The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-07

be quite unimpeded In her motions,
poured ell her courage nto her fine
voice, and SO began
"Maxwelton braes are bonnie"
The cry came rp from the pit {: SAY,
sy Sing That's right. Sing r.
The song went down:
"Maxwelton braes are bonnie.
Where early fas the dew,
And it's there that Annie Laurie
Gied me her promise true"
She sang and saw not-did not trust
herself any longer now to see; she knew
that the quarrymen were ascending with
their burden bravely, like the men they
were, perilously as they must-but only
kept "the lassie's part" and standing
high above them, tall against the sky,
sang on:
''And it's there that Annie Laurie
Gied me her promise true,
| Gied me her promise true,
Which ne'r forgot will be,
| And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I'd lay nae dune and dee,
Which ne'r forgot will be.
Which ne'r forgot will be-"
"It is all over" said Martin Derrick,
coming up and trying to wrap her cloak
about her, for she had now begun to shiv-
er visibly, whether from horror or from
cold. "They have come up. They are
safe. Nobody is hurt. Go home now"
81 suppose must see the man." she
said, shrinking. as he deadp"
"Only tainted, think, and hurt upon
the arm and head; but really not much
1t is one Of the Incredible escapes. 1
wouldn't look at him."
"Oh, yes" she answered in a strange
tone. II must look at him."
His face was turned away when she
saw him, and the men said he looked
badly, and advised her to leave him to
them. He was man of perhaps sixty
years or 30, his hair was quite white; he
was poor man it seemed, scantily dress
ed, cruelty unprotected from the weather,
from which he must have persisted, even
though uninjured, soon enough. He was
some piteous, friendless creature, just
the one. as they knew, to set her sweet
soul beside itself with sympathy.
When she had looked at him she said,
authoritatively, airing him to my house."
Some one objected, but no one DISC
beyed. She turned in silence and walk
ed on ahead Of them, and they followed
her with their burden, and so brought
him to her door.
Mrs. Tombs ESQ she said) was sorely put
about on Christmas morning. As though
it was not enough to have chocolate
cake for quarrymen upon ones hands
that frozen pauper should be added,
and Annie Laurie herself, suddenly
gone, by the mysterious dispensation of
Providence, as helpless as other folks.
For Annie Laurie had no sooner got the
poor wretch across her threshold than
she dropped him from her personal at
tention, as though he had been gentle
man.
The men, she said, would do every
thing, and Mrs. Tombs. The doctor
should keep one of the Rock boys to do
whatever was needed. She complained
of feeling i'll after all the shock and exer-
ton, and got herself into her own room
and locked her door. But when Mrs.
Tombs came to it hours after to tell her
that the man had come out of his faint
spells, and, for her part, she thought he
wasn't hurt any more than he ought to be,
and what in the name of goodness to gra-
cious was she to do with tramp in her
spare room come mornin'? Annie Lau-
RE unlocked the door and let the elder
woman in, and for the first time in all the
years that they had lived together, put
her strong arms about the others neck.
and sobbed as if her heart would break.
at is the resemblance !" she cried i,
ooh, it is the resemblance L am used
to them, 1 see a great many, all these
years. Sometimes in the city on a street,
or perhaps it is face at church. It's
just look, something in the hair, OF
the way they move their heads, or the col
or of something,or the eyes. For twenty
two years I've seen them. But this
one-I was worn out, and it came so sud
denly I've behaved badly" she added,
kissing the old woman, and smiling girl
ishly through her tears. 81 was so tired.
I've left too much TO come on you. To-
morrow I will seq him; will attend to
everything; l will see the poor fellow in
the morning"
In the morning it was as she had said
The injured man was quite comfortable,
they told her, only weak and silent. They
could make but little out of him; he
seemed confused or troubled; he had
asked whose house he was in.
The storm had now ceased, but the
day WAS bitterly cold, and fires in that
plain house few. Mrs. Tombs had got
her unwelcome guest over into the music
room, and left him there alone, where it
was warm; and there, in the broad, bleak
! daylight. sitting on the old sofa with his
poor head bound, and his arm in sling;
and staring toward her, Annie Laurie
found him.
She shut the door and locked it. Why
she could not tell. She shut the door