River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-08-19

One evening Mrs. Finn Went ont tn
make visit. Little Mike sat AT the
VI low awaiting her return. He
watched the shadows deepen on the
hillsides, and the fire of the lime kiln
CLEAN out of the gathering gloom ike
great red eye. Suddenly he SAW
dark object intervene between him and
tho rising moon, something that ilut-
iered aud fell slowly. like "A kite with
out tail. ITS the bedtick - he
shouted with delight. Five minutes
later the boy came running brcathlcss
up the road with the Grant bedtick
over his shoulder As he opened the
door and stepped in he started back in
fear,tOr there sat "a man before the IRE.
The boy backed toward the door.
When his band was upon the laieh.and
he ttlt that nc could escape before the
intruder could reach him. he turned
and said.
~ no are yeX p
Where yer mother 2'' said tho
familiar voice Of his father.
Mickey opened the door and was
about to dart olt.whcn his father arose
suddenly. and grasping him by the
shoulder, drew the trembling boy back
into the room.
''What't the matther wild We. by;
don't We know yer own daddy Pr
"NiS, but me fader's dead We bur
led him three weeks ago. faltcred the
boy.
"Yc did, did We. Wen. We didn'
bury me. Look here ~
Walking over 10 the window. with
hie Hfox-,- tapF gl.--aH t.rrlt1r- tgF4f
thc boy S arm, Mike Finn knelt upon
the floor and the moonlight streamed
full upon his face.
Now, Mickey" said he, plaintiycly,
look well at me face. Feel ono
hair Shure, I'm no ghost Dye sec
them buttons on me coat that Yer
hunted out 9TH button bag yerself
whin yer mother sewed en-
on? Dye mind thin boots: it's yer
self blackened EN- NANNY Sunday
moruin again the time Ia bc g0iu &
mass.
Little Mike trembloj between fear
and hope q moment. Then he mus
tered up enough courage TO pinch his
father cheek and examine the buttons.
A moment later he was seated on his
fathers knee, and listening TO the story
Of how, when he went away that fate
full afternoon three weeks before he
had mt Mike Haley
Say Mike 10 me, says ne. Mich
ael ~ ye Il go wild me- / Fiathush. l Il
give We a Job. Wait til 90 home and
tell Biddy? says I. No, say lac. Iwant
yet 20 now; ye can write Biddy a let
ter. An did ez never get III letter
I ca An d ! &
Mickey An did ye have a foine
wake? What did they say about me,
Mickey
Il heerd Patsey Doolan >ayin 81
foiner man niyer ate caIbidge.
At last Mrs. Finn came back 10 tho
shanty. Her husband and little Mike
had stuffed the bcdtick with straw and
seated themselves upon ii awaiting
her return. But fatigue had overcome
them, and they had fallen asleep
across tho bedtich, into the corner
which the crow had slowed himself
The bcdtick lay partly III shadow, but
boldly outlined against the b.uo and
white stripes lay big hand, rgimmed
with coal dust and covered with cal
ouscs. Mrs. Finn passed her hand
slowly over her forehead. Surely she
had seen that hand before Then sho
knelt down before the PROSTATE figure
of her husband, and passed her haud
geauy over his face. He moved pn-
easily.
whist, acushla; don't mind il,
dear
The sight of the familiar hand and
her touch Of tne well-kaown face made
her know that her husband had return
ed alive. Lifting up The hand She placed
it TO her lips. Even TIA grave couldn'.
hold yc. Yc had { come back & me,
acush3a She munmurcd.
As Mrs. Finn clasped her sleeping
husband in her arm there arose "a loud
squawking from the bedticE, which
awOkc little Mike.
Git zap. mother" cried me- sure
your mashin tn crow