The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-06-15

WAS Just rs sweet ana 2OOu - she WAd
pretty. She was the dominie's daugb-
ter. and when she came ito school Jim
and i both set our caps for her at the
same time. Funny, stranger, how .
pretty girl will come between old
friends. Two men can live like twins
whole lifetime. but just let a pretty
woman come in and they will fight like
brothers-in-lsw over will. When little
Phillis came TO school, and Jim and |
ran races TO ask TO see her home or TO
fetch her to singing school or Sunday
night meeting, then, stranger, we
knowed the first trouble of our lives.
Somehow we grew cold like. and be-
fore that year was ended we did not
speak. One night Jim and / met at her
house. was Seventeen then, and Jim
was over eighteen and as big IS a man.
He had beard, almost. and he was as
handsome as picture. He didn't
know | was there, or don't think he Il
called. had been there about an
hour, and just before the knocker
sounded Phillis had told me the old
story we all of us love to hear so well,
and felt as happy and light-hearted as
lark. When Jim came in and saw us
sitting in the little old parlor he seemed
to know just what had happened like a
flash. For a moment thought he'd do
something he'd regret some time. His
face got SO black and sullen and his ewes
got ugly. Phillis saw it, too. soon is ]
did.
"'Jim, said She. her voice trembling
just a little. Jim. want Won and Bob
10 shake hands and be friends.
''Then got up and held out my hand:
though. to tell the truth, felt sort of
nervous.
Jim, she went on. her voice get
ting stronger and her face getting
sweeter and sweeter, Il want YOU To
love Bob again just As you used to. be-
cause-because-I love him SO much.
Won't you, Jim. for-my sake?'
IL wish you could have seen Jim Just
then, stranger. / never saw the good
in man fight so hard with the bad and
come out ahead in all INV life before or
since, and never expect to again. He
stood there by the open window just "a
if he'd been carved out of stone. |
didn't know whether he'd heard what
she said or not, he was so still.
Then, just as / was about to take
back my hand, Jim took it in both of
his so hard 1almost dropped. Then he
threw his arms around my neck. kissed
me on my lips, Topped down on
chair, stranger, and cried like baby.
Phillis, the little woman. cried too.
and there we all were with our arms
around each other CRYING like women
and not any of us knowing what we
were crying about.
THAT settled things with us. After
that we was brothers Just like we used
to be. Well, it's a long story, and |
guess you won't care rs hear it all So
I'll cut it short. When | was twenty
one | was married. Jim was our best
man. and nv oldest boy il named !
James Churchill Brown. About a year |
or so later Jim married. She was a
cripple and supported her mother do !
ing sewing. But if she had been a |
royal princess Jim couldn't have |
treated her anv better. After he got |
On the road he built her little house |
near us and there they lived and there
these little tots came into the world. |
heir cottage. but he only stayed dav
,r so, and when he went back TO where
lie came from he took the little mother
,ack too, and these little ones were
eft behind. Jim never lost heart.
hough, but the blow nearly killed
Jim. He stood up under it as brave
IS lion, and yOu'd never have known
rom his face, except that he didn't
mile the way he used to, that he knew
vhat SORROW was. One evening last
Teek-ft was an off day with Jim-he
nd Phillis was out walking by the
reek that runs through my meadow
" the red barn. 1t was just dusk and
nv little boy was running on ahead
laying in the snow when they came
D the railroad crossing. just as they
ot there Jim heard a whistle. 1t
Tasn't time for the regular train. so he
Tasn't watching out for danger. II
Tas special and il was coming round
he curve like lightning Nv little
i'm was playing on the culvert Phil
is heard the whistle, she saw the boy
n the track. she heard the rattle of
he engine just as if it was a dream.
hen she gave little scream and fell
own on the road in faint
East Creekr' called out the conduc-
or. as the train stopped again in the
torn.
'sOh. Uncle Bob,' cried the little
maiden by my side. Look out the
window. There's Aunt PhilliS and
'ousin Jim and there's grandpa and
,randma and what a funny looking
lack wagon that is! Look! Look"
he continued. as the farmer gathered
ogether his charges and started for the
loor. They are putting black box
n the wagon, and Aunt Phillis is cry
ng awful hard =
"Yes," replied the farmer as he
brushed away a tear from his eyes.
Yes. that's Jim Churchill, stranger.
II that box. ''-Benyamin Northrop, in
n. T. Graphic.