The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-10-19

within, no creaking footsteps on the
uncarpeted floors while without, even
the songs of the birds we're hushcd.
Tho dingy, forlorn-looking house,
with its unpainted, weather-stnined
exterior it's low doors and its small
windows was even more desolate and
forsakcn in appearance than was its
wont, and Mt first glance one would
have thought it completely deserted.
But closer observation proved that
such was not the case.
Isaac Burton, old and gray, and
bent under the cares and burdens Of
years of trial and toll, sat on the door
step of the house with his face buried
in his hands, now and then casting n
furtive glance through the open door
in the direction of bed in corner
of the room. While he sat there the
sun crawled down the western sky,
casting its shadows obliquely through
the open door, yet he seemed unmind-
tul OF the fact that time was passing
Rising from the steps finally, he stood
an instant listening to the slow, regu-
lar breathing that came from the bed,
then walked out across the neglected
yard, mpttering, half audibly:
"Sho sleeps well but | don't like
The pearancc of her face"
Reaching the crooked rail-fence that
separated the yard from the public
highway, old Isaac stopped and for n
little while stood looking down the
hard, white road that ran through the
ptr ,,,ht g.
road was deserted, not living object
being visible on all the two miles of
1t that lay within his view.
"She ort to have the Doctor" he
muttered, "yit l don't like to leave
her to go an fetch him. She looks
mouty quare bout the face an eyes,
an I'm afeerd shes bad tuck" Then,
after Short silence: 'If only some
fody was passin' this wny, SOS could
send word to the mill an get the doc
tor" -.,e-o
Then Isaac cast a looif the ditec-
tion of the ridge, fourth ,ap mile to
the west, where small .>g house,
similar to his own, stood, and some-
thing like u sigh escaped him. Shak-
ing his head sadly he turned away.
"Neighbors d be powerful helpin'
an comfortin' just now," he unused,
"an' I'd give heap if we had some
i never got lonesome when Lindy was
up an about, but now she's down |
feel like half the world is gone, an it
| 'pears like / hone fer somebody to
keep me company. Them people, "
nodding toward the house on the op-
! posite ridge, "ain't no neighbors, an
no matter what comes l cant go to
| them fer nothin'."
F6r some time old Isaac walked TO
and fro in the little path leading from
the gate to the door, then again he
went and leaned over the fence to look
down the road. Instantly his face
frightened and glad light came into
eyes; for, away down the lane, he saw
a man approaching. Nearly quarter
, OF an hour passed before the man came
up, but Isaac waited for him and nc
coste1 him at once:
''Sam, l never was 80 glad to see
anybody as | am to see you. Are you
goin' over to the mill?"
yes Sam replied, after eyelng
old Isaac inquiriugly for almost min
ute. What has happened, Ike?"
''Lindy is bad sick, Sanl?" Ike said
in low tone, "an' all night an all
day I've been stayin' with her alone.
j knowed, too, that she ort to have the
doctor, but | was afeerd to leave her,
an there want nobody to send. You
kin tell him to come when you git to
the mile"
eyes, III tell him, Ike, an if there's
anything else kin do for You I'll do
it an be glad to-"
''No that's all. Tell him to como
rs quick as he kin, Sam"
Eyes, l will. But you ort to have
somebody to stay with you, Ike Some.
body to help bout nussin' an 'tendin'
on Mis- Burton"
al know that" Isaac replied, with a
sigh and slow shaking of his head.
"Pd give II heap to have somebody
here, but can't git nobody now"
For moment Sam was silent, cast
ing glance, first at Isaac, then at the
house on tie ridge to the west. Isaac
saw the action and understood.
"No, SAM" he said, half sadly, hall
vindictively, I'll never so there for II
favor, never !"
SIN case like this things ought to
be different" Sam suggested. "Peo
pie ought to forget and forgive, Ike. y
"Mebby so, Sam, mebby SO; but
they wouldn't feel that way. All llthat's
been said an done in thirty years CAM
be forgot in day"
1t was little while before Sam spoke
again. He wished to proceed just
right in his kindly purpose-that oi
reconciling two long estranged fami'
lios-and for time he was at loss
how best to do it. Finally he said:
''Ike, if Mis- Martin felt inclined to
come you wouldn't object, would youT