The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-25

S''e away. tSLe Clutches the Dig NellOW-
eyed bundle of fur to her bosom, and
sinking upon the foot of her little white
bed. breaks down i'll fit of convulsivc
weeping.
'Oh, Tom," she means, twill he never
come back to us-never. never again
Is he lyin in some lonesome thicket,
struck down by Il Spanish bullet, his
poor dead body hidden away from all
eyes but them of the pityin' GodT'
Meow" observes Tom, picking away
busily with his long. clean claws.
'Oh, God" pleads the broken voice,
''have pity on me. / am so lonesome and
miserbul, dear Father. Give him back
to me. won't you? Oh. please; for he
was my life, my all.
Meow" says Tom, rubbing his whis-
kered mouth against her vigorously.
But Jennie does not heed. For long
hours she lies there. dead to all outer
things, more lonely in her anguish than
the outcast Hagar of old.
At last there comes Il light rapping at
the door.
Jennie does not hear it, however, and
the rapping is renewed Then the door
is pushed open and some one enters
breeziIy.
N.Y. cries a voice. ''All alone in the
dark here? Why, what's to pay with
You, Jennie:''
There is a sound of angry splitting, as
Tom, who is sadly lacking in the great
virtue of hospitality. flies from the arms
of his mistress to Il refuge beneath the
bed.
rs that you, SUSIE" asks Jennie at
the same moment.
Lord, naw," rather pettishly. Don't
you know Carrie Wester's shout when
you hear it. I've come to see you, Jen-
ME. Say. now, amt you glad?"
Jennie's heart contracts.
stop a moment. she says, rising, 'and
I'll make light
Nav. don't-not yit I've got sumpum
to say first. / want to tell you I've
been behavin' lack Il fool an I'm sorry
for it. Won't you try TO- forget it all
Jen?'
oh" with sweet eagerness, do you
really mean it,"
Sure. I'm not so fond of eatin'
humble pie as to come here to-"
''Oh, Carrie, God bless you! You
make me SO happy"
"Do L? Well that's-Ow- What're
you doin' to me, Jen? That's me you're
squeezin And you hug like n bear,
you-you little swindle! And ahoo.-
don't you know-ahoo ahoo.-I amt
with it, Jen? And here / STAN laugh
in at u-ahoo.-lack sumpum with not
one grain of sense"
''Laughin', Carrie?"
Lord. yes. Don't you hear me- Come,
git away from me, Jennie. befo' ! drown
you out. Somehow / never could laugh
without these leaky old eyes of mine
runnin' over"
Her arms that have been returning
Jennie's loose embrace with interest,
loose their clasp; and Jennie herself,
with a hysterical little laugh, goes run
ming to the mantel-piece to light the
lamp.
''There, she says. as the yellow radi-
ance flashes out 1--WE can see each
other now, Why, Carrie, how white
you are. What's the matter? Have you
seen a ghostTr
YES" wiping her wet eyes, and smil
ing queerly. Saw it not fifty yards
from your door
Good gracious! What was it. dearE
~ white calf, / reckon. At least
that's what | think about it now. Jen-
ME. have you had any support"
no; | wasn't hungry. | couldn't eat
Il morsel."
s.And no fire.
81 didn't need it. l didn't feel the
cold. But now"
oh you stan aside. I'll build it my
se'f. Do you know you're half frozen!
Your hands re like ice. An that's not
ALL throwing open the door of the
little stove and showing III billets of wood
"S'pose Tom should come home here an
fin nothin' feat" Selling the oil can
IAN the house all cold? Pretty wei
come" striking a match-''for a man
jest back from the war, ,Jen."
''Ah, but" with lips deathly white,
hes not comm, Carrie"
N.Y. filling the tea-kettIe. "How do
you know that, Jen.?"
Because her voice sinking to
hoarse whisper hes dead, dear"
"0h, 4shucks. I don't believe it.
You're in the dumps, Jennie. Wake up.
Don't you know this is Christmas Eve:"
It's sad an dreary one for me,
Carrie"
well, maybe Christmas itself will be
brighter Maybe it'll bring you--Oh!
oh. oh.' screams the girl, running
across the room with her face turned
backward over her shoulder.
What is it?' cries Jennie, in alright.
"A facea mans face-there at the
window A tramp, Jennie Lock the
door. Keep him out, for the Lords sake.
Quick!
Jennies flies toward the door, Before
she can reach it she sees the bolt turn
ing and the door itself swinging inward.
She recoils step, Reconstruction.
Breathless and quaking, she stands with
dilating eyes fixed on the widening strip
of black night without
The door swings back against the
wall In the black opening stands
tall young fellow in blue. the yellow
light of the lamp shining full upon his
bronZed, handsome face.
Oh. the mad, sweet cry of rapture that
breaks from Jennie's lips! With out
stretched arms she flies to his breast like
some swift-winged bird. With broken
words of passionate endearment she
nestles there, clasping him to her breast
close-close. while her face flashes into
glory, and her eyes over-run with heav-
emily tears.
And he, why, God bless you. he's
almost as great a baby as she. He just