The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-08-10


they were a line of Miss Senthrilla's
poetry. The first verse had been big
Tad's verse, but instinctively Diana
knew that little Tad had filed all the
other verses. She sat very still and
waited for the rest. Miss Senthrilla
chose another button from the pile. 1t
was covered with faded blossom
sprigged six.
"It came off my wedding Dress" Miss
Senthrilla said. Yes, my dear, mine.
| 1t was Emmy's afterward, but it was
mine first. There were pink posies all
over it, and pink was my color. | had
pink bonnet strings to match. Pink
wasn't Emmy's color, but Emmy
didn't mind. You couldn't find any
thing Emmy didn't look becoming in.
She cut off the ends of the bonnet
strngs-they were so long-and made
little butterv bows under the brim,
next to the face. Big Tad always adj
mired those little bows. Little Tad had
'em to play with afterwards. Emmy
cut off the buttons too, and he used TO
rattle 'em round in tin dish"
Miss Senthrila was poring over the
buttons intently, hunting for some
thing.
ut was kind of brassy where the
steel had worn off-little Tad asked me
once if twas real gold underneath. /
don't see where-yes, here it is. Here's
one of eri, my dear"
She held the little fiat button out to
Diana, and with q lender smile CULVER
Ing in her face. 1t was not Miss Sen
thrilla's face-there was no lack OF
passionate tenderness in it.
IL sewed 'em on myself. They were
Oh little Tad's first pants-I sewed
three above each knee, on the seam, for
the trimming. | used to always make
little Tad's clothes. Emmy didn't
mind. | minded-dearie me! / used to
sit up nights sewing, and l could hear
j little Tad's breathing in the other
room. | minded that, too"
The tiny tarnished button lay in
Danas soft palm, and she saw it
through tears. A sob futtered in her
throat.
"That boy! You ought to have seen
him in those first pants This town
warn't big enough to hold him, in EN-!
l can look right over your head and see
him out there III the yard, strnttlng.
Little Tad was dreadful short and
broad-the pockets in those little bits
of short-legged pants came clean down
to his knees-'most. He learned to
whistle the same day-wearing pants
inspired him, l guess. Before, he'd
only wheezed. Emmy didn't like
whistlng-little Tad used to go down
behind the barn so she wouldn't
hear"
"And you went down behind the
barn to hear" Diana said, with low
laugh.
"Yes," admitted Miss Senthrilla.
There was only one other verse to the
little ''poem." Diana put her gold
brown head down on the buttons in
Miss Senthrilla's lap and cried when
they came to it. And Miss Senthrilla's
light fingers wandered over the girls
head while she talked.
THAT one was on little Tad's soldier
clothes, my dear. It's tarnished now,
but, dearie me, it was bright enough
then! There wereBtwo rows of 'em
down the front of his coat, and some on
his sleeves. l sewed em all on stronger
they were on so f1imsy when he
brought the blue suit home. Little
Tad was a regular soldier in those brass
buttons. They were becoming to him
and he was SO proud of them!
~ kissed him the last time when he
went marching away-Emmy didn't
mind. went up on Blue mountain to
watch the boys go down the turn
! pike. You can see great ways from
the top of Blue mountain, and had the
old spyglass, too. | was certain l
could tell which was little Tad till they
were clear out of sight
| "Once he saw me and waved his SOL
dier cap. Then | saw the sunshine shin
ing on his. brass buttons. l never did
again. My dear, lost my way coming
home that day! l couldn't see the
road"
The little dull brass button in Miss
Senthrilla's hand caught dim light
from the glow in the west where the
sun was going down. Miss Senthrilla's
hand closed over it tightly.
II went to take care of him, when he
was shot, but l didn't get there soon
enough. This little button was all l
found of my little soldier Tad. Some
body who was kind had cut it off for
me. Emmy let me keep it. For years,
my dear, kept it in little box of pink
cotton, but l got afraid, by and by,
that folks would find it after died, and
think l was romantic. So L put it in
here with the other buttons. | think
l had forgotten it-but l hadn't for
gotten little Tad.
Il never told anybody all this before
it just slipped out to you, my dear.
If any one remembers my little Tad
now, it's just as Emmy's boy-not
mine. But he was mine"
When Diana got home the baby's
mother met her at the door curieusIy.
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