Middletown transcript., 1894-12-29

'UOu dHu Suo CdlIo uclSclI d OuTlS
S ian nobler yet, woman | kno
what woman is-my mother was on,
Oh, Alice Alice Sweet Alice Be
Bolt! !" He smiled as the old pet nam
slipped his tongue the defiant look lei
his face. cts all right, Ben Bolt,
he whispered "we'll meet again some
time, Omewhere-meet upon the leve
mayhap at all events we'll part upo
the square,"
He opened the door and stepped out
Suddenly great burst of flame spranI
upward, illuminating the square, an,
and the streets far down toward th
river and the mountain. There was
noise of mammoth torpedoes; the pop
pop of small ones, with the crack of ;
rife now and then, fired into the air
and the deep-toned accompaniment o.
a cannon that had been dragged
down from room in the rear of the
fire company's headquarters, which the
town military called "lhe armory.'
Roman candles and rockets traced long
paths of green and gold across the
darkness, lighting the heavens above
and the snow beneath.
"The boys have built their bonfires,' -
said Wardlaw, standing moment to
watch the lurid splendor ascending and
decending upon the ladder of night.
"My! but they have made a blaze, they
are burning the debris left from the
new bank building. Well, they will
do the town favor in the way of
cleaning up anyhow. But they are too
near the hotel, too near" He turned
his face in the opposite direction, and
quickened his step. His breath came
quick and deep, and his lips were hard
set. ''She is there, she is there, and
they dare to fire their Internal torpedoes
so nearl But they" his eyes soft
ened; the tensenes left his face-"they
don't know, poor boys! poor boys! Let
them have their fun for one night in
the year."
He was not conscious that he had
been speaking aloud until something
dark rose in his path. He tried to
dodge it, having ridiculous sense of
being detected in the silly act of talk
ing to himself. Suddenly he stopped
ths dark presence had stopped also,
straight, tall and slender; gaunt, even
in ;he weird, half-light from the bon
fire OIL the other side of the square, it
seemed to tower above him. A woman,
half clad and old one stiff bony hand,
The ann bare to the elbow, holding
ragged Bit of shawl that met upon the |
po5r sunken chest. She stopped before |
aim, and looked at him. In the gay
glare Of the rockets he could see her
lace, haggard and hard and pleading,
speaking for the lips that had plead all
lay vainly.
''See for youiselr," said the face and
he eauIt, bare arm. ''oee for YOUR
self that All. starving"
lie NUT. cred a low, lnarticulai oath.
God" said he. And they talk of
)eace on earth"
lie thrust his hand into his trousers
,0cket and drew from it all the change
t contained. Here" he said, thrust
ng the money into the hard, cold hand
olding the ragged shawl together, and
which only shook and refused to open.
"Go buy yourself some food and
re-"
Still she did not move, only looked
him in stony, dazed, way and burst
lto tears. In the glow from yellow
ocket that shot across the night the
Id face took on the semblance of youth
nd softness; strange, warm memories ,
TIRED in his heart, chasing the old Bit
erness of injustice and the cruel doubts !
hat had dogged his life SO long; an +
Id gray church, mass of ivy, and of ;
rooping ewes that made "a refuge for
ray birds; within, a gentle sense of
uiet and of safety, face that beamed
pom him from the far-off fields of boy
mothers face. He took the (;
eggar by the arm, drew her shawl
'curely round the wasted body: go +
ONE now," he said, Go home out of
le cold, motherP'
She lifted her withered old hand and q
utched at his; he could feel the haid h
eshless bones; there Was a DEATH y
utch in their long, strong fingers. g
"God bless you," she said, "my
m"
My son! The words rang in his ears |,
ke church bells. My son! The brown
nth had long ago opened its bosom to +
,r who had accepted the proffered
fuge with those words upon her lips. Il
nd to hear them again, and from T.
beggar! C
At the Club he found the boys wait g
g; they made place for him at the
bile, welcomed him rather bois-
rously. s
IDEAL the cards, Waddy," said young e
lake, who, though he moved in a T
fferent set, was the solid friend of
'ardlaw. IDEAL 'em out, we're not 5
ling to play late tonight, being its 0
hristmas Eve." t
Wardlaw dropped Into the vacant il
at and began to shuttle the cards; but v
played badly; he was unnerved, out
temper. After an hour and half
failure he threw down the cards and
shed back his chair.
"Boys," he said, "you'll have to let u
Q out. I'm all upset. He brought
8 fist down upon the green table
avily. "a beggar did it; but l >
exon Pm about done with this busi- y
GO DON'T let me break into vo otr "