The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-08-30

meath all the boxes, bales and barrels
he could lay his hands upon 1t seemed
to yield him a grim satisfaction TO
serve il so. 1t was like a retaliation.
The key was in his fingers now and, as
he gazed out into the vivid world, they
fumbled at it neryously- He had meant
to drop it in the well as he came back
from the barn, but somehow he had not
done so. His fine alert eyes moved rest
Iessgy from one object TO another that
came within his field Of vision; his
clearly chiseled lips twitched nervously
and lock of his white hair fell forward
over his brow when, in his strenuous
thinking, he unconsciously shook his
head.
"No, I won't drop it in" he said.
within himself. Il won't drop it in. But
III lose It somewhere about the house
SOS I'll never find it again / never I
want TO see the drafted machine again.
i never want to hear it, III never
touch it to sew another stitch, not for
love or money, so help me"
A gentle hand was laid on his shout
der. He started guiltily-
'Oh, Fanny he said, with sort Of
nervous laugh, 'that you, dear? |
didn't hear you come in. was just sit
ting here resting for minute and
+ thinking about" his voice faltered.
I II know it, Uncle Tom interposed
the girl, softly. stroking his hair back
from his temples; well both miss her.
But we must try TO bear up, dear, and
/ not let ourselves give way. She-she
was very good TO me-"
Fanny was slender slip Of thing,
4 just turned I6. Youth was in every
curve Of her figure, IN every line of her
face. She knew just enough of life to
think death its one SCATTERING force It
seemed to her that as long as there was
life there must be hope, and as long as
there was hope one must be happy She
felt deeply sorry for her uncle-she
tried TO comfort him.
The weeks slipped away, and the
months. The autumn came and the
winter followed. Then spring arrived,
and the tulips in Amelia's garden began
TO blossom. Thomas watched them ex-
} ultantly. He seemed to see them for
the first time IN his life growing calmly
! and silently and not from over mist
ter of winkiDg wheels
Fanny bowed the shutters of the lir-
ing-room as her aunt had been won't TO
do, but Thomas no longer sat within
: them bending laboriously over his
loathsome task. a byword and hiss
: ing, as he thought. for all the world.
The machine had never been brought
} back from the barn, and no one but
} Thomas knew where il was. Fanny
wished she dared ask IT would have
! been worth worlds 10 her TO discover If
r Just now, for then she could have run
up" her graduation dress in twink
: ling. which now she was trying TO sew
2 by hand. stitch for stitch. in the
E meager hours after school and house.
e hold tasks were done II was all cut
$ out and basted. but the time few fast
I CT than her needle could, and at length
r the week fairly arrived and still tbs
1 frock was scarcely more than begun
4 In spite of herself the tears would ris.
: and fall as she sat trying to finish OF
E the last yard of dainty hem before tn.
4 twilight fell.
d Come, Fanny, child, You'll prici
+ your eyes out sewing there without +;
il light. Put away your work and 81
i here alongside of me. It's kind of lone
r some all alone these long evenin's-''
a She obeyed him silently and Thoma
took the little hand in both his own ant
> began TO pat it fondiy. But in a second
p he had dropped it. and with hast,
4 glance al her had risen and wandere,
!. away TO the other side of the room
: $50 tc-morrow's your last day a
! sehool2'' he asked from out of tn
shadow of his retreat. in sharp. awak
II ening SORT of voice.
: YES, sir" said Fanny.
Didn't l hear you and-and-you
Aunt Amelia talking last year, just be
fore she had the stroke. of something
! about graduation dress?"
! Eyes, sir"
where is it2'
!. The stuff's up in my room The dres
!, amt more than cut out an basted.
! won't have time to finish it. "
worked real hard, too-but there's bee
= examinations and-and-other things
:, and / haven't got along very fasf
Auntie had planned it all out for me.
she'd been here
p Thomas wandered back again towar
ie her out of the gloom He placed hi
hand on her head.
IS Good little Fanny" he said, and hi
$ voice trembled as he spoke.
" Mother cried Elizabeth Field, hu,
N rying into the house in a fiutter of e,
p element; what do you suppose hs
AZ happened2" and then. in answer to hs
{. mothers look of inquiry: -As cam
p along past Thomas Thacker's just nc
ID saw the strangsst thing. Thoms
y himself sitting in his old place and run
at ming the machine full tilt, Just exactl
ae as he used to do when Amelia was alis
pt and standing over him. he was stitcl
ing up some white goods. seam afts
y seam. as hard as be could put. and b
: must have gone perfectly crazy, for Ii
ut wind blew the shutters open and \
I'D didn't even as much as raise his hea
re or stretch out hand to draw them il