The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-13


! der somewhere.
Neighbor after neighbor had moved
| away, and those who used to be almost
| within call were now scattered-no
| one knew where. 1t is true the empty
| homes stood as so many mute memo
ries, but they were only memories.
| The bubble had bursted, and though
property was painfully abundant,
there was little money in all the re-
gion. Arthur had accumulated, but
his accumulation were of no avail
against the needs felt by all alike, One
night, after baby was snugly tucked
away Arthur sat with the little moth
er. He had been trying for so many
nights to summon up the courage to
tell her and even now the words froze
almost before they came to his lips.
"Darling''-he finally uttered would
you like to go back to England?" He
almost fathered, and started to put his
hand to his brow.
"No,no, Arthur, Arthur don't do that.
/ know it ALL" and she grasped his hand
and held it to her lips. Eyes, yes, Ar
thur what is best for you is bliss for
me- We gill both go back to Old Eng
land and be as happy again as we have
been"
"But-But," he stammered.
"Tell me Arthur, what is it?''
II cannot" he said.
II know, dear, that we will have
to get what we can for our effects
don't mind that, and i will help you
bear. No matter how little there is
left, as long as love is left.'
He stood up strong-bodied with his
head half turned away, but his heart
was aching.
Walking toward the doorway, and
out to the little porch, he buried him
self almost in hemidst of the vines that
had been planted by him while little
mother had trained them with her own
fingers, into all kinds of delicate de-
signs. Falling back into the rocker,
where she had sung so many of the
lullabies that he had heard during
those twiligths he remembered like
the sweetbells, he put his hands to
his face and sobbed, not loud so she
could hear, but from the very depths of
his nature.
Having partially recovered control
of himself, he returned. Little
mother with instant intuition stood
up before him, and drew his face down
to hers just as she did that afternoon.
If her heart was full of the nights
when she had watched in anguish by
baby's bedside, and if she thought of
the dawn that had broken in upon her
heart when the color began to come
back to baby when the little Jersey
came, there was only the smile OF full
morning in her brave face.
Il know it, Arthur, we love Butter
cup, but we viii sell her to somebody
who will be good to her when I tell
them all about her"
-
The phaeton and gentle ''old Blaze
had everyday stood at the gate, ready
at any time for little mother and the
baby to take jog along the orange
fringed roads of the valley, and one
afternoon when Arthur came home
Blaze and the phaeton were not there.
He had contracted to sell Buttercup
to a dairyman just below the brow of
the canyon not half mile away. He
had waited for days, but had not had
the courage to take her away unless
all were away.
The time was nearly up for them to
take their departure from their
1d141OIul6 IducLs ana the moment
now when all was still seemed Jess
heartless than any other for the
sharp ordeal Arthur went to the field,
and putting the headgear lovingly a.
bout the neck of the little animal led
her along toward the canyon. When
he had gotten quite to the brow, those
sweet-bells came back to him, and
he stopped and listened to them while
he looked at the home. He turned his
face back for an instant only. There
stood the little girl-mother with
her hand to. her brow, shielding the
sheen of the Southern California
sunset from her eyes. The glory seem
ed to spread over the sky as a Shin
mer of bonfire if possible, of the
gold Of the earth and the flush that
fell upon her yellow hair seemed to
have been held there as so much i'm
prisoned light.
Bring hep on down." said the dairy
man from below, while the bells tink-
led from kline that were being driven
hither and thither for milking. Ar
thur did not reply. He was looking
now ait the dairyman, then glancing
toward the little lone figure with her
hand to her brow gazing silently at
him just as she had on that other after
noon.
''Well bring her on down. said the
dairyman, as he approached.
II am not going to sell her." said
Arthur abruptly.
''You bargained to sell her"
Damn ehe bargain!" he replied
doggedly.
'Well, I'll hold you for the bargain"
"You may hold me for the bargain"
he grunted back, "but you wont hold
the cow" and he led Buttercup back
toward home.
Little mother stood motionless, looking
and wondering. She hardly moved
while Arthur lead the little thing
back. Arthur, what did you bring
her back for?' she asked simply, as he
approached
ar ann not oOinr +o sell her little