Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-05-12

COPYRIGHTED BY THE c. p. A.
Al sieATs RESERVED.
CONTINUED.
XXI
TOM COYNE ABANDONS HIS AR
TILLERY.
Miss Stella sat there in the welcome
glow Of the sun. inhaling the pure
'resh air with a great physical dellght
While the soft morning zephyr gently
,anned and refreshed her like potent
elixir
What a restful rest 1t wasl What
delight: what a glorious, satisfying
reposei There seemed to be nothing
N the world left to be wished for-it
she could sit there forever, motlonless'
absorbing light and air and sunshine
and rest!
Far down within the lost, unmoved
depths of her tranquil mind there was
4 faint, unrealized inclination to think
Of something outside of herself, and be-
yond the moment, in some direction;
out to dc Sc involved an exertion which
she lacked the desire to make. To
think would be to invite fatigue and
.he felt so weak that she wished only
% rest forever, with her mind as blank
and still as the placid bosom of an un-
troubled pool.
The lapse of time was u1noted and
The protracted absence of the Prophet
was unnoticed
"HullOI"
She looked around and saw Tom
Coyne with his elongated artillery on
mis- shoulder. His presence did not
surprise her; she was not interested In
ais presence or in his errand CT IN any
hing beyond her own restful rest.
She knew that Tom Coyne was beside
ner but that fact was all that she ex-
arted herself to comprehend.
Good morning, Tom"
Thunder! Jerusalem crickets! Stell
Zenith Where'd you come FROM?
She was so thin and wasted and pale
hat he had not recognized her till she
spoke. In startled surprise he relaxed
his grasp upon his gun, which fell with
4 loud rattle and clangor upon the
stones. She was not interested in Tom
DR. his artillery, but she was too indo-
lent to be actively uncivil, so she an
swered:
81 came from Barton; from the Let
sons!"
"But that was ever so long ago!
You've been lost an given up for good
an all this long time!"
Have II"
"Of course you have! Don't you
know you have?"
mo"
"You didn't s'pose they knowed
where you was?"
81 had not thought about it at all.
Hadn't thought about the folks all
the time you've been gomez" Tom was
Indignant
Have been gone long? I hadn't
noticed. You haven't grown up yeti"
See here, Stell Zenith, What ails
you? You look like a billed ghost got
cold!"
q guess I have been sick"
why in thunder don't you go home
when your pa an ma an Carrie an all
just crazy an dyfn' so5ut you befns
gone an lost? Why don't you go home
| say?"
His energy aroused her dormant
mind all at once A great longing to
be at home with her parents and sis
ters surged over her soul and she
cried:
ooh, Toni Take me home? I can't
walk; can't you take me home, Tom
dear. -
"Golly, wish I could carry you; but
[ can't! Can't you lean on me an
walk?"
NO, no; 1 can't walk; I can't stand
Up. Oh, Tom, take me home? Do take
me home? Please, Tom?"
She wept and Tom was in great dis
oil
Say, Stell, how d you git here?" =
THE Prophet carried me-"
The old thief! I'll shoot pound ov
shot into him! The old abductionl"
mo, no, Toni He is kind and good
and if it hadn't been for him l would
have died on the hillside yonder. He
carried me up here and has taken care
Of me when | was SO sick that l was
crazy and helpless for 1 don't know
how long. Has it been a year, Tom?"
"All the same he shall carry you
home right now or / will shoot that
pound of shot into him anyway for not
tellin' us? Where is the old gibber-
gosher?"
He is inside Oh, do run in and ask
him to carry me home. l will die if
have to stay here another night"
Tom went into the hut; through the
first room, through the second; into
the third. There he saw the Prophet
kneeling before the altar Both hands
rested, palms down, upon the opeI
Bible; the face was upturned and the
light fell full upon it.
Tom stopped suddenly and sat down
in reverent silence to await the ccnclu-
sion of the prayer. 1t appeared tC
Tom to become entirely too long for a
reasonable prayer and he ventured to
signal his presence by a cough which
was unnoticed by the worshipper. AT
length the boys impatience overcame
both his awe of the Prophet and his
reverence for the Prophets Gevotions
and he timidly exclaimed:
Amen"
There was no effect and after a while
he yentured again, louder and with
bOldness
Amen, amea!"
Still there was no effect, and after
time that Tom thought very long he
got up and noisily moved stool; then
be tried coughing roughly two or three
times. Still the worshipper remained
undisturbed
"Sayi"
mere was no response and Tom be-
came desperate:
"Lookee here. John the Baptist.
want you 10 carry Stel Zenith home ::
AS he made the announcement he
stood ready to retreat and fall back up
,n his artillery; but there was no dem
onstration on the part of the Prophet
and Tom walked close to his side and
gazed down upon him. Only for an
instant; then with CHASTITY face he
rushed out to Miss Stella and in a voice
trembling and husky from fright,
,ried:
"Oh, Stell! He is dead!"
She sank back against the hut and
silently wept in his memory, for she
lelt now how kind and unself1sh and
devoted and tender he had been to her
and she loved him for his goodness.
His death was a poignant grief to her
and she wept long in silence. Tom sat
On great stone in awe, sympathy and
silence. Finally Miss Stella, still weep
ing said:
Tom, viii you go home and send
after me?"
"Of course! Why didn't I think OF
that before! Jimminy crickets! Won't
raise the town."
At her words he sprang to his feet
and before his own were fully uttered
he started down the hill at wild gait.
She called him back and demonstrated:
No, no, Tom! That won't do Go
to Bell Morton and tell her. Tell her
to get carriage and come with you;
don't tell another living sOult The