The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-10-01

he Two Piaymotot j. tho Garden and
The IN trrhmrY-Eclls.

he Two Piaymntot j. tho Garden and
the Ia trrbury-Bclls.
There was an ugly lump growing on
her poor little side. OF course ii would
oawny. Everybody said that it would.
No one had ever heard of a child of that
age having tumor, Why. she was
only five years old. 1t was preposter-
Gus,
So they let her play about in tho
great old-fashioned garden. among the
larkspurs and bachelors buttons and
double buttercups and canterbury-bells.
She had for her playfellow an old,
old man, who lived next door. They
used TO make flower wreaths and daisy
chains, and they would sit for hours be-
side the bed of ribbon-grass, trying to
find two blades exactly alike.
When the church bells tolled, the lit
tie girl would say, "Grandpap, some
body has died. We must toll for them"
Then they would gather the canter-
bury bells and swing them to and fro.
"Do you hear 'em, grandpap?' she
would ask.
wPears like / do, Sallie. They're
solemn like and sweet, amt they?"
pies and pears which dropped at their
feet from the trees overhead. They
played at company, and the old man
would be Sallies guest, but it was odd
to see how differently they ate. He
scraped the pulp fine with broad case
knife and sucked it into his mouth,
mumbling it in his toothless gums, while
she bit hers in dainty nibbes which
showed the prints of her firm little teeth.
His manner of eating distressed Sal
| lie. so grandpap, you do muss So"
she would say, shaking her head re-
provingly And the old man would
smile back at her--a smile all bare
gums and innocence-then he would
spread his handkerchief over his head
to keep off the flies while he took his nap
1t was happy, peaceful life there in
the old garden, only sometimes the
lump in Sallie's side hurt her little.
One night when her mother undressed
her she screamed out with the pain;
they took her away to the city after
that and grandpap sat alone under the
apple trees.
The women used to talk it over a
great deal 1t was such peculiar case,
you know. One woman said that she
had heard that there were forty doctors
consulting over Sal lie. Another cor
rected her; she had it from a reliable
source that there were only twenty.
nine. Grandpap interrupted But
what of Sallie?' but no one answered
him. lie was ''doting" they said, and
couldn't sense things"
And the women told how, when the
examining physician at the hospital hac
seen the lump on the poor little side, he
had exclaimed "'NTy God" and told then
there was no hope.
Then woman turned to grandpaI
and said in loud voice, mouthing he
words as if to enunciate more plainly
'Do you un derstand what we say?'
And the old man answered fretfully
"Yes, l understand, but amt deaf"
Sallie w anted to see grandpap, 81
they brought her home, but she did no
know him then. She noticed nothing
but her mother and the flowers
Grandpap brought flowers fresh every
hour, for the hot little hand soon wiltet
them. There were larllspurs anc
bachelors buttons and double butter
cups, but no canterbury bells. Grand
pap said he was saving them.
1t was wet, drizzling morning whel
the doctor laid the cold little han,
down under the sheet and told them i
was all over. Somebody led Sallie'
mother away and then they went t
look for grandpap.
= They found him sitting under the fall
ing mist in the garden. His hands wer
fu Il of purple blossoms - canterbur.
bells.
Come, come, father Why are yo
here?" asked his daughter, gently lead
t ing him toward the house. "Yes,
said he dreamily, "but came here 70
something. What was it? Oh! l reco
lect, must toll the bells now, for
think somebody has just died.
a cago Graphic.