I havi
always boon sorry. "
Something filled the speaker's eye
and Sally , with the dumb Intuitloi
of the primitive nature , stood thor
a long time and said only , "Thanl
you. "
But after that hope rose and lived
again.
That night the post-mistress re
ceived , from Washington , the addrcim
of the Kansas Slate Lcaguo of Farm-
em' clubs , and put It on the fnco of the
reluinod letter ami sent It forth again.
XV.
Shall Seffy Enter nt This Cue ?
Winter had come again the fifth
one. They sat together In the great
hearth of the kitchen , In their charac
teristic attitude when before a fire.
The hickory logs sputtered savagely ,
but sent out to thorn , nevertheless , a
grateful warmth. Their faces and
bodies glowed In the fervor of It. And
there Is nothing llko this to put ono
at ponce with all 'the world.
"Sally , " said the old man , "this la
nlco. " ,
"Very nlco , " agreed Sally.
But also there Is nothing llko this
to send one's memory backward. And
thin It was doing for both of them.
"Eferybody don't haf no such fire
to-night. " And the everybody he
thought of as ho sighed waa Soffy.
"No , not everybody , " sighed Sally ,
propping her head upon his knee.
"Sally who do you mean by efory-
body ? "
"Just ono person , " admitted Sally ,
"tho same ono you mean. "
"Yns , " said Seffy's father very soft
ly , and then they were silent.
"Mebby some's got no homos and
out freezing to-night , " the old man
said presently.
"I liopu not , " snld Sally. "Wo could
take them In hero If wo know where
they arc couldn't wo , pappy ? "
But that last note was the ono which
dams up tears.
"Yas If wo knowed where they air !
My God If wo chust knowod where
they air ! Sally , don't you nefer turn no
ono away from the door on a cold win
ter's night. You don't know who It
might be ! "
"I'll never turn any ono away from
the door ! " said Sally with emotion.
"That's right , Sally. Some's dead.
I'd rather bo dead than hat no home. "
"And I , " agreed Sally.
"Nor no friends. "
Sally nodded.
"Sally , how long Is It scnce you waa
marilod ? "
"Moro than four years nearly live ,
pappy. "
"My ! but sings Is , changed ! " said
the old man. "Efen the sun don'l
seem so bright no moro. "
"Yes , things are changed , " said the
girl.
girl."Ylt
"Ylt It must bo chust an idee. Why ,
the Bible says that summer and wlntot
shall not change tell oforyslng como to
pass ofcryslng oforyslng " Then
his volco broke. "Ylt ylt yil It's
ono sing ain't como to pass and It
seems llko It's nofor going to. It's hot
ter senco you como. But ylt the house
Is damp and shlfcry , " ho shivered
himself "and empty llko It was a fu
neral about all the tlmo. Ylt It's no
ono dead no one's dead he's not
dead chust gone. You said so you
said it first ! And some day he'll come
back and wo'll git on our knees and
bog his pardon. But It's so long oh ,
my God so long ! Oh , Softy Softy
llttlo Seffy I got a pain In my breast
about you ! You was all I bad. Come
back to mo como back ! I'm a ol'
man. And I'm buny sorry and
broke broke down. But If you'll come
mick Sally , do you think he'll haf a
scar on bis face ? "
Something stilled his utterance. The
girl put out u soft bund to romfort
him.
"Some day wo shall know see ! Bo
bravo ! "
"Yas yas that's easy to say. But
you nefer struck no one right In the
face when they was looking up at
you In that pleading kind of a way ! "
She said plteously , "No. "
. "Then you don't know nosslng about
It ! Oh , my God ! If you'd had It before
you for moro than four years llko a
picture morning and ofening day
and night cferywheres ! The blood on
him and the bed and mo ! "
"Pappy , I have done moro I have
hurt him worse than you did I broke
his heart ! " whispered the girl. "Oh ,
1 should have thought there was no
ono llko him but I lot him go. If he
were here now "
They sat silent then until the old
man said :
"Ah well ! Como , Sally , It's bedtime. "
"Yes. "
This meant that It was tlmo for
their prayer , which they always said
In ouch other's arms , there , before the
great fire. So Sally slipped to the
floor , and they folded tholr hands each
In the other. And , after "Our Father"
was douo , came this rude , simple , but
not less a prayer ; for In the five years
of Seffy's absence It had passed Into
a formula.
"God , find Softy , wherefer ho maybe
bo , for thoii scest nil the world , and
put It Into his heart to como back to
these who have repented these many
years ; make him merciful to the old
and the evil-tempered , and yet , If this
bo not In thy Infinite purposes , O God ,
wo bend our heads In submission , for
It Is thy punishment for our sin ; but
send some word or sign , that our
hearts may bo comforted , and thy will
bo done Amen ! "
And whllo this was being prayed a
face came to the window In answer
a hand brushed away the snow that
the eyes might see hotter. And then
a head , crowned with palo hair , waa
uncovered reverently.
Sally looked up. Something as ir
resistible as a magnet diow her eye ate
to that fnco In the window.
As they got up the old man saw
Sally's white face and staring eyes.
" " " look like you'd
"Sally , ho said , "you
soon a ghost ! "
There was a knock on the outer
door.
"Bring him In , whoofer ho Is , Sally
and keep him toM bo's got hungry nij