Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-08-22

what was left of me. There's good
deal in will power. / said I'd live, and
did"
my Godr cried old Spicer. 81 guess
I'm goin' crazy at lastl Let me look at
youi Let me look at your
Dad" cried the soldier.
"Reuben!" screamed the old man.
Heaven is too good to me, I've got you
again" The next moment he had
Reuben in his arms In the old familiar
back room they had long, long talk.
Meanwhile customers raped upon the
counter in vain, and wondered what had
become of Mr.. Spicer.
Don't let me spoil the business, dad"
said Reuben at last, and the old man,
wiping his eyes, left him and went into
the store. Before the counter sat the
tall, angular form of Mrs. Barton; at the
door stood the basket phaeton, the black
pony tied to the hitching post.
"Pve waited quite spell, Mr.. Spicer,
said the matron, "but I've got my list
made out. Three pounds Of almonds and
four Of eating raisins, fourteen pounds
of sugar. Guess I'll take three baskets
Of your Maryland peaches"
How history was repeating itself. Mr..
Spicer first felt that just this had hap
pened before, then remembered when it
was.
"You must be going to give party,
he gasped.
"My Beulah's birthday is the fifth,
you know" said Mrs. Barton. "She's
rebelled too long. I'm going to do my
duty anyhow. I've made her get up and
have a ride. It's her first since you know
when She's out there. l guess she
won't catch cold, all wrapped up in my
broche shawl"
"Your Beulah out there?" said the old
man. "She's better then? She mustn't
die. She must live, Mis- Barton; your
girl must live"
81 mean she shill," said Mrs Barton;
II mean she shill. But she don't take
any interest. She jest wants to die, be-
lieve, to go where she kin make up with
your Reuben. But, Lord willin', she
shan't."
"She can make up with my Reuben
without dyin', Mis- Barton" said old
Spicer. "My Reuben has come back"
obadiah Spiceri Don't tell meP' cried
Mrs. Barton. "Come backi Your Reu-
ben come back after all!'
Her voice, shrill and sharp by nature,
rose higher than usual and carried fur
ther. Beulah, sitting wrapped in her
shawl, heard every word and forgot that
she was not able to walk. A moment
more and she stood by her mothers side
and caught her by the arm.
"Motherl" she cried. "Motherl is it
true?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Barton. "You can
jest go in and talk with him while read
off my list to Mr.. Spicer. l shill want
to hev this birthday party of yours a real
proper good one, seein' Reuben's come
hum"
For once Beulah did not find fault
with her mothers Yankeeism. They'll
have lot to say to each other" the lat
ter added, land 1 guess you and me kin
afford time to sit down spell and think
over our blessings"
And there in that back room the talk
was long and sweet; such talk as we
might all have "if only the dead could
know just when to come back and be
forgiven"
Yet there were tears shed too. Some
for the knight of courtesy, who had un-
Willingly caused so much sorrow-poor,
bright eyed, gentle voiced Du Bois, who
lay sleeping under southern sod. And
Beulah's birthday party? That was, l
assure the reader, what her mother had
declared it should be, ga proper good
one."
TIE END.