The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1900-01-19

railroad he saw q huoe Damn fire. It
looked wild and inviting. and IIalderson
urred his horse an snurd of music
greeted his oars too-mnsic oe fiddle
and cIanpers. A. he drew r1oSer he saw
the men and women darcino abont the
fire, There were 81 many mare men
than women that tbey were under the
necessity Of taking each other for mart
ners. and. locked in each others arms
he bravnv on1inaviars whirIed and
oaIloppd ahou, nm the hard earth, Same
tinv children canerrd about roo
screaminr and ,anghfrg Ard wf4hon
any nartnrr onite bv herself went The
laaf g;rl a~rcIior and hordiou tosSirg
her n]f,nt orm.7thp i~mnersonatfon If
| thn wild windy MONT
uo1dnrsor vho had ncro +hoo his
share Of northern hlood-corsiderino
that he always +honrht Of himself as
an American-fe +ha homosirlress on
ont of him suddnrIv He waited for no
Welcome He tied his horse and iofned
in tho ionocart ,.evs, aud nrasantlv he
and the leaf-ojrI were trasinr each
other abou the fire. he always pursu-
mo. she always yonishing.
The women made black coffee after
ward. and there was bread and meat
unou If fnr refreshment and then Hal.
darson drove AWAY in The biting frost
The doors of the little far paper houses
were closed, But lights CLEANED from
the windows and twink,pd in friendly
fashion ot the architect as he went on
his way.
After that the Ieaf-girl and he used
70 talk topether at the edge of the
grove, Bur she was as GOV as a squirrel
that chatters at one from a lofty
branch. She brought him little mes
| ages. such as:
There was ice on the ditch this
morning, tried it with nv toe. It
almost held me. When it is hard |
shall skate. HalderSon could imagine
that she would skate like the wind.
He thought to himself that he would
like to build an iceboat and put her
IN II under fhp Stars, once she S1Il,
81 cannot Iouoh any more, can
not run to-day. Something saws to
me. 'Jnnebord. Won are not to laugh
and run today"
,Vhot is called n prescrtiment,"
said Ualderson, "Y0ur people are for
ever having them. But prescntiments
never come true. They are old wives
~tolcs."
81 do not know any old wives. I
only know I cannot run" She held
her little head down and walked sadly
omouu III. shadows. Unlderson fol-
,oued ber and laid a hand MI her
eborlda,
..yop must lourb to-morrow," said
he "Jt i vrono for Won TO be sad,
There ora some things, like SQUIRRELS,
and birds. and YOU, who ought always
IN he Dav." But she walked slowly
vitb drnopiny bend for all of what he
said.
The next morning brought news TO
him Of - had dynamite explosion
omorg the rnadmakers. The lea;-
rir,,s father was killed. and his wife
vos only Jnpebord's strpmother. At
twilight she had not come. so he went
ov.r IN ber She WAS sitting in the
but beside the dead man, keeping
u.,+cb
81 an saving all the PRAYERS" she
.,id r,oyalv ~ s,1nnosa he must be
m,,cb afraid at bein~ dead. It must
ha b,rd o~a+t;rc ueed to Cod" She fell
tn nr~nying again. and HaIderson went
ont
Rut i, was he who saw 10 n proper
burial for ~.Iorgensop and the two 9TH
or unfortunate victims of the accident.
was grateful, and came down
,o tell him ~,
..p,. ,,ho+ nm +o do novo'' she in
o,i.od N, stonmotb,r she mnst
u,,rL IA care for her own children,
sba cannot also w,nrk for me-" She
,nnled with mournful ewes At the
,a,,rl,. civ and tha wind blew her sad
IittIo oormants ahopt her.
so Lnov" said Ualdersop, with an
;rsnirotion. "see. tc-uorrow the good
sisters move in the far wing there of
.ba ornbanape It is ready for them
beo,ad and lirhtad. and all. You
must he the first orphan. 1t will bring
Iuck"
She started at the word orphan, and
she turned red at the thought of the
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