The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-24

tne Tune, an tney'G Drlng their own
music an refreshments with 'em.
Well, child, if you'll believe me, we
! just ranged to do 1t. We told June, am
/ he entered right in, o. course. He was
all for fun any time.
WHAT'S the reason you haven't asked
bout June's looks, child? He was better
/ worth describin' than most-the prettiest
fellow L ever see. Not many girls would
come up to him. Those two brothers
was dreadful fond O. each other. Folks
used to laugh at Kit, an say the reason
ne didn't settle down to no girl III par
tcular was cause he was in love with
June.
But we talked the party all over that
night as we stood afore the fire, an we
got everything settled
Land love you'll No! He want holdin'
my hand all the time. 1 took it right
away from him! Fore he went he asked
me what pd done with his piece o. life
everlasting" | s'pose the punches on
the manteI made him think ont.
looked at him as if didn't know what he
meant, an he laughed right out.
NO need to ask no further !" seq he;
Il s'pose II went into your grandfather's
pillow with the rest. ItIl give him queer
dreams, | reckon !"
He hasn't said nothin' bout it yet"
SEE l, am the door opened am grand
father walked in.
met team on the way home-E Essex fell
lers, he said they was, scowlin' at Kit-an'
they wouldn't turn out for him more'n so
much; so he had to 40 the rest an got
upset IN drift an broke one o. the shafts
an lost his whip. 1t sounded like the
old family coach, when he was tellin' it.
! But II had made him late, an you couldn't
wonder he was put out. | kinder let Kit
see wished he'd go, an got him Oft fore
grandfather said anything very bad to
him.
Well, 1 got that ballroom scrubbed;
dld every bit of it on my hands an
knees, an twas cold enough in there to
freeze two dry rags together! June got
the wood for the fire. when he was in one
day an piled it up all ready to light. We
| grated wax candle over the floor, an
danced round it till twas smooth as
satin. June an 1 tended to all that; he
was splendid dancer.
We tried to get KIT to see how nice it
was when he come in, but he shook his
head. he said he'd wait for the party. l
thought he looked dreadful tired as he
stood there watchin' June an me. l
wonder if there was anything the matter,
| but June was all right, an what 'fected
one generally touched the other. He
| brought me another bunch o. everlastings
Kit did. He said his mother sent 'em;
they was some she'd raised in her garden.
! Wei, everything was ready, an the
| next night grandfather m l was sittin'
| by the ire, tall1in' as usual, an Just as he
was tellin' how the parties used to drive
! up, there come knock ut the door an
there they was. Grandfather was so
| s'prlsed, l reckon he didn't know for a
| minute whether he'd gone back to old
| times or not, an they all crowded round
| him, shakin' hands with him an actin as
if they s'posed he'd be real pleased to see
EN-. showed 'em up stairs to the rooms
! ia got ready for 'em to dress in, an then
l slipped away to fix myself up.
l wore a white dress. child, an the
! everlastings Kit brought me. They were
big white ones, am shone like silver in
| my black hair. L wore some more OF
'em in the front o. my dress, an right in
the center the piece O. ''Injun posy'' he
give me first. l was kind o. 'shamed of
1t, but June had just told me he was
! goln OF to sea again the next day an
I'd got an ache in my heart, child; | NAV
as we'll own it! l could hear the girls
/ Iaughln' softly in the other chamber, an
| the tap o. their slippers as they went
down Istairs, an the swish o. their
dresses. 1t sounded for all the world
| like the noises 1 heard every night. am
the tiddles tunin' down in the ballroom.
1t all seemed part o. the same thing.
Its more cheerful SEE L to myself.
But [ could hear the moanin' o. the
frozen river. am the wind was sobbin'
through the pine trees, just the same.
Kit an June met me at the door as l
come down.
The first dance is for me, an the last
on's for Kit" sez June. "We're goin'
to divide even tonight, Rebecca."
Il hope you've fixed everything to
your minds" SEE 1. when have com
pany l like to have 'em consult their
own wishes stead o. mine"
''Oh, come! You're satisfied an YOU
| knnVU itB1 Inn 4c.
gether.
oh, well I remember every minute o
that evenin', though it don't make so
much to tell l danced straight through
with those boys, first one an
then t'Other, though L don't s'pose twas
cordin' to rule. More'n one WANT
| pleased by it, for Kit am June was the
| best partners in the room an fav'rites on
all sides. But 1 didn't care; 1 knew l
| might as well make the most o. the
chance; I'd never have another. Grand
! father'd gone to bed in an awful temper.
an'--kit was goin' tomorrow
| You liked these everlastings better'n
! the other Sort" he said to me as we stood
for a minute restin' at the end o. the
| room.
"What other t?' SEE 1, lookin,
down at the flowers on my breast, an he
looked too, an saw his Iniun posy. |
| didn't dare look up at him, but l knew
! he saw 1t.
You kept it then, after all" SEE he
You said everIastin' things was
meant to be kept" SEE 1, turnin' my face
away.
The music began again then, an June
! come up for his turn. l wondered after
ward why l hadn't noticed how quiet
they both was that night-they that al
ways used to be so lively, but l s'pose
they didn't give me time, an everybody
round us was maxim noise enough.
had my last dance with Kit, am then
the musicians put up their fiddles an the
| girls t1uttered off to put on their wraps.
| The sleighs come up to the door, an the
party was over all too soon.
Kit an June an | was left alone in the
empty ballroom, The candles had burnt
| down to their sockets; l thought twas
the fickerin' light made those two so
| pale
ITS been the finest party O. the sea-
son." SEE June, with long breath.
'rhank you for bein' so good to us, Re-
| becca. We shan't forget when we're far
| away, an'-You've greed to treat us both
alike to-night-now bid us good-by Just
the same''; an fore I knew what he was
dom, he took me in his arms an kissed
me, an was gone fore ! could speak.
| what did he mean ?'' SEE !.
"Only what he said" SEE Kit. "We're
goin' away tomorrow, but he'll come
back some day, an you'll be good to
him; but-you'l1 keep the everlastings ?''
| An then he was gone, too, with only a
| clasp o. my hand-he didn't kiss me-he
! left June that much ahead.
They were loyal to each other, those
| two brothers. What both couldn't have,
| either scorned to take. l never see 'em
again. Kit was lost at sea, an June went
/ South and died O. the fever in Nov Or