T H E TORCH OF REASON, SIL V E R T O N . O REGON , T H U R SD A Y , OCTOBER 13, 1898.
caused her Io raise her eyes from
“ They gave them to me when I as it fell splashing into the broad
the hook she was reading. The left the— the place where I learned basin of the fountain.
As tie
young man seemed to have forgot- my trad e .” he said in a low voice, young man approached she looked
BY FRANK H . SWEET.
ten their presence and was walk- “ I suppose I shall never use them , up tim idly.
ing back and forth w ith bowed My folks will not let me do th at.
“ Are you going now?” she asked
FWVHF morning was very head. Every few seconds he wheel- But I shall alw ays keep them near
“ Not for another half hour,” he
A p le asa n t but so far ed sh arp ly and retraced his steps, me. Some tim e 1 m ay need advice, replied. “ I had ra th e r wait here
all the m o rn in g s bad ^ r8, Bradford noticed with curious and this little package will be able th an down at the depot.’’
been pleasant at th is wonder th a t he alw ays wheeled at to toll me a great m any things — a
For some m om ents he stood gaz-
d e lig h tfu l out-of the- exactly the sam e points. Then she great m any things which you will ing a t her.
E v id en tly her face
way resort
Mrs Bradford drew a paw lh a t his left foot d ra gged he’ never un d erstan d , little one,” he brought up some memory of the
long breath as she descended the hh,(1
o th er> as thou«h il ad fk d
Papt» for he
as he turned
hotel steps.
Her physician had carried a heavy weight.
At first
M ildred gazed at him wonder- aw ay.
certainly been right when he recom- she thought he was lame, but even irigly, but as she saw the skilled A little later Mrs. Bradford was
mended a change of climate. Al- w hile she was com passionating him fingers draw the leath er over the aroused by excited voices. Several
ready she could feel the influence of he raised his head with a quick, ball and fasten it securely in place figures rushed past her. F or a noo-
the mild air and the long days ; P a rtie d m ovem ent, anil for a tim e her look of wonder changed to one m ent she gazed around wondering-
spent out of doors. As she reached the lam eness disappeared and the of pleasure.
ly, then she rose and followed,
the sidewalk she paused with a walk was extended to the end of the
“ I am ever so much obliged,” she N ear the fountain was a group of
questioning smile.
path.
Then his head once more said, gratefully. “ I ’d hate aw fully excited people, and in the open
“ W here to M ildred?” she asked. sank u Pon h,s b reast, the short to lose the hall. G ran d p a gave it space beyond she recognized Mil-
The little girl who was skipping tu rn s were resumed, and the left to m e ."
She watched him a few died playing with her hall. W hat
along by her side looked up bright- foot a g«’n began its weary, drag- m om ents in silence, and then add- was the m atter?
ly ° J
ging m otion.
A pparently he was ed, with a sudden burst of confi-
B ut even as she wondered came
“ The plaza, of course, m am m a, ! conscious of his weakness, for sever- dence:
“ G ran d p a lives at our t h e w i l d r u s h o f a p a i r o f f r i g h t e n -
You can read and I will play. This! al tim es R,,e saw him recover him- house, and we’re going home as ed horses into the open space.
afternocn we’ll go down to the l 8elf im patiently and glance sh arp ly soon as it gets w arm .”
W hat followed happened so quick­
beach”
around.
T he young m an sewed on for ly th a t she could not realize it u n ­
The street was ’very quiet. An
O verhead, the mocking birds some m om ents in silence.
At last til it was over.
Mildred was plac-
occasional dray with its load of were calling to each other, and
the hall was finished, and he care- ed, sobbing, in her arm s, and a
tru n k s and baggage, and here a m f 8omething i» th eir notes seemed to fully replaced the needle in his hushed group closed about a silent
there a group of pleasure-seeker«» on «rouse him from his revery. Pres-
p ocket.
figure on the ground,
th eir way to the plaza or the beach. I en tly he stopped beneath the tree
“ I’m going home, too,” he said,
“ It was the bravest th in g l e v e r
Overhead, a few buzzards circled and glanced up with a rap t expres- gravely, as he handed her the ball. saw," n said one man in a low voice.
Mrs. Bradford “ I ’m w aiting for th e train now..”
“ But a sad th in g for th e poor
lazily about, and from the direc­ sion on bis face
“ Ami have you got a m am m a?” chap and his people — if he had
tion of the plaza came a slight saw it a n d her eves softened.
“ You like the b ird s?” she asked she asked, with sudden in terest.”
a n y ,” said another, com passionate-
breeze, which was laden with the
“ Yes; and she has been w aiting ly,
perfume of orange blossom s and the pleasantly.
“ I—used to,” he replied lo sila t- for me a long, long time. Poor lit-
Two of the guards from the peni-
saltiness of th e bay which glistened
ingly. Then noticing the surprise tie m other!” The last too low for te n tia ry now joined the group. A
beyond the trees.
m om ent later one of them gave a
As they reached the corner a in her face, he added apologetical- her to hear.
