Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-30

she said l must always put him pure
cream in his coffee now. No; he'll
never go away" said EN- dolorously.
The boy put down his skins and
fumbled in his pocket and produced
a small piece of paper containing some
thing. He stuck 1t out toward her.
"There, take 1t for you" he said,
this was by way of comfort.
EN- opened it and found small bit
Of gum, commodity priced by the
but the great tears dropped
down slowly on to it.
Waldo was distressed. He had cried
so much in his morsel Of life that tears
in another seemed to burn him.
ST." he said, stepping in awkwardly
and standing by the table, 'if you will
not cry, l will tell you something, a
secret"
What is IT." asked En-, instantly
becoming decidedly better.
you will tell 1t to no human being"
"No."
He bent nearer to her and with deep
solemnity said:
II have made machinew
En- opened her eyes.
Eyes, machine for shearing sheep.
1t is almost DONE" said the boy.
"There is only one thing that is not
right yet. but it will be soon. When
you think and think and think all night
and all day, it comes at last" he added
mysteriously.
Where is it?''
Here! | always carry it here" said
the boy, putting his hand to his breast,
where bullying out was visible. "This
is model. When it is done, they will
have to make q large one"
Show 1t me-"
The boy shook his head.
mo. not till it is DONE cannot let
any human being see it till then"
1T is beautiful secret" said En-.
and the boy shufIled out to pick up his
skins.
That evening father and son sat in
the cabin eating their supper. The ia
Their sighed deeply sometimes. Per-
haps he thought how long a time It
was since Bonaparte had visited the
cabin, but his son was in that land in
which signs have no part. 1t is a ques-
ton whether it were not better to be
the shabbiest of fools and know the
way up the little stair of imagination
to the land of dreams than the wisest
of men, who see nothing that the eyes
do not show ind feel nothing that the
hands do not touch. The boy ciiewed
his brown bread and drank his coffee,
but in truth he saw only his machine
finished, that last something found out
and added He saw 1T as it worked
with beautiful smoothness, and over
and above, as he chewed his bread and
drank his coffee, there was that de.
ightful consciousness of something
bending over him and loving him. 1t
would not have been better in one of
the courts of heaven, where the walls
are set with rows of the King Of
Glory's amethysts and milk white
pearls, than there, eating his supper in
that little room.
AS they sat in silence there was a
knock at the door. When it was open
ed. the small woolly head of little
niger showed itself. She was mes
senger from Tant' Sannie. The Ger
man was wanted at once ut the home
stead. Putting on his hat with both
hands, he hurried off. The kitchen
was in darkness. but in the pantry be-
yond Tant' Sannie and her maids were
assembled.
A Kaftir girl who had been grinding
pepper between two stones knelt on
the floor. the lean Hottentot stood with
a brass candlestick In her hand, and
Tant Sannie, near the shelf. with a
hand on each hip. was evidently listen
ing intently, as were her companions
"What may it be?'' cried the old
German in establishment.
The room beyond the pantry was the
storeroom. Through the thin wooden
partition there arose at that instant,
evidently from some creature ensconced
there. prolonged and prodigious howl.
followed by succession of violent
blows against the partition wall.
The German seized the churn stick
and was about to rush round the
house when the Boer woman impress.
lively laid her hand upon his arm.
"That is his head" said Tant' San
ME; that is his head"
But what might it be?" asked the
German, looking from one to the other.
churn stick in hand.
A low hollow below prevented re-
ply, and the voice of Bonaparte lifted
itself on high.
"Mary Ann. my angel. my wife"
isn't it dreadful?" said Tant' Sannie
as the blows were repeated fiercely.
HE has got letter. His wife is
dead. You must go and comfort him.
said Tant' Sannie at last, land will
go with you. 1t would not be the
thing for me to go alone-me. who am
only 33. and he an unmarried man
now said Tant' Sannie. blushing and
smoothing out her apron.
Upon this they all trudged round
the house in company, the Hottentot
maid carrying the light. Tant' Sannie
and the German following and the
Kaftir girl bringing up the rear.
"Oh," snid Tant', Sannie, 81 see now
it wasn't wickedness made him do
without his wife SO long. only neces-
sity."