The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-08-19

OH Lnc WOfu 'buSN, l'aplnc ilau
spelled it correctly, and had marched
proudly from the foot of the class to
the head. the ribbon of her hair float
ing on the breeze like the pcnnant of q
ship.
But the school going time was short.
Joe was needed at home, where the
scenes began to shift rapidly. First.
his father closed his eyes upon Ills dis
jointed time, and began the world that
sets this right then his mother re-
laxrd her hold upon life like Il tired
child, and lay all day long upon Il
lounge in the sitting-room; and she
who had been the untiring servant Of
all kept state for few months, and
watched other busy in her service as
carclcss!y as a queen. Her figure, al
ways slight, skrank to the pattern of a
clild's, and her thin face, in outline,
looked worn and fragile, like the edge
of last years leaf.
Joe often sat by her side and prattlcd
on, in his irrepressible fashion, upon
whatever subject caught his fancy,
while she listened, like one to whom
the voices on the shore have become
mingled with the beating of the waves
as he drifts out to sea. Once, how
ever, some talk of his, stories of mining
regions in the west, famed the intelli-
gence in her face. She half rose. II
believe, joe" she said. almost angrily,
'you think you could go out in the lot
and dig what you call nuggets as
easily as you did potatoes this morn
ing. Don't you know they put their
hearts and lives into those graves they
call mines out thcre?''
But Joe would not be convinced,
and talked on about that wonderful
country where the agile nickel sup
plants the slow drudge of 4 penny, till
his mothers face darkened with susp:-
ciCn.
"It's the Barlow blood, the curse of
it!' she cried one day. You'll go
there when I'm gone, and DRIFT over
that country like leaf in the wind.
| thought you liked Daphne
81 do" said Joe, stolidly. "I'llcome
back to her."
Come back!" exclaimed she "You d
better come back. Listen she cried
passionately 81 shall wait for you
here till you do come back | shall sit
there by the window-and watch-as
| used to do when YOU were coming
home from school. Do you under
stand!'
YES" said Joe, DULY.
One evening, when they were alone
together, and the shadows were steal
ing in and folding themselves eastward
about the room, she whispered, hrok-
enly:
"Can you hear the sound of waves,
Joe?'
NO
81 can. You know I've always
longed for the sea. We people of the
hills always long Tor one sight of the
sea- It's coming to me now, up the
mountain side"
/ Sac extended her hand feebly to-
ward an old willow seated chair. Put
it thereby the window-where shall
sit-and watch"
Joe rose on tiptoe, and, lifting, the
chair, set it in its place. When he
turned back, he heard an inarticulate
sound; then silence fell; and he knew
that the great ocean had risen to his
threshold.
1t was summer twilight when Joe
walked up the street for the last time
with Daphne. The hills rose in the
west, sombre and strong, purple-m -misted
now, drawing farther and farther into
the distance In the morning they
seemed to come nearer and look with
almost human interest on the life
spread out before them; but at twilight
they retreated, till they watched only
the progress of the stars, while the
tides of human history beat unheedcd
at their feet.
81 shall be beyond them soon, said
Joe, looking at the hills.
II s'pose So" said Daphne.
"But | shall come back some day
said Joe; then, slowly: Are you going
to wait for me, Daphne, girl!"
YES" said Daphne, carelessly.
OF course she would wait for him.
She had always accepted him as part
of the necessary furnishings OF the
world Her foot paced restlessly on a
clump of pussy clover" The soft.
grey, Iavender-tipped heads found favor
in her sight; their coming was mile
stone in the summers progress, q con.
stellation in its zodiac
"Pretty little fluffy stuff, isn't it,
said she.
"Yes," said Joe, doubtlulIy. His
special fancies were sunflowcrs and
ragged sailors.
"Couldn't you give me something
for kind o token?' asked Joe.
Daphne laughed. She was not &
pretty girl, but there was u sweet
wholesomeness in her plainness, and
when she lM. ghcd her whole face lighted
up and reflected mirth, as ripping W.;
ter gives back the sunshine.