The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-12-30

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tight fist toward them angrily. Where
could the lemons be? ne asked himself
over and over in dull wonder. If he had
only remembered to look in the money
till!
I'll go down to the Forks-they1l
have 'em at Denby's," he muttered
Its good mile, but don't care fits
so! don't care if have to wake up the
seven sieepers, neither."
But how long 1T took to find his great
coat and get into it! He tried to hurry.
Heavy weights seemed to hang to his
limbs and drag them back with dla-
bolical persistence. Would his arms
ever go into the sleeves? Was it 60
ing to take till crack o. doom to get
his hat on his head? Big drops of sweat
scurried down the seams of his hag-
gard cheeks. He set his teeth dog
gedly.
If the lemons in the money drawer
had only logged against the door Of
his memcryl
I'll find one-big one-steal one
anything!" he cried aloud.
Hark! was that the little voice, muf-
fed by the folds of the thick comforter,
still calling to him? Was it growing
clearer, nearer?
"Wisher Happy New Year, daddy"
Why, it was Becky said it herself,
standing in the murky doorway ?
Becky! Her voice shrilled out to him,
triumphant and sweet.
Abel sprang forward in sudden hor
ror and caught her in his arms. Her
little nightgown fell away from her
bare toes, and he felt the chill of them
against his wrists.
Happy New Year" he repeated, me-
chanically, after her. He was hugging
the little cold feet fiercely to his breast,
and burying his face in the tousled hair.
1t was Becky - Becky - and her
cheeks, against his, felt round and
warm. And she sat on his arm as
straight and strong as little ramrod
Then he had been asleep. He had had
terrible dream. Thank God, he was
awake now! He carried Becky back
upstairs. feeling every step as he went,
into bed among blankets and quilts, and
kissed her.
His lamp was flickering out, and he
got another and carried it down stairs.
The big book on the high corner desk
lay open at page 46-
What
Abel Tappan could hardly believe his
eyes. He took eff his glasses and
rubbed them on the lining of his coat
| p,,t ykar v,,,< \
could still see two wavy. criss-cross
lines meandering from corner TO corner
of page 46.
Mrs. Wyncoop's page. opposite, was
clean and uncrossed
well, now, who'd we believed It'll"
he laughed, in loud delight. His heart
telt light and glad. 81 did It myself,
instead O crossing out Mis- Wyncoop's!
And it can stay, too It'll remind me
that l amt going to press that poor
Mckie woman a mite-not mite-not
if she can't ever pay up. She's got a
poor little spindling, crooked backed
girl, and the Lord knows that's enough
afliiction. That's more'n could stand -
With careful painstaking, he retraced
the slanting lines, his per splutterirg
tiny flecks of ink upon his intent face,
"There!" he breathed softly, 81 guess
they're black enough to remind me if
amt stone blind! Now I'll turn over a
new leaf"
At the top of the clean, new page he
wrote, in his small, unsteady letters,
the word Lemons"
"I'll send Becky over with 'em first
thing in the morning-if can find 'em, =
he added, laughing again. Then he
slapped his thigh in a sudden spasm OF
recollection.
why, bless your heart! they're in
the money drawer this minute, holding
their sides, like as not. | raked 'em all
in to get 'em out o my sight"
A sleigh load of belated jewellers was
crunching past. Their gay voices rang
out, and their laughs chimed in pleas
antly with his.
He hurried to the door, unlocked 1t
and shouted after them at the top oi
his voice, little Becky's "Wisher Happy
New Year!"-AnGie Hamilton Donnell
in Country Gentleman.