Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-23

gar's son? His soul, which had undergone
a gradual descent since he left home, had
not touched it's spiritual depth as yet. He
gave Ermine brutal kick and took from
his pocket few copQerf and threw them
into the cup with defifn gesture.
How the dickens do Y know?' He said
this with an oath. 1t was his first. Come
on won't your Even now he might escape,
although the boys were only half satisfied;
but the spaniel followed faithfully. He was
confused and stunned by his rough recep-
ton. The beggar woman made no effort
to hold the dog back. She did not raise
her ewes. She did not speak. She ground
out The Last Rose g Summer as IL her
Here, Sid, here's your dog following,
cried his schoolmates mockingly; The seems
to know YOU"
But to Sidney the whole world had been
blotted out. everything: swan before his
eyes, He dared not turn, but staggered
on a few steps like a drunken man. His
mother-a beggar woman His heart was
shriveled up within him. Then he sa" the
dog beside him, and turned.
Go back!' he shouted, with a maddeneo'
cultural voice.
The beautiful dog stopped abashed, and
tress At that moment the stolid figure,
which had not moved from it's granite
position when the lad denied his mother,
now lifted up its head and looked at him
for the first time, when he rebuffed the
dog-and oh, what shame and disappoint-
ment and pride were in that glance.
perforated
right hand now mechanically ground out
the latest popular melody, "Oh; promise
Mech. Promise Me!' Sidney had often
sung this in chorus with the boys a, at
meaning brought his heart back to his
mother. oh, her sorrowfui face! OF VIVA.
value to him was his position in school?
mates? Here was his mother With a
bound he was by her side. and he bent and
put his strong arms around her as II 10
tlnr liner
his classmates For five terrible minutes
he had denied her. But now he saw things
in a new light. His mother. no matter
what she did, was more than Tom. Home
was more than school. In that instant all
that was noble in the lad leaped up like
spring when weight is removed from 1t.
And Mrs Doris? The habit Of years
even in this supreme moment was strong
with the street player. Her hand kept
turning, the hudy,gurdy The roll had
changed to THE Old Folks at Home"
"All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb'rywhere l roam;
oh, darkies, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home,'
droned out the grotesque instrument; but
the tears were now streaming down the
withered face of the head bowed in the
shawls.
She's daisy" Tom Devenant spoke with
his pertest air of sarcasm.
Sidney raised himself to his height. His
hand rested lovingly on his mothers
lips We're pale and quivering. He gasped
as if a glass of cold water had been sud
denly dashed in his face. To his narrow
vision life. and all it's possibilities, seemed
extingushed by this terrible discovery.
But he faced his fate like hero. His
classmates stood in a teerng crowd around
him. A few others had gathered there too.
And the organ droned the chorus:
How my heart grows weary, far from
de old folks at home"
II must beg you to leave us alone"
Sidney looked his classmates straight in
the eyes and spoke with his grandest air.
That lady is my mother
The tension was too great for the SEN
sitive lad. He swayed and swooned
Tom caught him, and the boys, so easily
turned from sarcasm to pity by the in
stinct of youth, now seemed to understand
their classmates anguish, and tried to
minister to him.
He never knew I did this" said Mrs
Doris In low tone to Tom, as they both
tried to revive her SON. II told him not to
come to Boston. I took to 1t when my hus-
band died. sixteen years ago. because there's
so much money In it. I've been an honest
my boy. | wanted to give him a good edu-
cation. tHere she sobbed) All, young sir
he's the same boy that he was before he
saw me- Don't blame Sidney; don't give
twitched as he listened. Just as Sid opened
his eyes his own soft hand stole around the
knotted knuckles of the organ woman and
he gave them warm pressure.
You may trust me- he said: IN be his
friend" Then he looked seriously at the
mother and son with the experienced air
of man of the world. Il think you had
better give 1t up now, for his sake" he
whispered as he helped Sidney to his feet
The street player nodded silently When
Sidney had struggled to his feet and began
to look for her In daZeI way his mother
had disappeared in the crowd.
That night there was meeting of the
celebrated Beetle Society The members
present We're as solemn as an easterly fog.
Sidney alone was not there.
1T isn't his fault" said the patriarch.
whats the use of belonging to a society
unless you. stick to each other? 1t isn't
to go back on one another. Gentlemen
don't do that" He stopped and looked
from one to another appealingly. "Do
they?"
Il move YOU said member, addressing
Tom. that any man who gives Sid away
in this school or even after, and who doesn't
stand up for him like a brother, is "a
gilly. and shall be eternally disgraced, and
and"
That's enough" said Tom, with swim
ming eyes. "All in favor hands up. Con-
trary minded. 1t Is a unanimous vote
The meeting is adjourned Let's all go and
see Sid
And to the honor of the boys and of the
school the vote was scrupulously carried