Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-21

an now see how it's turned out He want.
ed to be histed up in bed this mornin', Mr..
Bur!eigh said after she'd got the drarves
on his feet and given him his medicine;
an she went and put her hand under the
back of his head. and he was gone in no
time That's queer thing to kill a man,
amt it? Miss Curtis said she was a sick
W"man: an all wore out with him. l s'pose
that's how she happened to do it. Now
there's the soldiers home over to Togus:
likely the poor thing would "a been better
They crossed the road involuntarily and
went by the house with an air of virtueus
avoidance. but under the poplar trees be-
ycnd the barn Electra suddenly halted
guess ! amt never told you about
Harry Sylvester. Miss Dorothy. He hasn't
got only one leg. but his mother says he
makes up for it in hands. l can't ever see
any extra ones. but, of course. she'd ought
to know. Poor Miss Sylvester She has
things enough to make her feel bad. Dr.
Gordon says that Harry's father was
poorer'n one O. Jobs cats when they first
come here. an now he's gettin' to be a
four-handed man. Seems II somethin'
kept happenin' to him all the time. don't
1t? Now. Harrys had his leg cut on an
probly he'll be four-handed too. before he
gets through with 1t. / was thinkin' that
p'raps Miss Burleigh'd send him some O.
them drums If anybody spoke to her about
It,, her frank eyes full of sympathy.
I'm afraid you don't quite understand
about the drums at Mrs. Burleigh's, dear"
said Miss Wagner. family. Suppose we
sit down here by the brook and rest awhile"
Everybody likes Mr.. Bureigh.'' resumed
Electra. after according what seemed to
her sufficient time for a graceful change Of
subjects.
Aunt Octavia used to say that he'd give
we his eyeteeth IL you asked for EN- 1
never quite believed 1t when she said 1t.
but l went over there once to do an errand
an l was plannin' to speak to him about
it" She burst into roguish laugh at the
recollection. displaying to advantage her
own teeth, safely past the transition period,
and now cleaning in even whiteness
When 1 got there. Miss Dorothy, ne
didn't have a tooth in the world except
some that was up on the kitchen shelf in
cracked tumbler. An so 1 run home an
told Aunt Octavia that somebody'd asked
him for 'em an got 'em. That was ever so
long ago, when 1 didn't know any better
II love my Aunt Octavia dearly. but she's
queer sometimes. She don't like dreams
very well. 1 had real bad dream once
when 1 was little girl. Seems If mother
didn't have father then. but don't know
sure for l was such a little girl.
But mother'n med been havin' a norf1e
good time in the evenin'. poppin' corn an
tellin' stories an all that. An she het up
nv feet in front o the stove an said, Two
she put me to bed. An then afterward l
dreamt that l heard mother cryin'. OF
course l thought I'd walked up. You al
ways do think you've walked up. don't We.
y,
Il see mother lookin' dretf1e sober Sc in
| down front O. the bureau an handlin over
some papers she took out of a box. Then
| / dreamt she kissed square thing that
was kinder shet up in her hand an cried,
| an cried. just as l did when cut my finger
with the chopin knife.
IT told mother about it the next day.
She laughed at me an said little folks
| mustn't imagine things; an then she went
| into the kitchen to stir her cramb'ry sauce,
| as smilin' could be. But justs soon's
| she'd got out O hearin' up jumped Aunt
| Octavia an grabbed holt O. my shoulder
/ an shook me as IL / was a table cloth.
| An she says. Don't you never tell your
| mother that dream again. as longs you
| live an breathe There's lots O. things
| makes her nervous. Mother amt never
nervous''-a satisfied ripple in her voice.
Aunt Octavia'n 1 had a secret once"
| she went on. in gentle flow Of reminis-
| cence. II was stayin' over to her house
| while Uncle Silas sugared or"
She threw a pebble into the brook, and
| watched the widening circles on the water
What was the secret, Electra?' asked
| Miss Wagner. after a moments silence.
"Oh, yes. still looking at the water and
speaking half absently. II was lonesome
| for mother one night after got into bed.
an auntis left a candle burning: but twas
said. Now lay me- justs If mother was
there. Then the candle sputtered again
| an began to say, Our Father They
| heard me then. an they came runnin' up
| stairs In norfe hurry. An Aunt Octavia
says, You little screech owl. you'll scare
you shoutin' that way forr
THAT was worse'n the candle. for
| didn't know what she meant; but told her
] that the QgaYG said. HOllered be Thy