As the little girl was m oving . few quick directions to a hackm an
keen newsboy darted across the ly, “ I hav en ’t seen any before for
street, and his shrew d face broad-| nio«t t**" years. They seem sort of away he recalled her with a sudden standing near.
ened into a grin when his custom er strange.
k ^ tu re .
“ It is N um ber 306,” Mrs. Brad-
sm ilingly refused the change he
H e stood still for h m om ent, with
“I wish you would take th is,’ he ford heard him say- “ Poor fellow!
offered.
the color deepening on his sallow’ said, earnestly, as he gave her a and he has only been out a few-
I must telegraph to his
T hrough the openings in the cheeks, then he slouched forward tiny box of equisite w orkm anship, j hours.
trees they could see the wiiite sails »nd threw him self on the grass at
“ I m ade it from a piece of ivory folks.”
of pleasure boats on the bay, a n d ,! the foot of tbe tree. Mrs. Bradford which was found on a battlefield,
Mrs. B radford watched them u n ­
beyond these, the green shore of gazed at him curiously for a mo- and intended to give
it to my sis- til she saw them place the m otion­
Protnontory Point. Near the ex- m ent and then returned to her ter. You m ake me th in k
of her.” less figure in the hack, then she
trem e end of the point rose the tall hook.
‘‘But won’t she w ant it? ” Mil- walked slowly back to the settee.
Out on the p ath Mildred was dred objected.
white buildings of the state peni­
U nder the live oak she saw some-
“ She is dead,” was the grave an- thing glisten.
Picking it up, she
ten tiary . Mrs. Bradford shivered a playing with tier ball. At length
little as she saw- them . The grim struck a lim b and hounded toward swer.
found it was the little ivory box.
buildings seemed out of place in the young m an.
He picked it up
I he little g irl’s face grew sym pa-
“ Here, M ild re d ” she said in a
the quiet w inter resort.
eagerly and half rose to his feet, thetic.
jow vojCP> ‘‘you may keep it.”
It was not far to the plaza, hut hut seeing the frightened look on
“ I ’m sorry,” she said, gently,
__ __________
when they reached it they <ound her face he tossed it hack and re-, “ and I d like to have the box ever
A Prayer Cut Short.
th a t most of the seats were already sumed his slouching position on the so much, hut I m ust ask m am m a.”
occupied.
They walked down one grass.
In a few m inutes she retu rn ed ,
Two H ighlanders found them -
of the side paths and came back by
After awhile the ball again roll-
M am m a says I m u stn 't take selves unable to get into h arbor in
the fountain. As they did so, Mil- ed to his feet. This time he did gift« from strangers,” she said; their boat, th e waves driving it out
dred turned suddenly.
not otter to return it. As Mildred “ hut I in ever so much obliged, to sen so persistently th a t Donald,af-
“ There’s a seat th a t’s most all approached he looked up with ju s t the sam e.”
ter obstinately battlin g with the ele-
em pty!” she whispered eagerly.
a entile.
The sun spots moved slowly m ents, cried out to D uncan, in a
It was a little oil the path and
“ I he cover is coming off your across the glass and disappeared, dialect which we will not attem p t
half hidden hv the low branches of h a ll,” he said pleasantly,
“ If you one by one, in the thicker shadows fully to represent, “ Go doon on
a live oak.
As they approached, will let me I ’ll fix it
I know of the trees.
The young man your knees, mon, and offer a bit o'
Mrs. Bradford noticed th at its onlv • how.”
watched them listlessly. At length p ra y er.” But before Duncan was on
occupant was a tall young man,
“ But m am m a said I’d have to a clock began to strike in the dis- his knees the boat’s keel grated on
whose face looked strangely white take it to a shoem aker. ’ she said, tance, and lie counted the strokes the beach, whereupon
Donald
and eager.
He watched them cu- doubtfully.
“ L eather is awful carefully. W hen it ceased he got shouted, “Stop praying; we’ve come
riously as they sat down, and his hard to sew.”
up and once more began to walk ashore by our own exertions, and
lips parted in a friendly smile. Then
“ Not if you have things to work back and forth. But 1 ow bis bead I ’ll no he beholden to anybody.”
as if conscious of im propriety, be
w ith,” he said, quietly. “ See here.” was erect and his left foot had l o
s
t ____
got up and walked hack and forth
T aking a sm all package from bis its dragging m otion. And on his
C h ap lain .—“ W h at do you do for
uneasily.
For a tim e Mrs. Brad-
pocket, he opened and showed her face was a tender, expectant smile.
\o u r sp iritu al w elfare?”
ford scarcely noticed him, then
se v eral cu rio u s m id l e s am i som e
M ildred had grown tired of her Jolly T ar. “ D rink eveiything in
something peculiar ab»ut his s te p , coarse, shining thread.
ball and was w atching the w ater , sight.”
N um ber 306,
•Mtz
—