Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-09-16

:: ]: e: :: E: {: = !: ? !. ;. y D
linn E.LsN ltG!G, WfinHle Whereln u
;iI M Ns 73 secret might hide.
sNN M HN r 1t was beautiful
HI M fN old face, too, with
I'LL <SNtyG n fringe of white
" Mn, whiskers all around
Y .1r>-/ under the chin,
wide open, mild gray eyes and ruddy
cheeks. Yet did n harmless deceit
lodge there but for moment the
eyes augbed and twinkled, and all
but called aloud, "Here it is; and
the next instant the secret was dis
lodged and scurrying off in plain sight
of everybody, and nobody more sur
prised than Mr.. Petit himself.
Consequently, when Mr.. Petit
stepped into the kitchen upon GER
tain June evening, aud hung his hat
upon the peg behind the door, Mrs.
Petit, suspendfng the kettle high in
mir from the operation of pouring
boiling water upon the tea, said, IN
tone of conviction: "Ephraim, you've
got letter from John"
''Well, now, l want to knowl" said
Mr.. Petit, throwing an appealing
glance around upon nn imaginary and
admiring audience, eff women don't
beat all was saving that letter till
after supper.
"We can just as well have it with
our tea" said Mrs. Petit, pulling the
cosy over the teapot, and leading the
way to the supper table. "John must
have something particular to say. We
had letter from him this week."
The two snow crowned heads were
bowed for moment in simple grace,
and then, as Mrs. Petit poured the
fragrant Hyson into the old-fashioned
china cups, her husband proceeded to
open the letter.
Not very much, after ali. Two
square yellow tickets and one of
those short notes that are always por-
| tentous:
CHICAGO ILL.,, June 10th, 1895.
Dear Father and Mother: / inclose you
| two round-trip tickets for Chicago, which |
expect you to make use of right away Our
boy is to le christened next week, and the
christening can't go on without you. Your
| loving son, JOHN PETIT.
?, S.-Telegraph me when you start.
j. P.
Mrs. Petit dropped her hands into
her lap with look of blank dismay.
"Why, Ephraim," she protested, 81
can't 60"
"John wouldn't like it," said Mr..
Petit, softly, confning his rgaze to
careful stirring of his tea. "It's our
first grandchild, you know"
Involuntarily Mrs. Pettit's gaze
wandered through the open window TO
tiny hillock, which, with its mar
BILE shaft showing dimly through the
twilight, told its own tale of Eleanor,
aged seven"
81 have never left her." she said,
with troubled eyes.
"She would wish it, "said Ephraim,
gently. "John knows all, and he
wishes it. Sixteen years is u long
time for grieving, mother. She is O
grown woman in heaven by this
time.
Nothing more was said after this.
The soft darkness of June night be-
gan to fall. The katydids called from
the grasses; huge juno bug beat it.
self noisily against the window screen /;
the COW lowed from the meadow with
out.
at last Mrs. Petit pushed aside her
untasted food and said, with pitiful
tremor iu her old voice: "We'll go,
Ephraim. It's wicked of me to be
staying at home grlevlng, and neglect
ing the loved ones that need me. We
will write to John tonight and tell
him So"
Thus it came to pass that few days
later certain train pulling out of
Wilson's Ferry carried with it quaint
old couple with whom we have to do.
The old gentleman wore his whiskers
after good old country style, and
looked over his silver bowed glasses
with the most benignant eyes in the
world. As for tho old lady, fellow.
passengers glanced idly upon her, and
then turned to gaze again. Such q
sweet old face, scanned with added
years and care, but beautiful withal
in its frame of clustering gray curls
No one smiled at the old fashioned
bonnet, the long, slender. wasted
black dress, or neatly folded shoulder
shawl. No one seemed to think of
the oddity of the black silk mltts with
their short fingers, although they had
not been put on before since Eleanor g
funeral. Every one seemed kindly
interested in the big brown basket
with cover and two handles. Before
the journey ended it had opened wide
its hospitable cover to soothe with
ginger cakes and tarts the cries OF
more than half dozen travel-worn
babes, and had won the earnest bless
i4gs of as many tired mothers.
Six hours of rumble and noise and
dust, glimpses of waving green fields
and distant towns, feeting acquaint.