The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-01

he's started for Ellsworth now. he went
past me like a streak when was coming
up the road. He'll have her back safe and
sound before morning."
40, LeNy. Lefty o, whct shall l do!
It's my own fault, every mite OF it's my
own fault. 'Tis; you don't know nothln'
about it. The minister brought me sum,
he au' Mr.. Plainfield had been workln' on,
to do, yesterday afternoon, an Jest sat
an ciphered half the night, an all day. |
didn't know no more what Lefty asked
me, when she came in from school, than
nothin' at all. didn't know nothin' but
them figgers, an now Letty's lost, an it's
nv fault"
''Why, you might have let her gone if
you'd known"
II guess shouldn't let her gone all alone
with your Lizzie, to come home after dark
in the last train, little delicate thing as she
was. l guess l shouldn't; an l guess L
should have started up an done some-
thing, if I'd known, when she wasn't here
at train time. didn't get the sum done,
an Pm glad of it; it seems to me jest as
if l was losin' my faculty as I'm CROWN
older, an hope l am"
."Now don't talk so, Mis- TORY. Sit
down an try to be calm. You'll be sick" !"
81 guess there amt much bein' calm. L
tell you what tits, Mis- Bascom, I've
been wicked woman. Pve been
thinkin' so much of this faculty
I've had for cipherin' that I've set
| il a fore everything-I hev. Only yester-
day that poor child didn't hev any dinner
but crackers an milk, cause l was so took
up with the sum that l forgot it. An she
was Jest as patient as a lamb about it; said
she'd rather hev crackers an milk than
anything else. o, dear! dear"
''Don't cry, Mis- Tory"
81 can't help it. 1t don't make no differ
ence what folks are born with a faculty
bay- I'M cir crin
writin' poetry-the love that's betwixt hu-
man beings an the help that's betwixt 'em
ought to come first. I've known it all the
| time, but I've gone agin it, an now Pve
got my pay What shall do?"
Mrs. Bascom remained with her all night,
but she could not pacify her in the least.
| She was nearly distracted herself. She
was fearful that her Lizzie might be
| blamed.
The next day people flocked to the house
to inquire if there was any news from
! LEFTY, and to comfort her grandmother.
sympathy seemed fairly dripping like
| fragrant oil from these simple, hon st
hearts; but the poor old woman got no re-
| freshing influence from it. She kept on
her old strain in their ears. She had lost
Lefty, and it was all her own fault, and
what should she do! Mr.. Plaintield did
not come home. The minister took his
| place in school. Nothing was heard until
noon: then a telegram from the teacher
came He thought he was on Letty's track,
he said; they should hear again.
| Next day there was second message;
Letty was safe; coming home as soon as
possible. The following day passed then,
and not another word came. The old
grandmother's faith sand hope seemed to
! have deserted her. She knew Lefty was
not found: she never would be found. She
! and Mr.. Plainfield were both lost now.
| Something dreadful had happened to both
| of them.
"The worst of it is" she told Mrs. Bas-
| com one afternoon, with a fierce indigna-
ton at herself, 81 can't help thinkin' about
that awful sum now after all that's hap
pened. Them figgers keep troopin' into
nv head right in the midst Of my thinkin'
about Lefty. It's all l can do to let that
slate alone, an not take it off the bureau.
But won't-I won't if it kills me not to-"
On the fourth day after Letty's disap-
pearance, between six and seven O'Clock in
the evening, Mrs. TORY was sitting alone
in her kitchen. The last svmpathizer had
gone home to eat her supper.
| The distressed old woman had drank a
| cup of tea; that was all she would touch.
| The pot was still on the stove. There was
a soft yellow light from the lamp over the
room. The warm air was full of the fra
GRANGE of boiling tea.
| SAAN
bureau She would have looked the same
way if sne had been starving and seen food
| there.
.O,n she whispered. eff cou!d-only
| work on that sum a little while, it does
seem as if 'twould comfort me more'n any
thing, o Lord l wonder if l was to blame:
| Twas the way was made, an l couldn't
help that P'rhaps 1 should hev let Lefty
gone, an she'd been lost, anyway. l
| wonder if heV lost nv facultV:"
She sat there looking over at the slate.
At last she rose and started to cross the
room. Midway she stopped.
so, what am doin'? Letty's lost, an
I'm goin' to cipherin'! S'pose she should
come in an ketch me? She'd be so hurt
she'd never get over it. She wouldn't
think cared anything about her"
She stood looking at the slate and
thinking for a moment. Tnen her face
settled into hard calm.
Lefty won't come back-she won't
never come back. l might as well cipher
as anything else"
| She went across the room. got the slate
and pencil, and returned to her seat. She
| had been cipherinG for minute or 50
when a sound outside caused her to start
and stop. She sat with mouth open and
| chin trembling, listening. The sound came
| nearer; it was at the door. OF all the
sweet sounds which had smote that old
woman's ears since her birth-songs of
birds, choral hymns, Sabbath bells-Uhere
| had been none so sweet as this. 1t was
| Letty's thin girlish treble which she heard
| Just outside the door.
! For a second, as she sat listening, her
| face was rapt, angelic; in spite of its
| SallownesS and wrinkles it might have
| figured in an altar-piece. Then it changed.
| The slate was in her lap. What would
| Lefty think?
T.. IL
| latch ratified, she slipped the slate under
| her gingham apron, and sat still.
| so, poor grandma." cried Lefty, run
ming in; you've been frightened 'most to
| death about me, haven't you?" She bent
over her grandmother and laid her soft
pretty cheek against hers.
so, Lefty didn't think you'd ever come
| back"
~ have: but did have the dreadfulest
time. l got carried way out West on an
| express train. Just think of it. 1 got on
| the wrong train while l was waiting for
Lizzie. was frightened almost to death.
| But Mr.. Plainfield telegraphed ahead He
| found out where l was going, and they
| took me to hotel; and then he came for
me. You haven't said anything to Mr..
Plainfield, grandma
The young man was,standing smiling be-
| hind Lefty. She looked astonished when
her grandmother did not rise to speak to
| him, but sat perfectly still as she uttered
some broken thanks.
"Why, grandma, you amt sick, are
you:" said she.
mol amt sick" said her grand
mother, with meek tone.
When Mr.. Plainfield left, in a few mo-
ments, Lefty gave q half-defiant, half
ashamed glance at her grandmother, and
| followed him out, closing the door.
| When she returned Mrs. Tory was stand
! ing by the table pouring out q cup of tea
for her. The slate was in the usual place
| on the bureau.
| ..Grandma," said Lefty, blushing inno-
Gently, II thought 1 ought to say some
| thing to Mr.. Plainfield YOU know. hadn't