Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-12-19


mad a return of the old stifed feeling that
he used to feel as boy in the mountains.
He wanted more room and air.
What he would have done in those days
of despair without little Alice it would be
hard to say. At times, when the hungry
longing to see his wife again came over him,
At was only the sight of the wee blossom
face that kept him from self-destruction.
In the course of time his pam grew less,
and gradually the wound was at last not
healed but SCARED over.
But in place Of the bright-faced, confident,
innocent, frank, clear-eyed youth, who, in
his joyousness, might have stood for q
statue of hope ITSELF was pale, stern man,
whose every word was decisive and whose
every action had force and strength. At
home. on the street, he was quiet, reticent,
seeking no friendships, needing no man.
Only in the courtroom did the life within
him glow and leap and fash and burn.
arousing, astonishing and warning his
hearers. Right and wrong !-right and
wrongl That was his battle-cry, as his
5ugle-notes denounced the wrong and
Numbered for the right. It seemed as if
the one great evil he had suffered himself
had eaten into his very soul, and that
naught could help him but righting all
wrongs for all men.
One evening, several years after Roses
w
night in the library of his beautiful home,
little Alice surprised him by saying:
"Papa, hasn't dot any mama?"
"No, DEAR" Jacob answered, gently; "she
as dead. I told you once before"
'sPoor mama,'' said the child, kissing q
pretty French doll she held in her arms. 81
wouldn't like to be beaded and away from
my little durl."
'sPapa, hasn't dot any Grandpa or brand
ma, eiver?"
'.Nes, DEAR" answered Jacob, patiently
"but they live far away from here, away up
in the mountains; don't you remembers
'Oh, yes; / members. But I'd member
'em better, papa, If seed dem sometimes.
Why don't dey tum and see US, papa?'
''Whyl Oh, don't know, dear, except,
perhaps, that never asked them"
''Oh, you funny papa! When drow big
III ask 100 to tum and see me, and I'll div
700 ice tream and lots of tandyl Yes, I
will. Why don't 200 ask dem, papa2 I'd
like to see my Grandpa and Grandma"
''Would you, my peta' said Jacob, strol1-
ing her golden hair so like her mothers.
<sWell, you shall! PHI write tonight and
ask them if you like, and then they'll come
very soon."
'.Oh, goodv! goody!" said the mite,
Jumping up and down in glee. 81 must go
and tell Therese! Theresel Theresa! Ny
dfduupd anu OrduOIisi > d luu1lu J.!
''Taisez, taisez, Mignon,' said sweet
faced French governess, coming into the
room. ''Vous faites trop de bruit pour votre,
papa"
s.Mais non, Therese," cried the baby
voice, finishing up in emphatic American
English; 81 doesn't! Does 1, papas"
swell, little, my DEAR" answered
Jacob, smiling. 'Run along to bed now,
there's q good girl; 50 that papa can write
the letter, you know"
s'An yght! od-night, my very own
papa. 100 div 'em my love, and ask 'em to
tum kickr' And the little fairy danced off
to bed. But Jacob did not write at once
after little Alice left him. He sat by the
grate-tire, dreaming-looking into the Goals,
and thinking of the past.
Little Alice is rightp' he said to him
self, at length, land I have been q selfish
brute not to have thought of them before.
Poor father and mother! They must indeed
have thought me heartless. And so ami
have no love left to give any one! Oh!
ssose, Rosel Obi my wife! how could
your
Again the old pain-again the old ache.
''lt is hard to bury what is yet alive ~
thought Jacob, whimsically.
He went to his desk, sat down and wrote
70 Uncle Aaron. Then, putting on his hat
and overcoat, went out and dropped the
letter into the nearest mail box himself.
Ten days later the door-ben of No. -
Fifth avenue was rung, and when the
darkey butler opened the door he snick-
cred; for there, standing before him, were
Uncle Aaron and Aunt Kate, in all the
glory of their best clothes, looking like
caricatures of themselves and burIesques
OF recent fashion plates.
"Bees Mr.. jacob Lane at homel" said
uncle Aaron, smiling. while he wiped the
perspiration of his forehead with big
pictured handkerchief.
30, sah," grinEed Sam; The done gone
Down to de boat to meet his farder an mud
der, sab"
Well, now, Aaron. I told you that Jacob
woeid meet US, only yer wouldn't wait, but
mad to walk me away up here and Pm all
c0ckered out" whined Aunt Kate.
wen come in, young man, and rest. I
reckon said Uncle Aaron. s.You see the
city streets are hard On the feet when Won
hain't used to 'em, and my wife,s clean
tired"
Certainly, sah," said Sam, with the col.
ored mans ready politeness; s.walk right
dis way" Butte himself he was THINKING
s.Eore de LordI am desc yere his folksa n
Wonder what little Miss Alice Will sav %
He ushered them into the reception-room on
ene side Of the han. and thsn politely said :