Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-06-25


"Women are of some use after all
if they wasn't such unreasonable
creatures" said the father, with an
involuntary glance at the table, which
looked rather like the wreck of a
kitchen, heaped up, as it were, with a
little of everything.
Will was accustomed to have all
his tools round him in his work, and
and so he had gradually gathered the
household implements in the same
fashion.
1--WE will have breakfast presently,
he said. cit would have been ready
before, only while I was gone for a
loaf, the kettle boiled over"
cit won't do that this time," said
Mr.. Blake, lifting the tilted vessel
from the fire.
"Why?"
"See."
Then they both laughed; Will had
forgotten to put the water back.
But the blunders were soon rene
died: there was no one to scold over
them.
Father and son were chatting
pleasantly over the end of their meal
when bright, young voice was heard
on the landing outside, calling, CIVIL
lie, Willie"
'sMaue friends, already?" asked Mr.
Blake, looking up, surprised.
sNo; it is somebody that lodges
overhead; her little brother ha s run
off down stairs. He seems to give
her great deal of trouble, but she
never speaks any sharper than that j
doesn't she now? It's wonder
full notwithstanding voice.
By and by it seemed that the cul
prit was hunted off the stairs home
again; a merry hunt, with much
laughing on both sides, and, as they
passed Willis door, a quieter "Willie,
Willie"
NIr. Blake looked strangely refec-
tive. 81 haven't heard anybody say
"Willie" in just that cooling, careful
way, not since my sister that died:
she was like a mother to me; it's a
terrible long while ago"
"These two are much the same
They live alone; she minds him and
keeps him, and sends him to school,
"You seem to know all about her.
Will"
"All Fam lin by to know. l 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 ac-
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 il
sought the only bit of nature within
sight-the strip of changing sky be
tween the housetops. Many bold
design had come from those sweeping
cloud-kaleidoscopes. None came now
Will was musing. How could man
work, with that sweet, imperious
"Willie, Willie" ringing in his ears
1t was a worse distraction than his
mothers scolding, for he could not
be sure that he really wanted to for
get this.
81 am glad have never seen her,
he said, with long breath that did
not sound like content. Then he
tried to say "Willie" in her tones,
and, as look of impatient disgust
marked his consciousness of failure,
he put on his cap and went out.
The haunting voice became a pres.
ence all too soon. As Will came
home she met him In the passage; a
little, swift-gliding figure, with soft.
dark eyes set IN pale fair face
s'Not bit like MOTHER" he thought,
with curious feeling Of satisfaction;
but as she passed, he saw that her
eyes were humid with fear and grief.
"What is the matter!" he asked, in
voluntarily.
"Will1e! cholera! the DOCTOR" she
answered, rushing by, into the street
that was wet with stormy rain.
"Stay! can 60 faster" cried Will,
following her. "You go back to
your brother. She obeyed at once
with the quick docility of gentle in
telligence; and he thought again,
"Mother would have talked for an
hour"
The doctor came soon, butnot soon
enough. Willie was very i'll.
Bravely the little fellow struggled,
but the foe was too strong for him.
"Strange," the doctor muttered i'm
patiently; "thc last cases are SO often
the worst. I thought it was over for
this year"
A week before another lodger in
the same house, gluttonous man,
had made himself i'll feasting on
muscles and plumb and beer; he re-
covered, but the poison thus brought
into the house fastened upon the
weakest there. The child died. -
There was nothing more to be done
for him. All at once, for the first
time in his little life, Willie wanted
nothing; not even his sister. She
went about her necessary work with
an oppressive, bewildered sense of
leisure upon her. And Will-if the
Joyous voice alone had distracted him
SO, how could he work now?-now
that it recalled the meek, desolate
face of the mourner; now, that the
cry had changed into such pitiful,
beseeching "Willie, Willie!"
The day after Willie was buried it
happened that Will paid his rent, and
took that opportunity to inquire after
his fellow lodger.
"Poor young thing," said the moth
erly landlady. "It makes my heart
ache to see her, up there in the little
room, where they were SO happy,
those two. She says the very walls
seem written with his name, and the
things he used to touch cry "Alice,
II 4 q Al