Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-11


recognizing as the years slipped by, the
little dame had grown to De woman, ana
might have dreams, if not plans OF her
own designing.
High noon by the sun. The shadows
fell straight, buds were in leafy bowers,
the frolicsome squirrel needed not the
beech nuts as they fell but lazily stretch
ed on overhanging limb knowingly blink
cd st tsbIeau below, the soft mutmur
of voice as 1t mingled with the ripping
music OF the shallow stream had no terors
for him, he Was Use grey beard and no
doubt recognized the scene as one In
harmony with the CHRONOLOGICAL asloue
with which he was familiar. at the root
Of q noble beech on messy slope sat
Miss Fay, her hat lay beside her,
and tWig basket only half full showed
that nutting was not the chief employ
ment of the day; 8 pink flush suhused
cheek and lip and whether the tiny hand
PLAYED with moss or the foot tapped pref
tily the gravelly brink, all was beauty and
the fair man who leaned in easy grace
against the tree-trunk, followed each
motion with tender glsuces-yes, the
blue eyes could be tender or steely es
mood re quired and the large white hand
that rested on the brown bark above
could grasp what he willed and hold IL.
A merry child-like laugh and Fay lifted
her brow eyes to his face, only TO meet IN
answering smile, and look that CAUSED
her eyelids to droop in pretty confusion.
In moment his attitude changed, he was
now sitting SO he could look straight into
her face, There was no escape. "Yes!"
"LIttle WIFI" those were your very
words, mine! nv little witei do you think
l could forget? Why, Fay l have wax
enad from sleep feeling the little arms
clasped tightly around my neck, and with
words OF boyish comfort on my lips
When l snatched you from the edcying
current, you nestled close, AMI awkward
in nv tenderness l strove to calm your
terror, boy as 1 was, felt mans pro-
tecting love for tae baby girl l mad res
cued. You Inspired my life, for you l
have worked, for you l h27e studied
Don't you remember our play st house
keeping when / made leaf cups ard bark
plates for banquets, and you in pretty
tyranny would OILY let me be George,
you, yes you, don't turn away your head,
were "little wife,. land you said Phlllis
wss cross when she took you home
| UYour fsther?" Don't speak TO me of
him; tell nae to call you the old nam
once more. and I'll claim you from any
father in Virginia Ouce he said, show
can repay your" Let me answer after
long years Of waiting, your daughter loves
me, give her to me.
"Do not, do not shrink from me, l am
worthy your love, though the blood OF
kings course in your veins. have the
royalty of pure manhood and the
courage of true purpose; Call i
no. egotism it is only a tribute
to your power, you have guided
my course, moulted my life and Sll it lie
is yours. | do not withhold it, and &c
such as you 1 could bring no gilt fsr'
nlshed or debased. My "little W!t- ,
yes! 1t must BIZ 80.
Just then the squirrel blinked wisely
the bird gave me ~ twitter, even tn'
brooklet sent some little caressinG
,, waves to greet the peobly shore, then tht
depizens of the wood scattered, for e csl
in the distance of "dinner" made con
fusion universal, even in the adjusting @
the nat over curls that seemed undul.
tangled.
One by one the stars come forth, thu
, pale crescent in the east scarce dims thel
lustre, and the song of tue cricket wOos
, the waaderer to thoughts of glowing fic
, and hospitable hearths. The day's lRou
: over, Aunt Phillis is enjoying her eveDiu!
pipe unmolested. Scip, even Is subdued
and as the bright blaze OF hickory log
that sparkle and crSckle, lights III
> smoky beam and rafter, there is brougn
out in shadows deep ant
strong, evidences of the home
, Iy thrift prevailing in this house
OF primitive simplicity. This one room
, served all purposes of domestic life. L
. was at once storeroom aud seedhOuse
= Hands of tobacco suspended tell of even
|, ing sol8ce as the nights grow long, ear
, of corn with shuck turned back displs.
selected seed, meal barrel and bscol
fitches speak of Creature comfort, Will
strings of bright pepper promise the ap
, petiziIg sausage of the future. Pnilli
waits meditativelY the coming Of Nose
,, for whom the table is already spread
: Soon she ia busting around 70
,, the ole mans hungry. AS she pssse
, back and forth Nose tells her Of the va
= rious accidents Of the trip-who they me
= snd who sent "howdy," but Phillis
thoughts are elsewhere, as an interrupt
! ing question soon betrays:
! "Ole man, is little nistis conner"
"Yes, she come Jest aiore we did.
. So c. Townsend forch her, for We me
9 him close by the big gate. 1 tell 20
' Msrster bowed mighty stiff, doh f
= touched his hat perlite as de young ma
q "iest SIS 1 was leebin l herd MsTste
'. tell Miss Fay he wanted to see her in
libry, and she sort o. turned red ano de
- white, and said mighty sober, "Ye:
, pappy;" but it didn't SCUM 'zsctly fire
D ard fearless as she alters stz it,"
!; "Ole man, dere's gwine to oe troubl
n In de big house, an l tell you now rs
q gwine to stick TO little mistis. l kul
: wid Miss Lucy, and cawn't nebber de
" sart her chile, my pretty osby."
4 "PshswI ole woman, you Is always e.
IL pecting sumthin'. Amt supper reddy1
D Always expecting something was \
10 part of the creed of Moses, and the pre-
,e emit verities of supper and sleep soon 81
1t him at rest. Net so Aunt Phlllis; 81
e tossed upon her bed, and waited for da,
or that she might see her foster child, an
II II possible avert the threatened danger.
Is A daintily furnished bedchamber, wit
Y, soft couch and silken hangings, prove
IS no better resting p iace to its fair tenan
N AS she walked back and forth 1t SCENE
TX as if the eyes Of the mother face upon ii
wall followed her and gave out
no pitying chances the tender love that Il
10 lips could not utter. UOmindful If thi
~ and aught save the compsnionship Of b
ID hrst great grief, the girls hesrt was slOl
q with its bitterness; like sympathet
40 instrument touched by master han
~ love crept over the strings in CHOIR
40 strong aud vehement, then in sweet 8!