The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-05-17

said mentally. Tomorrow morn.
ing I'll go out early and hunt the
letter ul'
He stifled his impulse to make q
clean breast of the whole matter.
and was soon sleeping the sleep OF
the just.
About midnight that night some
body raped loudly at the door ol
Dorrie's room. 1t reused her from
"a tronbled slumber.
"WhO's there ~ she said. Her
mothers voice answered
SECT up DOrrie-right off Bill.
| ly's got the Group, the worst way
Come down and help me. Oh! |
/ don't know what | shall do"
Dorrie was out of bed and had a
wrapper on before the sentence was
finished. She hastened to the
nursery. Poor little Billy!
All night long Dorrie watched
over the child all that human
power could do, was done. Ever
and anon the sufferer made frantic
efferts to speak. There was evi-
IDENTIFY something on his mind.
DOrrie's heart ached at his desper-
ate attempts to unburden it.
"Never mind, darling" she said
sootbingly, STOPPING over the little
form, "tell sister in the morning"
But alas, when morning came
the roguish eyes were closed the
little hands were folded from their
play, forevermore; the restless feet
were still, for all time; Billy, the
household pet aud torment; the
youngest of the flock, was dead.
IL was heavy blow, but that
was not the worst that Dorrie had
to bear, for before noon of that
day, she received the news of Tom
Willis departure for Florida, for
an indefinite stay. 1t was the last
drop in her overtiowing cup.
Time passed slowly by. The IL
lacs were in bloom again and Dor
rie had never heard a word from
the absent one.
tom Willis got home last
night said her father at breakfast,
one morning; "wonderiully i'm
proved, too. How fond he used to
be OF Billv-poor little Billy!
His voice checked. Dorrie arose
from the table and went out doors
away down to where the lilacs were
filling the air with fragrance. She
sat down on the rustic seat; her
head resting on her hands. She
had not sat there for many months.
What was that shining amid the
moss and grass, at her feet 7 Me-
chauically, she stopped, aud found
u silver half dollar. Her eyes
caught the CLEAN of something
white, tinttering at the roots
of the lilacs. She drew it forth
torn and wind-rossed, stained aud
detaced; the letter had reached its
owner, at last. The silver piece
and the note had merely passed
through one of the apertures in
Billy's pocket, and landing on the
ground, had remained safely housed
from storm and tempest, amid the
twigs and roots, at the foot of the
lilac tree. With a fast beating
heart, Dorrie opened the half
effaced epistle, and slowly read the
contents. Hark ! A quick step
sounded on the grass near her, and
4 hand put aside the branches of
the lilac.
"Dorrie "
"Tom!"
II ventured to CALL" Tom said
lesitatingly, though he still held her
rand in his, "and your mother
'aid, that-you were out here
'ome place."
She held up the soiled letter.
What does this mean 7" said
.orrie.
"Tom's eyes flashed.
81 found it tn, re-" continued
)orrie, growing very pale. "There
$ great mistake somewhere,
Changed your
nind ~
For answer, he spread his arms,
nd Dorrie crept within their shell
er. And so, under the lilacs, they
'ere reunited, never to part agaiu.