Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-24

50 'olic Oiu, anu she Il woman.
You couldn't say a woman was going to
hell, could You? I'd like to know what
sort of manners you'd call that. OF
course she's going to heaven"
With this triumphant settlement of
the difficulties of the future state on the
plain principles of life laid down for him
here below by his very old fashioned
mother, Hector returned to his whiting.
Ran pondered! ''Hec," he said, Il
reckon she will go in good way ahead
OF us, and she's sure not to like it down
by the gate, because she'll think some
body else has got better place. | tell
you what we'll do; we'll squat down
right by the middle walk. behind the
box bushes, and wait till we hear some
OF the angels talking about her and saw
ing where's she's gone, and then Wen
CLIP the other way and hunt for father ;,
THAT amt good way" objected
Hector; you're sure to meet her walk
ing around, anyhow; so there isn't anv
use OF lodging. You can't stay in one
place fifty hundred millions of wears
without seeing all the people"
Cant T. despondently; then. with
more hopefulness. Il can everlastinglv
toddle, Hec. and Aunt Neelie walks so
slow When | see her coming toward
me. you inst watch ont sharp, and vou'l
see one little angel hustle"
Hector laughed, and the listener had
much ado to keep from joining There
was another skeleton over in the old
gray house besides straitened means
In his blunt, straightforward way he
was beginning to be sorry for Mary Bev
erley, and to feel, as he would have ex
pressed ii, that life wasn't toting fair
with her"
With his habitual quick movements
and hight, almost stealthy step, he passed
INTO the inner room and out at the back
or the house. After a moment he came
around and seated himself on the steps
beside the boys and made overtr1res of
friendship. They We're friendly little
fellows, neither shy nor pushing. and
the THO got on well together. Indeed.
when they discovered that he knew all
about making bird traps, and had knife
with six blades III it. besides a corkscrew
and pair of scissors, and could initiate
wild birds and creatures, and-oh, bliss!
had seen live hears, the acquaintance
showed signs of deepening into init
macy.
After the talk had gone on some tin
and Anthony felt that his popularity
justified it, he commenced plying them
with questions. How many children
were there in all? Who took care of
them and the like; Only them. the
children said: they had had a little sis
ter, named Mary, but she had gone to
heaven. She had been older than Hec-
Tor. Their mother took care of them.
Who else should:
They had an aunt, Anthony sug-
geSted
They admitted that they had, but she
was old; she could not take care of any
body. She needed people to take care
of her, to wait on her and fetch her
things.
Il don't mean the old lady" said their
new friend brusquely. you've got
young aunt-a girl named like your lit
tie sister" Anthony could never re-
member that Mary, if living. was only
a couple of years younger than himself
1.-The idea of my wanting to know any
thing about Miss Neelie! She's an old
tartar, amt she?"
Now, the children, while ready to dis
cuss their relative between themselves
and to pass judgment upon her freely,
were quite well aware OF what was
proper and becoming i'll the matter
They would CON ment and criticize
themselves, hat ne stranger should take
the liberty. Hector drew himself away
a little and remarked, in a reserved tone,
that Aunt Neelie was an old lady, and
had been i'll and had trouble; she must
be treated with consideration.
Anthony did not know that the child
was rendering verbatim his mothers
daily precept to himself, nor did he at
all realize that he should not have put
the question. He was amused at the
boys change of manner, but he was a
little annoyed too.
"You have another aunt" he asserted,
rather than questioned, a second time.
NO said Hector; I'VE haven't"
But Ran was child who liked exact
ness.
W { haven HOW, ne amended, 'Dut
we used to have before we were born
There was little Mary once that wasn't
our sister. She must have been our
aunt, you know, Hec; although it seems
funny, don't it: She was grandpas baby
long ago, and she's over there with the
rest" He pointed as he spoke toward
spot back of the home buildings, where
a group of cedars were outlined darkly
against the clear blue sky.
Anthony felt as though some one had
struck him in the face. He knew that
those trees stood in the family burying
ground. Things looked black around
him for a moment and the dream of
years shriveled slowly. like morning
glory when the day grows old. The
children watched him as he slowly cut
into the bit of wood he had picked up
from the path. They We're not surprised
at his knowledge of their family matters.
TbpiI. world Ns-oS S,Oan ,-o+ I,,,+ - ,,-,,,