Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-11-18
PRIVATE JlM'S RETURN.

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Sine was kneadiug dOo gh, amt wv
mr. tIr,e times she stopped TO sc'ap'
the c nngipg batter ilom her dug
ers With the back Of a case-khl'e
She hummed u little old fashion
ed tune, emphasizing the 'tnm t'
tun' With savage iaos at the :ap'd
" hardening dough Gu .ue she'll
boaId tefOre her.
'Jan,r
No reply.
'Janev
The ungainl, figure OF ID 5oung
girl in glugh9m, uer aalr escaping
in strands the loosely tied knot al
tue back OF heI head. appeared Ii
the pantry doorway.
w bat dye wautF
4 want Ne L glt them biscuit
inns out o tn kitchen cubboard
an briug 'em in he'e Z me.
The glil slowly tufoed and shan
bIed across the kitchen floor, tht
runover heels OF her old slippers
cIatteriug ou tue white scrubbed
boards as she walked.
L never see sich a gig, mutier
ed Mrs. Springer to herself. Seems
/ like lmpOssibliiy & git any
decent help out herein IT, Gentry.
/ an th' girls that's good fer any
thing gifts up an gifts T teown e.
soon ez the, re tt right age + bs
good fer anything. OIiy them al
Is too laz, / liveIs lef fer us ouI
here
From the great lump OF dough
on Tie board Mrs. Springer pulled
little lamps and rolled them iut'
habby globes, which She placed II
regular lines on the bottom OF th'
biscuit tins.
She had patted the last httl'
hmm into A ball and wed ged it int
a corner OF Que OF the pans and
stepped back to survey her work
wuen through tue open doorway o
/ tue kitchen foated t. her, on The
cool September air,the call. 'MiSsu'
Springer Ga. MisSus Springer!
Meow I'd like T. know who tha
is.' she exclaimed as she crosse
the floor and pushed open th'
screen door
Fer the iau's sake, Il Ike Evans,
what be yOu -wantlnY
She bad stepped out on the bacl
poIch, all green aud blue witt
clingimg vines and open morning
glorjes.
The litle man in the hight rig
wiped tue perspiralion from III
,.rnv and clambyred out of the
vehicle over the wheel.
He advanced toward Mrs. Spring
or and extended a yellow envelope
.Tnis kun las night he said, je'
fore th' ten twenty arrove. Th' OF
orator asked me Z fetcn 1t. At iusI
II thought IA bring right over
not tbihbiu' but what iJ might b
.rom Jun. Then / s,z T. mAsel
SCI /, .MiSsus Springer, II be Z he
an better wait till uOrnin', 50
feicned 1t over on my way deown
At the name jim Mrs. SPRUCE
clutched the bit Of yellow pape
aud, With fingers that wdvered
hue, tore opeo the envelope.
Z-ke wdlied.
9ue euyel1pe dropped to ia
1oor of lhe norch. Mrs. Syringe
held the dispatch in her LETT han
lnd followed the Scrawied writIn
Gi,h the tOrrGnger # her right.
One glance at the words, and st
cried out: lbs jim. He's cOmi
= nome. Ito from his capting sayir
he has been sent ZONE sick IN Il
cire1 y TWO other soldiers. He le
the camp yesterday afternoon an
b. here ali'y tOmOrrer mOrnin'.'
us they anything | kin do +
yeY asked Zeke, a little tone Q
anxiety 10 bis voice.
mo, they am. nawthin'. AN
don't believe / even thanked ye f
brlngin' me this telegI am, Zeke.'
IKE blushed ani stammere
thai that was all right ani turn'
d TO Chamber over the wheel aga
luto bis 'Hg'
Matilda Springer went back IN
the kitchen aud through the lit
passage way into the front roo
There by the half curtained wi
dow. through which the suu ia
had Uttered on another Septemb
morning, long before, aud llghte
the face of a man III c0mn, 81
read again the telegram; Jim
slck, aud [ have sent two mel
bers of the company along wi
him.