Middletown transcript., 1896-05-30

b.
Bill? I'd better stayed to homtl i
felt myself chokin' up; it hadn't took
chew nv terbacker. I'D ave been
cryin' in minutel
The nearer got to Bilps the worst
/ hated to go in. Standin on the st0op,
| could hear the tall clock tickin' sol
emnIy inside--s'tick- -tock, tick-tock, y
jest as plain as i was sit l' aside
oft. The door was shet, yet knew
jest what Bill wus dnin'; he WAS sittin'
in the old red easy chair lookil' down
at the fnor like this. Strange amt it,
how sometimes when you love folks
you know jest what they're dom
without Bnowiu' anything abo ut it!
There Warn't no use knockin' but l
knocked three times, so. Didn't say a
word; only jest knocked three times
that away. Didn't hear no answer
nolhin' but tickil.' nv the tall clock,
an yet I knew that Bill heard me an
that down in his heart was sayin' for
me to come in.
1 opened the door keerful like, an
slipped in. Didn'G say nothin jest
opened the door softly like, an slipped
in. There set Bill jest as knowed he
wuz sittin'; lonesome like, sad like; his
head hangin' down; he never looked
up at m, ; never said word knowed |
was there all the time, but never said
a word an never made sign.
How changed Bill wuz-oh, Bill,
how changed ye wuzl There wuz
furrers in yer face an yer hair wnz
white-as white as-as white as mine!
Looked small aoout the body, thin and
humpsh ouldered.
Jest two OF men, that's what we
wuz; an we had been boys togetherl
Well, stood there spell, kind Nv
hesitatin' like, neither Nv US sayin'
anything, until bimeby Bill he sort Nv
made sign for me to SET down. Didn't
speak, didn't lift his eyes from the
floor; only made sign. like this, in a
weak, tremblin' way-that wuz all.
AM 1 set down, an there we both set /;
neither NV us saying word, but both
settin' there, loyin each other an SYM
pathizin' as hard as we could, for that
is the way with men.
Bimeby, like we'd kind NV made it
up aforehand, we hitched over closer,
for when folks is in sorrer an trouble
they like to be closte together. But
not a word all the time, an,
hitchin' closer and closer together.
why bimeby we set side by side. So
we set spell longer loyin' an SYM
pathizin', as men folks do; thinkin' NV
the old times, Nv our boyhood; shinkin'
NV the happiness NV the past anil Nv al
the hopes them two children had
brought us! The tall clock licked an
that wuz all the sound there wuz,
except when Bill gin sigh an l gin
a sigh, too-to tighten the load, ye
know.
! Not word come from either Nv us;
twas all We could do TO set there,
lovin' each. ..other an sympathizinu
All at oncet-for we couldn't stand
it no longer-all at oncet we turned
our faces T. other way an reached out,
SO. an groped with our haLds, this a
way. till we found and held each other
fast in clasp of tender meanin'.
Then-God forgive me il I done
wrong-then ! wisht wuz a womanl
For, bein' a woman, could have riz
up, an standin' so, could have cried:
"Come, Bill! come let me hold you in
these arms; come let us weep together,
an let this broken heart NV mine
speak through these tremblin' lips to
that broken heart Nv yourn, Bill,
tellin' ye how much love ye, an SYM
pathi2e with yel''
But-no! wuz not woman! 1 wuz
mani an, bein' a man. 1 must let
my heart break; must hold my peace,
an must make no sign.