The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-23

Mother. what do you sayl'' asked John
hicks with strange pantomine which
included several mods in the direction of
the gorged bookshelves.
Mother did not know just what TO say.
out thought that the young man might
possibly onicely after time.
well, / think we shall have to take
you on Mr.. Edwards. Still, this is the
beginning OF the busy season, and 1 can't
devote much time to you. But my daug
ter will help you Quit" concluded John
Hicks encouragingly.
Inc young man was visibly EN- barrassed
at this information. but he valiantly re-
pressed 1t as he was shown his place;
while the vest maker, for the want of
something simpler FOR the newcomer to
DO, prepared two long strips of cloth with
a piece of wiggan between. which were
pasted together and punched full of but
ton holes, upon which the apprentice was
presently set TO work
The girls continued to slyly wink and
glggle among themselves, and John Hicks
himself seemed 10 consider the whole al
falr as quite joke; for as he occasionally
peeped over his spectacles at the new APP
prentlce and saw him struggling manfully
IN his great labor until the perspiration
hooded his face and trickled into his eyes
ana down his nose and chin. he would
gravely shake his head at mother, nod at
the novice and chuckle quietly to himself !;
until mother, in turn, would nod toward
the books, as if to hopefully say: Per
maps good for something, Johnr' when
the vestmaker would nod a smiling ap-
proval and cheerfully resume his work.
soon merry little wOman's voice was
heard on the stairs singing:
Then youth Il re m member m'hel"
And if Ned watson, alias Mr.. Edwards.
had ever had cause to remember Milly
HICKS, 1t was made an hundred times
more vivid at this moment, this supreme
moment to him, when she burst into the
room with the days marketing upon her
arm, bringing in every feature and motion
the freshness and glory of the morning {;
ana then, If not before, his whole nature
revolted at the artifce.
Then you-hm--"
Introduce you, Mildred, :" interrupted
the veSt-maker, Ito Mr.. Edwards. who
will serve his time with u.s. MIR. Ed
wards, my daughter Mildred; 'Milly,' we
call her.'' n
1t all flashed over her just as full
ly and distinctly as though she had
witnessed every act and expedient
preparatory to his being there ;
and she felt hurt, insulted, indignant
IL showed IN her face and eyes. too. But
she saw the man that had perhaps saved
her life; the man that she knew loved
her; the man who was bemeaning and
abasing himself in the eyes of his friends
and society to remove her fathers preiu-
dice and win her on her own ground and,
as he turned his flushed face toward her,
mutely pleading against betrayal, she
simply said, Good morning, MIR Ed
wards" and he stammered out something
in response as she quickly passed into an
other room.
But the bird of the little court sang
never another song that day.
IL would take long time to tell how,
under Mllly'S instruction, the Vestmak-
er's apprentice worked as he had never
worked before; how, woman-like, having
him in her power, she inflicted upon him
countless little asperities, for which her
father gently chided her, but which were
IN turn recompensed by kindly sugges-
tlons and pleasant lingerings over side
pockets, telling in Innings, making the
backs, basting and stitching on braids.
shaping, pressing and sponging and other
divisions of the work
How at first he dined at some cheap
restaurant near but soon Joined the family
meals, gradually not only becoming a
workman, but guest and friend how,
very soon, the evenings were passed among
the happy piece-workers, and happy even
mfgs tfleyswere; and how, as August, the
golden mouth, welded September, it's
dreamy bride, and touch of life's rigors
was given in the early October days, John
Hicks heart went out to his apprentice
as friends to friend, as fathers to a
son, and realizing that another love was
ripening in the little rooms, he would
nod graVely to mother (she had
seen how it was going long, long before y
who would look up with a strange smile
of acquiescence which held a touch of
sadness; for Milly was the only child
that had ever Weakened a mothers mex
pressible tenderness in her true mothers
breast.
And so it came about that one October
Sabbath evening, when the children, -
as they had come to call them, were away
at church, John Hicks took mothers
hand, and, after holding it little time
said sadly but still lovingly:
Il think, mother, we will have to lose
oupNlilly soon"
And mother looking out among the
stars above the little court, only an
swered:
Eyes, John, fear we will"
"
Ned and Milly had returned to the
house, and, unconscious of everything
around them, had been engaged IN thai
peculiarly irregular conversation common
TO young persons on certain tender oc-
casions, when gentle tapping upon the
inside of John Hicks door was heard
and as if to prepare them for an unex
pected intrusion, a cautionary ''H'mr
preceded the vestmaker's rosy face
which was almost eclipsed by capaciou;
| night cap.
'lWhat is the matter, father?" asked
| Milly timidly. ri
Why, IL hope nothing, my dear" ht
replied kindly, though betraying consid
cradle nervousness; but there may bt
before morning, as there seems to be a
very extensive con1agra uion on the west
side!"
This offered MIR Edwards an opportu
nifty to relieve the awkwardness of the
| rigid position he had suddenly assumed
He stepped at once TO the window anC
remarked that the sky did have an uh
usually bright appearance.
Il will stay a little longer think, >
limiting at the old gentlemans retiracy
land If 1t becomes serious we will let YOU
| know"
The fire, or-or the other matter?'
gurglingly asked the face in the nightcap
"I5oth ~ replied the apprentice. some
what confused but laughing with Milly a.
the ghost-like object disappeared behinC
the closing door visibly shaking with
merriment.
Perhaps an hour more had passed il
that delicious quiet and tender restless
ness of love, of love that was full, sin
| cere and perfect now, with all the asperi
ties of the former days gone and only the