The Philipsburg mail., 1895-08-01
Nothing this side O. Traver's. I

should think ~-*.. ..":=--
How Tar is that?'
Bout half mile T almost
groaned aloud I couldn't walk it,.
Somebody must be found who would go
and treat with Traver with me.
T saw a little boy swinging on the
gate %'hen | passed some days ago
'The woman turned her head so
sharply in my direction that | stopped
short 1t was only an instant's inter-
ruptiOn. The face was averted again
and the peas began to hail against the
tin.
Isn't he here now?' I asked.
"The woman shook her head. 1t was
very warm. The perspiration stood in
beads on her forehead. She lifted her
arm and passed the sleeve of her print
gown over her face. I set the empty
glass on the table at my elbow and took
out my purse. I noticed the womans
| quick hands We're idle again. and her
| head bent down. She's very nl, |
thought. She can't go to Traver's S,
! but
"I'll be glad to pay anybody half
crown who'll get me fly said aloud.
DO you know Of
"She lifted her head and looked at
me-
Was it you gave him the shillm' .
Gave who?'
Billy, my boy, You said you saw
him swingin on the gate. Was 1t You
gave him new shillin'"
oh, | believe | did, | said.
"The sunburnt face worked, and
dropped on her folded arms.
What happened?' | said, after a
pause.
She sat up and stared vacantly
through the window.
usen't to let him outside the
gate, or talk to people passin', she said,
I called him in when I heard voices
| that day. He showed me the shillin'--'
She broke off and wiped her eyes on the
back of her hand
"'Yes?' l said
"I didn't like him takin' money
| from strangers. I scolded him, an he
he cried' Her own eyes were full Of
| tears. L tried to make him say what
the shillin' was for she went on. He
said, "Nothin'.' y "Then you begged il" !"
says, "an' you're disgrace" and he
cried more and said he hadn't
But that was quite true, inter
rupted.
"'Oh, I didn't know, I didn't know"
the woman moaned. I said I'd give
him beatin if he didn't tell me why
the strange gentleman gave him the
shillin. | might a done it, too, but he
stopped cryin all of a sudden an said,
''Why. of course, nanny, | know why
he did tit was because my cuckoo
sang for him, an I KEEP quiet so he
hoc r In hot iYlc l.
ly's nonsense, but | didn't beat him
oh, I'm glad didn't beat him. ~
II waited till she found her voice
again" Thomson said, after pause as
an excuse for the sudden failure of his
own. .<.-.
"The woman explained" he went on,
chat Billy had climbed up the labur-
mum tree that same afternoon. He lost
he must "a fell on his head-he died
that night
II muttered something stupid about
sympathy She went on shelling the
peas. Loking vaguely around I caught
frame on the opposite wall.
:" Is that a picture of your boy" /
asked.
"'No, no. said the woman, that's my
sisters child, and he amt dead
neither! We never had a picture of
Billy That seems to make it worse
somehow. I tell my husband I believe
l could bear it better if l had pic
ture of him.
why, [ took picture of him! In
my excitement l started up and
wreched my unhappy ankle. / sank
back faint with pain.
You took picture Of my Billy
She was standing beside me when I
opened my eyes.
Yes-er-of the house. He was at
the gate, you know.
""rhank Godr the woman said
shaking her clinched hands pitifully.
Thank Cod! Thank God"
"But it may not come out right
said, cursing myself for having raised
hopes that my kodak might not justify.
You see, it isn't developed. I can't tell
how
"tOh, you must make it come out
right, sir! Where is it?' The hard,
sunburnt face was qlivering.
cts here, in this-L motioned to-
ward the kodak at my side. She
kneeed down before it with clasped
| hands, like a penltent before shrine.
"'You'll show it to me, sir-just for
a minute!
"'I can't just now-it isn't devcl-
oped.'
"'But just let me see if it's my Billy.
On, please sir! If you knew, if you
knew
"sIll let you have it as soon as it's
ready I said. 1t would be spoilt if l
took it out now
"I'd be very CAREFUL said the woman.
She got up eagerly and instinctlvely
wiped her rough hands on her apron.
"'No it's the light, you see, that
would spoil it. 1t must be kept in The
dark tried to explain! but she evil
IDENTIFY wasn't listening. She kept look
ing down at the kodak with suspicious
awe.
Some one passed the window. She
looked up They've got back!' she
cried, breathlessly, and ran to the door
in the scullery. She was talking ex-
citedly about Billy's picture when she
| came hack with two men, It was her