The Jamesburg record., 1901-10-26

room.-- salu the doctor, gently turn
ing the handle of the door. The
child did not hear him. Save for the
fires dim glow the room was in dark
ness. The doctor was about to ad-
vince. but Gideon laid hand upon
his shoulder saying, "Husb."
The girl was speaking the
habit of children-to one who was not
there to listen. Every evening at
this hour it had been her custom to
read from a story book, while her Sis
ter worked with her needle. And now
she held the book sideways to the
freight and said in choked, stified
voice:
I'VE left off at page 141, Minnie. 1t
was the end of a chapter"
She stopped to look up at the vacant
chair to which her words were appar-
emily addressed. AS she did SO the
book slipped from her lap to the floor.
"Miunie isn't there" she whispered
to herself. Il thought l should see
her sitting in her chair. l can't start
the new chapter if Minnie isn't with
me, and the words choke me-"
She fumbled with trembling hand
at the collar of her black dress. The
doctor thought then that the passion
of weeping would break out uncon-
trollably, but he was disappointed.
She picked. up the fallen book and
placed it carefully upon a shelf with
a few others. From these she alb
stracted a Bible She stood a mo-
ment, thinking.
'Would it be wicked, l wonder?"
she said to herself. Jennie Clark
once tried it, and God answered her
that way"
Deciding in favor of the scheme
that had entered her. mind, the child
took pin from her dress, screwed up
her eyes, and drove the point between
the leaves of the volume. Opening it
at the place thus indicated, she
stabbed again with the pin point and
so marked passage.
Putting a finger upon the passage
she had chosen, the child carried it
to the freight and read, in the words
of Herod the king: "Ask of me what
soever thou wilt, ard L will give it
thee"
She jumped to her feet with gasp
of frightened astonishment Appar-
emily the words had for her more than
a superficial significance, for she said,
in low, thrilling voice: at is true
then; l can ask it. | was afraid to,
but-but I'm not frightened now a
bit. l will ask God to send the Judg-
ment day, and to send it now, this
very instant. 1t will be awful; but |
shall see Minnie, and mother. And
it must come; it is certain, positive!
Perhaps l ought to go downstairs and
tell Mrs. Jennings. But no, though,
1 won't; she would only laugh. And
there are thousands of other people;
1 cannot tell them ALL"
"Did you hear her?" whispered
Gideon to his companion.
"Ah! Be careful
Gideon had taken a step into the
room.
The child, hearing nothing, wrapped
in an assurance at once delicious,
comforting and appalling, now
opened the window. The room being
the highest in the building was near
est to the stars-an advantage hap
PLY not considered by landlords.
Confused sounds floated upward. The
quiet Heavens were covered with
shining points, yellow and blue and
gold and blood-red. The fierce eye
of the Bull famed conspicuously. 1t
attracted the child's attention. She
lifted her face and began to speak.
She told how lonely she was, how
she could not live without those who
had gone. Innocence is familiar with
God. She wanted to know what was
the use of being alive when there
was nobody in all the world whom
she could love or be loved by. 1t
seemed to her then that there was
but one alternative-the end.
On the threshold of her mighty re-
quest she faltered, for the terror of
her prayer had seized her. An ex-
traordinary sensation was upon her
She felt that she was not alone in
the room. Her face turned white
Then she went on steadily.
Her voice sank to an awed whis-
per as word by word she unfolded
her terrible petition. Her eyes were
fixed above, fearing at any instant to
see the levin rend the stars. "And
o, good Father" said the child,
"when 1 say Now then let it come,
then let me hear the angels blowing
with the trumpets all over the sky"
She sank her head into her open
hands. A few moments passed. Sud-
denly she raised her face, the dread
full instant had come; her lips parted.
"My child" said Gideon.
He held her in his arms. Minnie's
sister cried as if her heart would
break.