Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-21

tie creature, and 1t had shortened many
an evening for old Sandy to SIT in the room
where the cooking stove and the bahy's
cradle and the high-swung canary bird
cages were nj. equally at home, and watch
Jlm's vie at her sewing. Sac was al
ways busy, and neat, and trim when old
Sandy came, and careful OF the Nudge,
TOO, and that was what made it SO hard
to understand what looked like such cruel
neglect on her part now. He didn't deny
1t to himself that little later on,
when Jim's memory had grown less
green, he would like to ask Jim's wife TO
be his wife, and Jim's boy should be his
boy.
II think Jim would like me TO look az
ter IN m that way best. It's safe way"
SAID old Sandy, stopping once more in the
broad beam OF sunlight near the bird
cages. The Nudge did not protest this time.
lthad gone to sleep. The room had grown
intensely quiet. The birds had sung
their threats empty. There was loose
plank in the floor that old Sandy found
especially trying to his nerves. In vain
he tried to circumyent it at every circuit
OIL the room. Neither a preternaturaTly
long stride nor an eXaggeratedly short
step saved him from tEat responsive
board. The Nudge was so sound asleep,
you know, he didn'twant to RISK anything
startling for him. Presently the door
opened and Jim's wife stood where old
sandy himself had stood about half an
hour earlier. She was very pretty.
Especially at that moment with her large
wondering eyes fixed on old Sandy and
flush from hurried walking, or some
other cause, dyeing her cheeks bright
red.
You here this time of day ~ she said,
with more of wonder than gratitude in her
voice, and stepping inside, she dropped a
large paper parcel on the old trunk behind
the bed head.
Old SANDY looked at her alphabetically:
"He seemed so bad last night, you
know, | thought I'd run up and ask after
him. l didn't think to stop SO long, but
| finding him alone"
Jim's wife had all this time been get
ing cut OF her bonnet and a rather smart
| IooklhR new walking jacket. She an
| swered testify with her back to him:
"fes. ran out for a minute to do an
! errand and borrow a coal of fire from
| Mrs. Merric across the hall. l made a
good sale OF five birds to-day"
And forgot the coal of ire''-old
| Sandy was regarding her new finerv with
| gloomy eyes-''the Nudge was most froze
| out when L got here"
81 can get it now" the girl answered.
with flushing cheeks, and started once
more towards the den. Something in the
Midge's looks, however, caused her to
stop and look hard at the small white
| tace resting on old Sandy's shoulder. She
took step nearer to him, then stopped
and gasped:>
"ls he asIeep~ Sandy asked, very
softly.
LAY him down in the bed" she an
swered IN strange, quick way that
caused Sandy to obey without question
ing.
The Midge did not object. Yes, he was
asleep. Dreamlessly, palnlessly and for
ever.
81 reckon Jim sorter pinned for him."
said old Sandy, quietly, when there was
| no longer aHy room to hope that the
Nudge would ever wake up again, 'and |
expect it's best SO. This world was too
much for him." 1t came back to him,
later on, that when he had stood in the
broad sunbeam, beneath the bird cages,
how the Midge had olutched at him con-
vulslvely. ''If ne went them" he SAID to
the woman, who could only kneel and
moan in her impOtent sorrow and remorse,
he went with the sun a.shining on him
and the birds a-slnging to him, sane as if
he was out under the country skies. l
like to think 1t was So"