The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-11-24

Gu udrk and forbidding. The old mo.
my nnocheu at the door, quietly at frSt n
auu tnen little louder-poor so,,I ~
was AFRAID to venture upon moro thn no
an apology of a knock-and 49, 49,
awaited In dumb patience the stor',. ne =.
ansIy words which he so we'll 49,,
would follow the opening Ha Nv he,s
the child's hand tightly in bic nHn neiu
did not trlne odd that the storm
uiu not Dreak on the instant
suddenly the door was thrown oman
VIII d jerk and the face of an angry
woman confronted them. She was
framed in INTO the bright light, and loor,
ins past her into the open room ba.
yond the shop they could see q waII
Mlled table A Whit of the hot coeSao
mat was borne to their hungry sensoS
hlaue the outer world seem dari5o1
anu ~, colder than it had been before
mere was pause. The bow tool
step forward, but a firmly set foot
barred his way. ' ioo'
II though SOL" said the woman
NOW I'm through with this, once and
for all. You hear? I'm done uitb a ttu
ootn OF yous. You're no good to me
eating my bread and earning none for
yourselves. You can just clear ont
1ou can't come in now and Won cant
come In again. Git now and never
come back" o'ei
For the second time that night the
door was slammed in their faces
Inc OLD man looked I'D the street
ana down again. He looked at tbe
lowering sky and then at johnny. He
TOOK out his old pipe, filled it me.
financially and put it back into his
pocket. Never come back!" Was
this his baby Annie of so long AGO.
Inc words seemed to ring in his ears
WIN curious persistence, like the
Duzz OF insects on summer night.
ne gazed at the blank face of the for.
bidding door as though the pain at his
heart would force it open. He felt a
little tug at his hand and saw upon
the pinched face upturned to his a
qulVerlng lip and eyes upon which
was the dew of gathering tears.
'Grandad, what did aunt Annie
mean? Is she mad again? I'm So
tired and little hungry. Amt we to
go IN, grandad?' The big tears be-
gan to run slowly down his cheeks.
They were walking along the emntv
streets now. The little feet Jagged
and the boy hung back with a tired
air.
I'll carry you a little, Johnny. I
guess you're about wore out" He
gathered the light body up into his
arms-as he had carried Annie once
He had no definite destination in
mind. 1t matterGd little where he
went now. There was no roof under
the sky to welcome him tonight
There was nowhere on this side of the
ocean, tie of kinship to draw him to
Itself. His heart was as heavy as his
head was light.
The air had grown colder as he
moved on toward the dock. and he
saw before him the wide and emptv
Slip just beyond. Peace brooded m
on its surface; rest seemed to be the
invitation of its deepening waters.
There was nowhere upon its expanse
the angry voice of an ungrateful child;
no room within its eternal majesty for
human passions Of the littleness of hu.
man strife. The boy was asleep in
the tired old arms, and a white face
was upturned to the sky.
The eyes of the old man filled with
tears. He ought to be with his dear
mother" he whispered, and then there
came thought of his own mother in
the faroff days, and of the wife he had
loved who was asleep tonight under
the green old sod.
The world seemed to sink away
then, and he and the boy were alone
with his memories and the quiet wa
tiers before them. He moved slowly
to the edge of the wharf
with his mother" he whispered to
himself. There's 20 room for us here,
and | want to 60"
He gathered the boy more closely
into his arms and kissed the cold and
sleeping face. There was one look at
the sky, ripple upon the surface OF
the water-and that peace which pass
eth understanding flowed into these
two retired souls.-N. Y. Mail and Ex-
press.