The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-02-19
From the Argosy.
WILDiNG'S SUMMONS.
TcoNcLUpED.1

girl, her manners sweetly simple, her dis
position loving-I can't help repeating
this, Errington servants and al, were de-
voted to her and Gregory would, be-
lieve, have given his life for her. Never
theicss, simple though in ordinary she was,
the child had strange ways abou. her,
which failed to understand. She would
talk to herself in singular manner, and
tell us of queer things that she had
dreamed. They were such dreams as,
verify believe, never disturbed the rest of
any child before. Her mother laughed at
them, yet was doubtful.
What can possibly be the meaning Of
it, James p she once said to me.
oh" | answered gaily, laughing, too,
the child mus. have come direct from tho
fairies
'Onc day, it was the last day of the old
year-Arc you going to follow me, my
friend?
Indeed am
1T was the last day of the old year, just
as this day is tho last of the year now
passing from US, continued Wilding.
Janey had been born on New Years Day,
and some children were to come the next
evening to keep her birthday she would
be7 years old. After tea she began talk
ing of the morrow's party, skipping gayly
about, with happy chatter Presently she
seemed to tire, sat down on footstool and
became silent. Suddenly she turned round
and looked a. me. Her mother had left
her seat to search in a cabinet at the end
of the room, and was standing with her
back 10 u.s.
Papa, why did you say We should be
twelve Tomorrow evening"?
why, SO VIC shall be, Jancy.'
No., said she, shaking her little head,
it's only eleven I've been counting
There are to be nine little guests, you
know, my dear; yourself will nuke ten,
and your mamma and I twelve
But mamma will not be here
You quaint little reasoner! Where
else will mamma te?'
spoke in jesting tone; Janey was
looking at me almost doubtingly, as if she
did not understand my last question her
blue eyes, world of serious depth in
them, were fixed upon mine.
Not mamma she repeated; she won't
be here. So it will be eleven you count
papa
Il laughed, and let her have her way.
Mary came back with what ste bad been
getting from the cabinet-it was picture
album, romember-and don't think she
had heard Janey's logic.
Robert Errington. before midday the
next day she was dead
'Who was Z? 1 cried, startled. The
child?'
No, no., Mary, my dear wife. She
had an hours illuess in the morning and
then died, he added, in a trcmulous whis-
per.
Good heavens. What was t?'
That croaker, the old doctor, had the
cruelty to say we ought to have been look
ing out for it; that he had warned me-
rejoined Wilding, in voice so low I could
hardly catch it. 1t seemed like cruelty
to me; suppose he hid not mean it so
She took with her the best part of my life
all that was worth having in it, except
Jancy.'
For few minutes there was a silence
dense as that amid the pine trees when the |
wind is still Then Wilding went on:
Telling all this in words, though it's
rarely absent from my thoughts, is so pain
iul to me that | must end 1t. Listen vet
Another birthday of Janey's came
round or, rather, was coming, when she
wouli be 10 years old three years had
elapsed since that dreadful time. There's
not much 10 record of their passing the
world was half blank to me, leaving little
remembrance behind it. The last day of
the old year, in the morning, Janey was
with me in the study at her lessons. 1t
was fair, sunny day, and when the last
lesson-book was closed, 1 began talking
brightly of the little treat l had planned
for the morrow-for | old not infiict nv
gloom upon the child.
We were to take a short journey of
pleasure, and painted TO her in glowing
colors the features Of ihe trip, saying in
this place we should see some magnificent
scenery and in that nlacn we sbould dina