Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-04-12

iLG DsAth bI ALt NLlstAt anu oAhAtNN a
bit Of roaster cake under the knot OF
the bundle. and then his preparations
were completed. The German stood |
them with much satis-
faction. He had almost forgotten bis |
sorrow at leaving in his pleasure at !
Suddenly he startAi. An |
EXPRESSION of intense pain passed over |
his face. He drew back his left arm |
quickly and then pressed his right hand |
upon his breast.
"Ah. the sudden pang again!" he |
said
His face was white, but IL quickly re-
gained its color. Then the old man
busted himself in putting everything
right.
Il will leave 1t neat. They shall not
say | did not leave it neat" In said.
Even the little bags of seeds on the
mantelpiece he put in rows and busted.
Then he undressed and got into bed.
Under his pillow was a little story
book. He drew it forth. To the old
German a story was no story. Its
events were as real and as important
to himself as the matters OF his own
life He could not so away without
knowing whether that wicked earl re-
Tented and whether the baron married
Emilina. SO he adjusted his spectacles
and began to read. Occasionally, as
his feelings became too strongly NOV
ed. he ejaculated: "Ah, l thought sol
That was a rogue. 1 saw 1t before. l
knew it from the beginning" More
than half an hour had passed when he
looked up to the silver watch at the
top of his bed.
The march is long tomorrow. This
will not do" he said, taking off his
spectacles and putting them carefully
into the book to mark the place. This
will be good reading as l walk along
tomorrow" he added as he stuffed the
book into the pocket of the greatcoat,
Every good reading" He nodded his
head and lay down. He thought a lit
tie of his own troubles, good deal OF
the two little girls he was leaving, OF
the earl. of Emilina, of the baron, but
he was soon asleep, sleeping as peace
fully as a little child upon whose inno-
cent soul sorrow and care cannot rest
1t was very quiet in the room. The
Goals in the fireplace threw duh red
| light across the floor upon the red
lions on the quilt. Eleven o'clock
came, and the room was very still. One
| o'clock came. The glimmer had died
| out, though the ashes were still warm,
| and the room was very dark. The gray
| mouse which had It's hole under the
| nd tha sack
| in the corner. Then, growing bolder,
the room was so dark, it climbed the
chair at the bedside, nibbled at the
roaster cake, took one bite quickly at
the candle and then sat on its haunch-
es listening. 1t heard the even breath
| ing of the old man and the steps OF the
hungry Kaffir dog going his last round
in search of bone or n skin that had
been forgotten, and it heard the white
hen call out as the wildcat ran away
with one of her brood, and it heard the
chicken cry. Then the gray mouse
went back to it's hole under the tool
box, and the room was quiet. And 2
o'clock came. By that time the night
was grown dull and cloudy. The wild
cat had gone to its home on the "kop-
ie." The Kaffir dog had found bone
and lay gnawing it.
An intense quiet reigned everywhere.
Only in her room the Boer woman toss
/ ed her great arms in her sleep. for she
dreamed that a dark shadow with out
stretched wings fed slowly over her
house. and she moaned and shivered
And the night was very still.
But, quiet as all places were, there
was quite peculiar quiet in the Ger
mans room. Though you strained
your ear most carefully, you caught
no sound of breathing.
He was not gone, for the old coa
still hung on the chair, the coat tha
was to be put on when he met any
one. and the bundle and stick wer'
ready for tomorrow's long march. Th'
old German himself lay there, his wav!
black hair just touched with gra.
thrown back upon the pillow. The OLE
face was lying there alone In the dark
smiling like little child's-oh, sc
peacefully There is stranger who's
coming, they say, is worse than all III
Ills of life, from whose presence W.
; flee away trembling, but he come
very tenderly sometimes, and 1t seem
ed almost as though death had know
and loved the old man, so gently
touched him. And how could 1t dea
hardly with him-the loving. simple
childlike old man?
So 1t smoothed out the wrinkles tha
were in the old forehead and fixed til
passing smile and sealed the eyes tina
, J they might not weep again, and the
, the short sleep of time was melted Int
the long long sleep Of eternity.
How has he grown so young in thi
, one night?" they said when they foun
| | him in the morning.
Yes, dear old man, to such as 20
time brings no age. You die with tn
4 purity and innocence Of your chllc
) hood upon you, though you die In you
) gray hairs.
FRO DE coSTrNUrD.l