Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-07-16

enough, say, Nursie, dear? Will he say
he never saw me look Is nice before?"
cay, to be sure; that will her re-
piled the old woman, fervently.
Though it'll no be the ribbons he'll
mark. He'll say as my Jem says when
put on my smart gown of Sunday:
ITS the face l mind, mother, and
naught besides,' he says. 'Ye look as
we'll in the Oldest gown ye wears, moth
err he says
Il am afraid Jem is an arrant fiat
terer," laughed Annie. you've pos
itively grown conceited since you came
to live with him. You had much better
have stayed on with us at the house,"
''Nay, there's nothing as could keep
me from my Jem. now. Miss Annie,
dear" answered the old woman,
soberly. Hes the only one left me
of all had, and my heart is set on him.
It's little can do for him now I'm Old,
and my sight is ailing, and I'm no that
quick ! was on my feet; but it's all in
the way of Nature. he says. Them as
sows in the spring shall reap in the
fall, and I'm to reap now, whilst he's
to work at the sowing. A deal of trouble
I've had in my day, but no finger
touch will he lei anear me in my old
age he says. Ell, but he's good lad.
May Heaven grant We a son like him.
Miss Annie, when we've stepped down
out of the spring time yerself"
Eyes, Jem's very good" assented
Annie, carelessly. Father says there
is not place anywhere around so well
kept as he keeps ours. Oh! bark! Isn't
that the tramp
She sprang to her feet, throwing
back her head and listening eagerly,
with bated breath, raising an imperious
little hand to silence all other. sounds.
1t seemed as if, at this spoiled darling's
bidding, the very birds stopped singing.
and the leaves forbore their rustling, all
was suddenly SO still. Nurse Edwards
listened, too, but less intently. and the
chirping of the cricket beneath the
piazza ledge was the only sound she
caught.
''Hey, what noise he makes9' she
said, admiringly, as Annie turned back
with a gesture of disappointment IF
it's them as is happiest sings loudest,
yon fellow has the best of us all"
''Oh! will it nerer be five O'Clock ?"
cried Annie, mindful only of her inn
patience This day has been hun
dred days long already
''Now don't We be in haste with
Time, my dear" said the old woman,
reprovingly. yell not hurry it,
though ye fret it never so. We must
just bide the time, my Jem saws, and
all things'll come in turn-first life,
then growth, then DEATH Things is
best taken natural as they come. The
rose that We force'll only be sooner done
blowing"
But l CANT watt the girl COM
planned. childishly. Il always want
things Immediately, and l want five
o'clock this minute. What time can it
be. Nursie? Oh! do say its five
o clockr
It'll be nigh upon it, sure, by the
slant of the shadows" the old woman
answered, peering out across the lawn.
Eye can look at the sun-dial yonder, if
We will
''Nonscnse!" rejoined Annie, con-
temptuously. GAS if stupid bit of
wood and rusty shadow kept any
count of the time the train goes by.
I'll look at the clock inside
''Then We may spare ycrself the
trouble. my dearie; for the hands
stopped at five minutes to seven this
morning. exactly as my Jem started out
for the city; and five minutes to seven
it'll be till NY Jem gets home. which
may be the night or the morrow. And
I've been a-thinking all the day as l sat
here how it's with me and with every
thing about me just as it is with the
old clock inside. It's him that keeps
us 60 ng; and we're all run down and
stopped together when he's gore, biding
the time till he comes back to right us. "
Then l wish he could come back
now and make it five O'clock sighed
Annie. Surely it must be five o'clock,
and the train has come in without my
hearing the whistle. I'll run down to
the gate and wait there. Fred can't be
long now. Goodbye, Nursie In i've
more l shall be the very hap
piest girl in all the worldr'
And before she had finished speaking
she was Off. dis laining the road and
making herself painless way across
the lawn; laughing, dancing, bounding
along with many light spring and
airy leap and merry twist, like mount
ain brook too impetuous to run smooth
ly. The old nurse smiled indulgcntly,
and. settling herself back in her chair.
went contentedly on with her knitting,
while the cricket again became the up
permost sound in her world, like
homely accompaniment to the. single
music of her thoughts
Many more minutes than five went by
when, suddenly. from the
direction of the gateway, Annie again
came running, but not as she had run
before. Very direct and straight she
came Her arms were Outstretched as
one who runs blindly; her face, that had
been so rosy. was white rs death and !
set, and she flung herself |
INTO the old woman's arms with a |
great, sharp cry.
90, Nurse! o, Nurse! Tie train is |
not in. There has been an accident. A |
man going by told me- And there has
been one killed. Jist a Light accident!
But there was onr killed. Only one
killed, the man said. q, Nurse! it is
Fred. know it is Fred! As certainly
Is that am alive now, l know that it
IS my darling who is deadr'
And the girl burst into passion of
stormy weeping, and would neither be
nor listen TO anything that
her old friend said a q. 1
II tell You knr,o it is he.'' she
,ried, with an agony of conviction in
Ter voice that almost carried certainty
With it. 1T was like knife through
ny heart the moment the man spoke.
1t the word accident, ! felt that Fred
vas dead, even before he said ANYTHING
III 7 Al -