Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-28

had 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,
1t 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
wrongi That was his battle-cry, as his
bugle-notes denounced the wrong and
Numbered for the right. 1t 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
desertion of him, when he was sitting one
night in the library of his beautiful home,
little Alice surprised him by saying:
"Papa, hasn't I dot any mama!'
"No, DEAR" Jacob answered, gently; ''she
is dead. l told you once before"
"Poor mama,'' said the child, kissing
pretty French doll she held in her arms. 81
wouldn't like to be beaded and away from
my little durl."
"Papa, hasn't dot any drandpa or brand
ma, elverF'
''Ies, dear" answered Jacob, patiently;
shut they live far away from here, away up
in the mountains; don't you remember."
''Oh, yes; l members. But I'd member
'em better, papa, If seed dem sometimes.
Why don't dey tuna and see US, papa?"
why. Oh, 1 don't know, dear, except,
perhaps, that never asked them"
"Oh, you funny papa! When drow big
I'll ask 100 to tum and see me, and I'll div
200 ce-tream and lots of tandyl Yes, 1
will. Why don't 100 ask dem, papa! I'd
like to see my drandpa and Grandma"
"Would you, my pet!" said Jacob, strok-
ing her golden hair so like her mothers.
swell, you SHALL I'll write tonight and
ask them if you like, and then they'll come
very SOON"
''Oh, goody! goodY!" said the mite,
jumping up and down in glee. 81 must go
and tell Therese! Theresel Theresel My
drandpa and drandma's tumin!"
''Taisez, taisez, Mignon," said a sweet
faced French governess, coming into the
room. ''Vous faites trop de bruit pour votre,
papa"
"Mais non, Therese," cried the baby
voice, finishing up in emphatic American
English; 81 doesn't! Does 1, papa?"
swell, a little, my DEAR" answered
Jacob, smiling. run along to bed now,
there's good girl; so that papa can write
the letter, you know"
Gan yight! Goodnight, my very own
papa. 100 div 'em my love, and ask 'em to
tum kickr' And the little fairy danced of
to bed. But Jacob did not write at once
after little Alice left him. He sat by the
grate-fire, dreaming looking into the Goals, |
and thinking of tho past.
Little Alice is rightl" he said to him
self, at length, 'and l have been a selfish |
brute not to have thought of them before |
Poor father and motheri They must indeed |
have thought me heartless. And so AMI |
have no love left to give any one! OH |
Rose, Rose! Obi my wifei How could !
you!"
Again the old pain-again the old ache. |
at is hard to bury what is yet alive" |
thought Jacob, whimsically.
He went to his desk, sat down and wrote |
to Uncle Aaron. Then, putting on his hat |
and overcoat, went out and dropped the |
letter into thenearest mail-box himself.
Ten days later the door-bel of No. i
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 burlesques
Of recent fashion plates.
"Bees Mr.. Jacob Lane at homer" said
Uncle Aaron, smiling, while he wiped the
of his forehead with a big
pictured handkerchief.
No, sah,'' grinEed Sam; he done gone
down to de boat TO meet his farder an mud
der, sab"
'Well, now, Aaron, 1 told you that Jacob
would meet US, only yer wouldn't wait, but
had to walk me away up here. and I'm all
tuckered OUT whined Aunt Kate
"We'n come in, young man, and rest, |
reckon said Uncle Aaron. "You see the
city streets are hard On the feet when you
hain't used to 'em, and my wife's clean
tired.n
Certainly, sab" said Sam, with the col
pred mans ready politeness; ''walk right
dis way" Butte himself he was thinking:
Fore de Lordi am desc yere his folks. Hill
Wonder what little Miss Alice Will sayIn
BE ushered them into the reception-room on
One side Of the hall, and then politely said: