Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-08-12
Then they both laughed; Will h

Then they both laughed Will ha
forgotten to put in the water.
But. the b,unders were soon rem
edied there was no one to scold owe
them.
! Father and son were chatting pleas
antly over the end of their meal, whe
a bright young voice was heard o
the landing outside, calling "Willit
Willie"
"Maae friends already p asked Nj
Blake, looking mp surprised.
| "No, it is somebody that lodge
overhead !; her little brother has rul
off down stairs. He seems to Civ
her a deal Of trouble, but she neve
speaks any sharper than that"
"Don't she now? It's wonderful
pleasant sounding voice."
By-and,by it seemed that the culpri
was hunted up the stairs home again
a merry hunt, with much laughing OF
both sides, and ss. they passed VIII
door, quieter castillo, Willie"
Mr.. Blake looked strangely reflect
i've. 81 haven't heard anybody say
willie in that cooling, careful wa,
since my sister that died; she was just
like mother to me ; it's terrible long
while ago"
'These two are much the same They
live alone; she keeps him and sends
him to school"
"You seem to know all about her,
Will" tt.#,-g
"All 1 am likely to know. I have
not seen her. There are no strangers
like fellow dodgers, and she is not the
kind Of girl to meet one on the stairs,
accidentally, for the purpose"
"That was how your mother and /
got acquainted"
81 did not know that father"
Will spoke with an air of regretful
apology That was understood and &C.
cepted, but silently
Dreamily, in the hush of old mem.
cries, the father walked away to his
work.
Will sat down before the window to
finish some drawings, but the thick
square pencil made idle marks, while
the eyes that should have guided it
sought the only bit of nature within
sight-the strip Of changing sky be-
tween the housetops. Many a bold
design had come from those sweeping
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. None came now.
Will was musing. How could a mail
work with that sweet "Willie, Willie" "
ringing in his ears? 1t was a worse
distraction than his mothers sco1dlng,
for he could not be sure that he really
wanted to forget this.
81 am glad I have never seen her."
he said, with a long breath that did
not sound like content. Then he tried
to say "Willie' in her tones, and, as a
look of impatient disgust marked his
consciousness of failure, he put on his
cap ard went out.
The haunting voice became a pres
ence, all too soon. As will came home
she met him in the passage; little,
swift, gliding figure, with soft dark
eyes set in pale fair face. ''Not a BIT
like mother" he thought, with a curious
feeling of satisfaction; but as she passed
he saw that her eyes were humid with
fear and grief:
WHAT'S the natter" he asked in
voluntarily.
"Willie cholera! the doctor!'' she
answered, rushing by, into the street
that was wet with stormy ram.
"stay! I can go faster" cried Will,
following her. 'You go back to your
brother" She obeyed at once with the
quick docility of a gentle intelligence
and he thought again, "NIother would
have talked for an hour"
"The doctor soon came, but not
soon enough. Willie was very i'll.
Btavely the little fellow struggled,
but the foe was too strong 70,
him.
"Strange," the doctor muttered i'm.
patiently, ''the last cases are SO often
the worst. tHoiight it was over TO,
this year.
A week before another ledger in the
same house, gluttonous man, ha6
made himself ill feasting on mussell
and plunis and beer; he recovered, bu
the poison thus brought into the house
fastened Oh the weakest there. The
child died. There was nothing NOR
to be done for him. All at once, TO
the first TIME iii his little. life, Willie
wanted l. lothihg, not even his little
sister. She went about her necessar,
work with an oppressive, bewildered
sense of leisure upon her. And vii
if the joyous voice alone had dis
tracted him SO, how could he Worl
now s-now that it recalled the meek
desolate face of the mourner; now, tina
the cry had changed into such a pitifu
beseechlng,, willie! Willie!'