The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-05-05
BaRRY'S GHOST.
BY F. A. REYNOLDS.

It was quite late and dark as John Barry rode slowly, driving carefully over the long, straight, muddy prairie road from the town of C., to his own home. It was not an especially cheerful ride, but that may be one reason why lie whistled so vigorously and consistently. There was another reason though, for he had got good price for load of early fall apples, and he had made certain arrangements to suit him, so he felt unusually pleased as he neared home and caught the gleam of the light in his own plain house. He wondered little that none of the children came out to meet and help him, but his wife met him at the door and told him the boys were out at neighbor's, and the little girls had gone to bed.
 "But," she added, "Pve kept a sup warm fur ye. What made ye so late the night?'
 "Wait bit, wife," said Barry from behind towel with which he was polishing face.
 He hastily brushed his hair and dropped into the chair his wife placed for him, and was soon enjoying dish of rich, hot soup. Mrs. Barry sat in a chair opposite him and took up some mending.
 "Now, thin," said Barry, between appreciative smacks, "Tve got bit warrumed up, an can tell ye what made me so late. sold all the apples -iviry one at the sture, am thin l wint over to the Sisters school an made arrangemints to sind Nelly there she'll go in about month. Got the top price fur the apples, I did, an l niver felt 80 much like kerryin' out the will O her Aunt Ellen"
 Mrs. Barry dropped her sewing.
 "An' so the child is goin' away I It'll be sore I'll miss her, but Pm a thinkin' how iver she an Kathie'll git along apart. Nelly depinds on Kathie that much; no one would guess it, an' she the younger. could i'll spare thim both, but seems though they couldn't be parted. Kathie is smarter in books, toow
 "Well," returned Barry, "I wudn't lave thought could lave let Nelly go there, if her Aunt Ellen hadn't said the fifty pounds she left her was fur her schoolin' at the Sisters. can't afford to let Kathie go-1ess an aunt leaves her few pounds too."
 "I-" began Mrs. Barry, but she left her sentence unfinished, for, out of the adjoining bedroom came little figure in plain white gown, bare feet, tum- bled dark curls and bright, wide open gray eyes.
 "Och now, Kathie, honeyw ex- claimed Barry. "Ye'li ketch yer death O cold climbin' out O bed in that fashion" But the child paid no attention to his remark. She climbed into his lap as he pushed back from the table, and putting her arms coax ingly around his neck, exclaimed
 sI heard you tell mother Nelly is going to the Sisters school, and you won't send me. You must, father! couldn't stay here without Nelly and if go I can help her. The teacher says do here."
 "Och, honey, how can we spare ye both to once? Am thin, my dear, 'avn't got the money. It's yer Aunt Ellen's money as sinds Nelly"
 "Why couldn't it have been an Aunt Katherine?" interrupted the child with an amusing, petulant air, belonging to an older person. "rll do twice as much at school as Nelly I love Nelly dearly, father, but she can't learn her books as quick as can, and she don't love lem as do."
 "I know" groaned Barry in desper- ation, "but I can't help it, me darlin'.