Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-02-09


script, or previously agreed upon between tine
parties.
1 trusts i'm to yer entirely. In fact,
don keer If never sees i'm agin."
The rest of the family were equally
apathettc; life was so very cheap in
their quarter.
i" Did yer go to the AIiPseS2n Chris
asked Constance one afternoon. I've
bin twlce-it's cheap 'ouse-an' once
went to real theayter. It was u
gran bit There was man come on
what 'ad bin fightin' agln the Zulus,
and . We're shot. yer know. 1t were
s'posed to be night, and there were
round bit o moonlight in the middle
on the floor. The man what were
shot down In the bit o. moonlight, an
gronned. an talked about girl what
e were goin' to marry. 'E were dyin',
yer know, and while g were dyin' the
tiddles all went tum-ti.ti, tum- ti-ti,'
very faint iike-suthin like angels.
Then the girl come in, and she says
Too latel' So that were all.
Did you cry, Chrtssie?"
No, didn't. But father did, and
@ were as sober as you that night.
Do yer think I'll be goin' OF tho
'ooks2"
"oh. mol You're going to get bet
ter"
Well, I wouldn't tike my gorspul
oath on that, But IL I'm goin' or I'd
like ter so of ter moosic- as il
one'd go easier If one were dom it to
toon."
III you get better I'll teach you
how to play a little"
Woodjyer? My s'truth. I we're
always wunner on toons. shud
like to- play White Wings an
Bloomtn' rye, an ARP that once
Yes, I'll get better SO as to play 'em.
That'll make 'em sit up in Blue Pigeon
Court, wheer live.''
For tho next few days Chris still
seemed to be improving, and Con-
stance thought that there was Just
possibility that he might recover. She
asked her father about il, but DIR.
Denntson shook his head. There was
complication OF which Constance
had known nothing. Tho boys
brightness and energy at present
were almost miraculous; recovery
would be quite impossible.
Soon the change that tho doctor ex-
pected came. Chris got rapidly
worse. Constance was often with him.
He suffered good deal at times, and
then Constance alone was of any use
to him. Every night she came to play
him to sleep with his favortte tunes.
You're getting very white and
washed out" her father said to her.
You worry yourself too much about
that urchin; he can't live, you know"
Ono night the nurse who should
have sat up in the sick room had an
ntfnnlY ~ n mir (lnp utn
the woman to bed, and said that she
herself would take the nurses place.
DR.. Dennison grumbled little. We
shall be having you illnext," he said;
but he let he do as she wished, aud
gave her the necessary Instructions.
Chris soon went Off to sleep that
night. For some timo Constance
watched him; then she picked up
book which she was readipg-a vol
ume of Heine. The house was very
quiet. 1t was in the small hours that
she grew tired OF reading. She put
the book down, and, crossing to the
glass door, drew back the curtain in
front OF 1t. 1t was calm summer
night-all scents OF flowers, and stray
white stars. The light from the low
moon mirrored the windows pattern
on the opposite wall just then she
noticed that Chris was awake and
watching her intently. His lips
moved. She stepped quickly towards
him and bent over him. lal
That's gram" he, whispered; "an'
now the toon."
She picked up her violin from the
table and played very softly, {" White
wings they never grow weary" Then
she bent over him and kissed him.
She was overwrought with her watch
ing and there were tears in her eyes.
BE did not kiss her back again. In
second she crossed to the fireplace
and touched the electric bell which
rang in her fathers room.
"Oh. come, come; there's no sense
In this" said DR.. Dennison, fussfly,
but kindly. "There's nothing to get
hysterical about-you couldn't save
the boy. You'd better go up to bed,
Constance. I'll see about all this
myself. ILLUSTRATED London News.