The sun., 1897-05-09

would enter the negro cabin bearing the Little
better pleased. for tho Little Master somehow
seemed TO stand between them and the awesomo
fnHS Se tPST ssScd & % hold ss crotchs
the lad seemed TO bo so pale and frail. Once she
ki1 iSlS So $S fSS some 20 A%5pSi sf you tired
Il won't be tired of that till I'm dead" re-
-"I know mighty we'll how dat is. responded
Big Sal hnmbly. Il des wanted ter hor i'm. 1
"She wants to hold you," said Aaron TO the
And the roply was, We'll, why not J"
| Whereupon Big Sal took tho lad In her arms.
and whom the rest began TO sing sho swayed her
strong body back and forth and Joined in the
| 1t seemed to bc the undortone OF melody itself,
,h md the effect OF II was 80 soothing that when
asleep and smiling, and Zig Sal leaned over him
With With such ny ycarning ct her heart hat only
her 10 weeping Neither ticn nor ' ever after. I.
ward did she know the reason why or seek to
dsSovsr It. EnSSSsh for her I' h9t i @
negroes that the Little Master was asleep, and
sSos 50 when they sang another @ song they pitched
door from FAR away. When It W was as ended
] forward on tiptoc and take u look at the Little
Master, who was still asleep and smiling.
embarrassed. sho didn't want the Little Master
awakened; ayM,s and yet she didn't know how he
h Rnt tho s on Of ThSS soSe
| that problem. He nodded to Big Sal and mo.
toned toward the door, and she, carrying tho
Little Master in her strong arms. went out into
the dark. Aaron paused at the threshold raised
his right hand above his head. and followed Dig
salutetion and farewell on he threshold Of cvory
door he entered or went out OF, whether the
was the door OF his masters house or OF Timo-
Icons stable. he paused and rrised his right
hand.
Tho negroes noted il. and simple as il was IL
served to deepen the mystery in which Aaron
they Shook Scr beoas and hs hes
| must be n "cunjur man.
But Aaron was, not troubled by whisperings
that never reached his cars. nor by the strange
imaginings OF the negroes. He had other things
to think of,one thing in particular that seemed
to him to be most serious, He could see that
Little Crotchett was gradually growing weaker
| and weaker. 1t was some time before he ais
ticnt observation could have detected it. We
know that the trunks OF trees slowly expand, but
we do not see the process going on.
Little Crotchctt seemed to be growing weaker
day by day, and yet the process was SO gradual
esc tss 9ny he e sssq re- bS sod
thing OF shock TO him. He was not frightened
by that event. and never for moment lost his
red fames mounting high in the air. their rcd
tongues darting out and lappinR about in space,
curling back and devouring the house, roaring
and growing. and swapping and hissng-this
in that place that the energy that little Crotch
EFT lost In trying to ft the awful affair TO his
experience never came back to him. He never
lost the feeling of numbness that came over
him as he saw the house disappear in smoke and
flame.
But it was weeks. ..months-after that before
Aaron made his discovery. discovery that
could only be confirmed by the keenest and most
never more cheerful. And he was restless too:
always eager TO be going. But Aaron soon saw
that II the lad went gaIioping on the Gray Pony
as he did before, he did not go far. Nor did
he use his srutehes SO freely.the crutches on
which he had displayed such nimbeness.
And 80 from uay to uRy Aaron that the
Little Master was slowly failing. The lad
o nad sabn an a
the days slipped by. and the weeks ran into
months, months, and the months l! counted up a year
| Little Master in bed both day and night. still
happy and cheerful but weak and pale. Always
@ Would Sns sena h. Bs s aHs He
was so cheerful that he deceived everybody ex
BHt one day the Doctor came and sat BY the
Little Masters bedside longer than usual, The
As he was going away he gave some informa
psle The har %1pd have
this-her darling child had been born The doc
tor STAYED b her 1t was indeed fSr this her darl
Why not let the mystery come to him friend
and comfortcr-as the friend Of friends-as a
messenger from our dear Lord. the Prince OF
And 50 the poor mother dried her eyes as best
ter's bedside. The lad was cheerful and his eyes
were bright birds. Doctors do not know
hope. smiled as Little Crotchett prattIcd away.
Nothing would do but he must have look at
little Sit of boy: and IN in getting Out n the @ old TOYS
the mother found shoe he had worn when he
first began to walk, little shoe out at the toe
This interested the lad more than all the toys.
He held it in his hand and measured it with his
minded him of something else no had been think.
he would need his crutches no more, and he
wondered how IT would feel TO walk with his
And there was the old popgun, too. still SMELL
ing of china berries. II Aaron only but knew it.
sree stree the BIRD that ddn want get SuPt when
that popgun was in working order had to run
mighty fast or hy mighty high. But hoghho.
and when he got well. which would be pretty
soon. he would have sure-enough gun. and
see what he would shoot: Not the gray sqSr, iai
tridges-they might have nests or young ones
somewhere; not the rabbits.,they were too
funny, with their pop eyes and big ears. Well,
he could shoot at n mark, and that what ho
And whom night fell the Little Master wanted
TO hear the negroes sing. And hc wanted
mother and father and sister to hear them. too
not tn the loud songs but the @ soft ,,s and sweet
at all il everybody was in the room with them.
and mother and father and sister could sit in
ing. And so IL was arranged.
When the negroes arrived and were ushered
into the room Dy Nanny Lucy they were so
embarrassed and felt so much Out of place they
hardly knew what to do or say, or how to begin.
Aaron was carrying the Little Master in his
arms, walking zip and down. up and down. and
his long strides and supple knees gave a swing
ing motion to his body That was infinitely sooth-
ing and rostful TO the Little Master. Swinging
back and forth, up and down, the Son Of Ben Ali
paid no attention to the negroes. and they stood
confused for moment, but only for moment.
suddenly there came streaming into the room
tho strain OF a heart breaking melody. rising
and falling, falling and rising, as the leaves Of
weeping willow are blown by the wind: drifting
away and floating back, as the foam of the wave
is swayed by the sea.
Little Crotchctt lay still in Aaron's arms for
ever SO long. Was no listenngi Who knows
He was almost within hearing of the songs OF
the angels. Suddenly he raised his head IN the
pause Of the song.
''Tcll them all good night. Toll mother"
Aaron stopped his swinging walk and placed
the Little Master on the bed and stood beside it,
his right hand raised above his head 1t might
have been a benediction. 1t might have been a
prayer. The negroes interpreted 1t as a signal OF