The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-10-26

| lttttT. ntu Cuiilt OtuclF HdNllk nb
was better, and then day after day
without a word, save once, when
short note, scrawled on bit of wrap
ping paper. came to her with the news
that his regiment was again in the
United States and encamped some
| where on the eastern coast. And at
last the dispatch of that morning
"Coming home" and sleep closed
her eyes.
At four o'clock Matilda Springer
arose. She hurriedly dressed and
called Budd. He went out and htched
mp the two horses to the old democrat
wagon and removed the back seat.
| lie knew he would have TO sit on the
bottom of the vehicle coming back
from the station, for Jim would be on
the front seat with his mother, and
there would have to be room behind
for the baggage. Budd thought of all
the implements of war that would he
loaded into that wagon and wondered
If Jim would give him his gun and
canteen.
He led the horses up to the back
porch and called TO his mother. She
came out dressed in q brown poplin,
and on her wavy gray hair rested her
best bonnet, little affair of jet with
violets on Que side and strings to tie
under the chin. Around her shoul-
ders she had wrapped shawl
'T-I-can't hardly wait" she said,
half to herself.
Budd helped her into the wagon
and climbed in after her. He drove
over the dusty country road and
across the old wooden bridge with one
hand holding the reins, for she clasped
the other. She did not speak often
during that drive. There are times
when the heart is too full to allow Of
the forming of words. This was one
of those times. The mothers heart
was filed to overhowing with love for
that boy whose face she had not seen
for so many, many weary weeks, whose
brown eyes had not looked down at
her for oh, so long.
The wagon rolled down the last
hill in the road and around the curve
at the bottom. Budd drew up the
horses at the depot platform. "Yew
stay here an hold EN-" said his
mother. 'I'll go over there an sit
on that truck till tn train comes.''
She got ont of the conveyance and
walked around the station house to
the other side. Unobserved by Budd
she wiped her eyes, and then she sat
down on the truck.
BY aud by the young agent came
and unlocked the door of the building
and went inside. Out upon the cool
morning air was waited the "click,
click" of the telegraph instrument.
Mrs. Springer rose from her seat
and entering the building walked over
to the ticket window.
SIS tn train from tn north on
time?" she asked.
'Three minutes late at Silver Lake."
was the answer.
"Heow long afore it's due?" There
was little tremor in the voice.
'It'll be here in eighteen minutes"
the operator replied.
BY and by from away up the track
came the rumble of an approaching
train. Nearer and nearer, and then
around the curve above the station
the engine swerved.
ihc peii ciahBcu, uhu tue trulu
stopped. Mrs. Springer ran back
to the passenger coaches. One or
two sleepy heads were poked out
of the windows, but no one got Off
The woman's jaw fell. No, there was
no one in the rear cars for Evans
Crossing, the brakeman told her.
"Aint they some soldiers?" she
! cried, her face all white,
''Oh, soldiers" he said, "they's
some up in the baggage car"
The woman turned and ran down
the platform. As she reached the
forward end of the first passenger
coach two soldiers lifted long pine
box from the car ahead aud laid il on
the platform.
The woman cried out to them,
"Where's Jim, my boy jim? He was
comm on this trainl Where is he?"
"Who?" asked one of the men in
uniform, quietly.
"My boy, Jim Springer"
The soldier did not answer. He
stopped and glanced down at the little
white card tackled on the lid of the
long pine box.
can tell her, Dill, ne whispered
to his companion.
The engine bell rang.
The train was moving.
"Why-why-why don't you tell
me?" cried the woman.
She rushed toward the two men.
She glanced down at the box. The
card caught her eye, She leaned
over and read the words written there.
Then she stood up straight, her face
white, her mouth open, her eyes STAR
ing at nothing.
A cry cut the air--a keen, piercing,
gashing cry-and the woman fell upon
her knees beside that box and throw
ing her arms over the top sobbed and
beat her head against the lid and
scratched the rough boards with her
nails.
|