Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-05

dinner ready when he came In. He had fn-
ished his dinner and was filling his pipe, when
asked,
"What was It you said about brandy SNUG.
glers this morning?"
"Theres too many on 'em for Capn Bedm for
onct, Peggy. Them barracks is just afloat wit b
Sanaoa ofa , Ho" the soldiers gets 1t no
who lives in that little house out on the
point7" W. '-'
The "point" was desolate SANDY h,ufy IN. tho
lake shore, not far from the river: a bleak spot'
the last place In the world one would think for
building house, but then we can't all choose
where we Will live, you know.
80, that's Jerry Clarks He runs a hack
at the falls Makes lots of money, they say.
S sup run hack, Peggy. supposin'
.'Does he live there on the po,nt, How can no
and do business at the falls?''
'Oh, Jerry lives at the falls. You wouldn't
Hlno stay1n' here, would you, Peggy, If / could
90 nan handsome drivln' hack somewhere else?"
but who lives on the point father? Is there
ybody In that lonesome house?"
Fatner thought didn't take much interest In
ms affairs, and said something of the kind.
Jerry Clark's grandmother lives on that
point. She Is bit crazy he says and thinks she
can't sleep anywhere else. Her husband went
down In the-the-that AZ steamboat-or was it
43? But OF course you don't know Peggyr
"Who takes care of his grandmother"
Jerry Is drenul kind to her; says she can't
live much longer at the most. There is a big
oounGin, girl over there-bigger than what you
river the other day. Cap'n Bedeu happened
down Just then: and she hailed him and asked
where she could get good doctor for the old
she asked the cap'n If he knew of good boy to
help EN- over there. They are wonderfully put
to II for boy. The cap'n sent her to Browns
but she didn't get one, for see her goin' back
There. l have forgotten to tell you about
Pont. This story without Point In it would have
to be told by somebody beside Peggy Herrick.
L al -hn yurffp n(ards of
and think nothing at all OF telling longer ones
than this of mine, never forget to put things in
where they belong, and you would have told
about Pont in the beginning, and not have had
to pick up dropped stitches. Pont was my dog,
a big brown water spaniel. He could talk with
his eyes. dear old Point, and after mother died,
not right away, but after WHILE he loved me
Just as be had loved her. He never would take
TO father for some reason: never followed him.
Water dog that he was. he was very shy of
Niagara river. That used to make me wish he
could live somewhere else.
That night, when father sat smoking his
pipe under the Cherry tree, picked UP heart to
say:
look for work.
'.Don't go to Buffalo. Peggy. There's no end
oil drinkin' soldiers over there, and they make
poor husbands. the best ON en-"
L never got angry at father. He meant well
enough, but he didn't see things as mother
did.
.No, wont go to Buffalo. Twill be back in
week. III earn anything my weeks work
will bring something handsome Father pulled
away. hardly hearing me. He was very tired,
and the day had been hot. II will leave every
thing In good order, and you can spare me for a
few days and hardly miss me, if you can get
your dinners at the club house." He said he
could, ana knocking the ashes from his pipe.
went in and to bed.
had something to do beside cry when shut
myself into my little bedroom. First tried on
fathers best pantaloons. He had never worn
them since mothers funeral, and had forgotten
he had anything but his old velveteens. They
were pretty good tit, and so were his boots.
l would have to make blouse of an Old flannel
dress OF mothers, a blue plaid and hating to
say about my venture. hindered me a good
while. Wen, it was O'Clock in the morning
when dressed In my new suit and tried to see
myself In my bit OF looking glass. started
back half frightened, such a big boy 1 looked
10 be. had cut Off my hair. That was dread
fully hard thing to do, but if | had stopped at
that would have had to give up, going. Then
used to brush and curl my hair. and how her
hand lay On it when her eyelids shut down for
ever. If you will believe it. father
my short hair, but then 1 Kept On my sun
bonnet.
81 shall be gone when you come back, father.
You must be very good to Point. Give him enough
to eat, and let him sleep by my bed at ntght.D
Pont had way of lying down by my bed when
ever went away, as If that comforted him.
TOut, " uO udU SctilltU W DS QOZlIlS on the door
step, got up at my words and came close to me
and pushed his nose into my hand.
Il haven't any money for you, Peggy. Pay
day don't come until Saturday, and Shuart gives
Never mind the money. father. l can get
along" had half dollar mother gave me.
Father was so absent-minded like, he would
have gone to his work without kissing me good
bye. I slipped before him and halt laughing
took his pipe from his mouth.
Kiss me goodbye. father" with both arms
around his neck.
. You are a good girl, Peggy; you allus was
fatheI?n ''
"Don't worrlt about us, child. Did you leave
good baking OF bTead?''
That was better than if he had felt sorry
about my going away, for then just likes as not
should have given up and sta1d at home.
1t was tough, long pull on hot day from
neon. put into a narrow rayine about half
mile On the river side from Jerry CIark's grand
mothers, and ate my bread and cold fapiacks
well under the flags; nobody would have
dreamed the b5at was there. 1 cut stick and
swung my little bundle over my shoulder.
shoWeIed myself with road-dust and struck off
down the road In long. swinging gait. NY
greatest fear was that l should forget to be as
deaf and stupid as had decided to be- So IL Won
VIII believe 1t, j scratched the back of my right
tell me of my ears.
y few rods from the lonely cabin log lay by
tie foOtpath. There sat down, knowing that
somebody would be watching me. / pretended
to fall into doZe. but through the mesheS or
my hat saw the big bouncing girl come TO the
door several times and watch Inc close she
tired saving wood, but the saw got fast. Then
she began picking up chips, watching me all
tie tine.
1t was desolate nd-swept spot. An old
woman who would insist upon living there
would have to be very fond OF Lake Erie and its
ZephyIS. The Islands made beautiful picture
III the afternoon sunshine and IL was a line
place to watch the steamers and SIoopS and the
long rats or logs bound for TonaWanda. If ore
how hard the wind blOwed. poor place for
smuggers, thought l, and was sorry ! had
come. Why, good field glass could watch the
place from hundred points; every inch or
ground around IL for mile or more There
was neither boat nor landing, only a breakneck
path TO the waters edge, where the flags were
high and thick.
The big girl came out when I got up and
walked away. She had two water buckets and
She halted at the top Of the path down the
bank.
logged on as if not seeing her.
"Hey, there" she called after me, but was
too deaf to hear. Hey, there! Say. Are YOU
looking for work."
l was half mind to give up the deafness and
hear her, but slowly trudged On.
"Hey, there." she shouted again, with no
struck my hat. l turned round and stood stock
still i'll the path. AS she came UP to me | mo-
toned that was hard OF hearing. SO she
shouted i'll loud voice, close to my ear:
care you locking for work."
i said that was, duckfng my head for a bow
and that for all was hard OF hearing could do
as good Work as anybody. had been cook for