The Penn's Grove record., 1895-07-12

couldn't worry about Wade. He'll /
home ell right when his money give
out. You must be ready to play an
sing for us tomorrow. You know "
boys expect plenty of music when "
come here"
al WILL" cheerfully, "and I'll go i
md start those pies right now. TIE
the boys to bring any poor fellow the,
know that's away from home and ha
no place to eat the Christmas dinner.
Tom rode away, and the last worI
rom him, oddly enough as Mrs
Moore thought, was q faint hail sen
back
"Mind-we-expect musiol"
Christmas morning Mrs Moor,
Baked her pies. A goodly row. tn
turkeys we're in the oven, the othel
dishes baking, simmering or stewing
as best suited them, whom the wind
mill at the back of the ranch hous,
stopped pumping. That meant, since
the store was already low, q cutting
off of the water supply before night
'T might as we'll fix it before
.hange my Dress" she reflected, anG
catching up q heavy hammer she wen
out to the tower.
Forty feet seems a rather extraoI
iinary climb for q woman of her age,
the ladder, too, was wooden, old and
unsafe, as Tom Andrews had warned
her a week or two ago, but old Teofilo
was gone; she was as fearless as an
urchin, and up she went, laughing a
little. A tap from her big hammer
set things right, and the wheel began
revolving, but the first turn struck
1.-THE hammer out of her hand. and
down it fell, knocking off three rung
Of the rickety ladder as it went.
Well, she was finely caught.
Visions of the Christmas dinner
I%burning up while she was imprisoned
20 fitted through her mind.
Looking about for aid she saw =
pony and rider approaching the front
Of the house cautiously. It was Tom
Andrews; but how curiously he was
acting. He dismounted, tied his pony
in a bunch OF mesquite and came up
to the house almost on tiptoe, looked
in at every window, tried some of the
doors, and then, standing on the
porch, called her name very softly.
She laughed as she looked ct him
90, she wouldn't answer. Shed
rather anybody but Tom Andrews
should help her down. q He had
seemed so Mortified at the idea that
she should ever go up on windmills OF
all when he had warned her Of the nm
afe ladder.
As she looked he stole softly back !.
the little divide that hid the house
from the road, and waved his handker'
chief to some one she could not see.
An awful fear clutched ct her heart
IS, in answer to the signal, a wagon
came in sight along the road. A
wagon with the ten young men shs
had expected to dinner, some riding
in it, some walking beside 1t, and in
the body of it o long box, covered wit
= cloth. \.
She knew what that meant as sooi
IS her eye caught it. 1t was Wade
her boy, her baby, her only SOP
They were bringing him home to hyr.
Her tired arms nearly let go thu
hold.
They were driving up in front 3,
he house now. They had gotten out
silently and were carrying the long
box in. She could hear the shutting
Of their feet.
ooh. Wade, my little son." sh.
noaned, sis this your home-comingi 7
Her mind went through all the tor
nents we feel when our dear ones aErs
taken from us-that all mothers know
!or their sons who go astray. Would
t have been different if she had be&r
irmer, if she had been more @leniehf,
# she had followed him at once whdr
she failed to hear-Oh, the tragedy p
those ''ifs."
She thought of dropping to the
sround and ending it all there, but
she longed to see the face of her boy
in the coffin.
Tom Andrews peeped cautiously on,
# the back door, and she called softly
10 him.
"Why, Aunt Mat; why, Aun,
dattie," he cried--a name he kept for
state occasions OF great excitement.
"How did you get up there?"
so, help me down, dear, lift M
Town." she moaned. "I'd rather dis
IN the ground"
Tom ran and lifted her down in hi
,trong young arms, and set her on a
bench against the windmill tower, and
'tood looking down at her.
ST saw you," she gasped.
"Then you've been up there all tn
line. The boys sent me on ahead to
py out the ground. They didn't
sant to bring it while you were
in the house, and if you were shout, J
was to get you away on some pre-
text"
A shudder went over the pathetic
little figure before him. Poor Wade
Already he was "it"to everybody but
herl
Tom was tanning her vigorously
with his big cowboy hat.
"Don't you feel better now-wen
enough to come in and see its THE
boys II be cut up about your getting
sight of it before they were ready
but you had to see it sometime, Of
,ourse."
Tho utter lack of sympathy in the
young voice quite broke his listeners
patient heart, 80, Wade, my son, my
son!" she cried, and burst into a storm
of sobs.
"Why yes," said poor, bewildered
rom. "Wade's all right. He's in
there with the others. 1t was him
driving, but he kept his hat pulled
down for fear you'd see him and know
him. Says he's been sick, and gave
the folks at the hospital the wrong ad.
dress is the reason his letters didn't
get here, but he's all right now-why,
what's the matter?"
For she had risen and was gripping
ais arm hard with both hands. 'T
Wade's all right, she whispered, husk
lily, in-that-box?
81 piano for you," said Tom. ga
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