Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-07-27
THE RETURN
OF ULYSSES.
r OSEPH BINNS walked rapid,

I OSEIh blNNS Walheu TApluiy
away. Excitement reddened his
- cheeks. His eyes glittered.
Gradually the mood worked of, his
steps slackened, and he sighed hard
from time TO time.
He and his Anne had married too
young. He acknowledged the wrong to
his wife, and when earning good wages
across the seas sent money home to her.
But his letter came back through the
dead letter office. He walked along the
winding lane, not needing his way. He
never thought of Anne as an old wo
man, nearly as old as himself. He could
see her in his minds eye as she mp
peared in their. courting days. a pret-
tier lass there had not been in the
whole country side. Fleet as a deer,
timid as fawn, with soft blue eyes,
and such pretty fluffy hair. Sweethearts
had plagued her enough, but she flout-
ed them all for Joe's sake.
Then how pretty she had looked when
her baby came He had taken off his
boots and crept in on tiptoe to see them.
She was lying back on her pillow, her
arm round a little bundle of clothes.
Her face was white, but lighted with
such n beautiful smile, he could think
of nothing but A picture he had once
seen of the Mother Mary and the Holy
Child. The peevish moods. the fretful
baby We're all later developments, and
he had not been patient. God forgive
him. the girl was only 20 when he left
her! What a fool he had been,
The night advanced. One by one the
stars came out and the glow-worms
shone in the grass below the haw wthorn
hedge. All nature seemed nearer to
the heart of God. The old man felt
himself drawn into the mystery of that
magic stiffness. A soft. an overwhelm-
ing sense of something he had missed
through all his life took possession of
him. He lifted his white, lined face to
the starlit sky of the summer night
"Our Father" he whispered, "Our
Father which art in heaven, so help ME
/ will find her and do my duty by her
till | die" He went on talking to him
self under his breath for a few minutes.
then he gripped his stick. squared his
shoulders like an old soldier, and
ness.
A few days later Lucy Haws set out
TO pay another visit to her uncle. She
walked slowly as she approached
tiny cottage standing back from the
lane behind a low briar hedge. The
diamond -paned easements We're bare.
the door nailed up. the garden gate
broken on its hinges. An air of neglect
and desOlation pervaded the little
dwelling place. Peering over the hedge
with keen curiosity was a man, whom
Lucy at first glance took for a tramp
She could have vowed he was crying
when she first looked at his side face.
but when he turned at her approach
there was such eagerness and hope in
his whole mein that she thought she
was mistaken.
Can you tell me who lived here.
miss?" he asked, touching his hat po-
Itely
Yes, certainly" said the girl; "old
Widow Jones. Poor thing, she's in the
Union now, and there's none to look
after her bit of garden. It's in a bad
state. Shed fret awful to see it"
rs 1t maybe the Widow Jones that
was once known as Anne BfnnsF' he
asked, after quic, look over the hedge
at the Bit of garden
Yes, but that was years ago, before |
was born; but folks have been talking
a great deal about her lately"
Again the man stared over the hedge.
Lucy liked the look of him, and waited
for him to speak again. But he seemed
to have forgotten she was there, $,
after last specializing look at h..
white hair and tall figure she went o.
her way.
Joseph Rims walked up the path an
round the cottage, peepinG in at IL
window i5-t'k anl front Tie s'Irr.v
the neglected garden, and thought haro
for some time. Then he proceeded to
the village and hired small bedroom
for a week When he was going to bed
that night he pulled his blind down.
and looked carefully to sec there was
no chink or crack through which his
movements could be observed. Then he
began to undress.
He wore a moleskin waistcoat, bare
with age but still warm and thick. He
put the garment across his knee and
ripped the lining up the center. After
this he thrust in his hand and drew ou!
some rustling papers, which he fat
tened out and fingered separately witt
tender care. Joseph Binns had beeb
wise in his generation.
MY poor old girl-she shall have 'em
ALL" he muttered. I'm do the thing
proper and pretty. My word, little
Anne won't know herself"
1t was pathetic how he still cherished
the idea OF youth in respect to the wo
man he was seeking.
The village had delightful food TO-
gossip during the next week.
A stranger took possession Of Widow
Jones empty cottage. and each da.
brought with 1t some wonderful trans
formation. The garden was laid on.
the window cleaned and decorated tn.