The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-31
..: 81, ST0vERS FURNITURE COMP ANY ' s%: y

all o. thatn: and the other'n-I promised
David = Mason - Jeffries L wouldn't
never - tell = no - livin'-soul-lesS he
-er-they-guessed-it out
-their-own-se'fl" And as she gave this
rather ambiguous explanation OF the first
riddle, with the comment on the latter
In conclusion, she shook her elfin tresses
back over her shoulders with cunning
toss Of her head and glimmering twin
kle Of her pale, bright eyes that some
how reminded us of the fairy godmother
in Cinderella.
And Mary Alice Smith was right. too,
in her early representations regarding
the visits of her Uncle Temps and Aunt
'Lizabeth Many times through the win
ter they Jest dropped in as Aunt LIZ
abeth always expressed 1t, Ito see how
we was a-gittin' on with Mary Alice.
And once, IN court week." during pro-
lcnged trial In which Uncle Temps and
Aunt 'Lizabeth rather prominently fig-
ured, they lest dropped In upon Us and
settled down and dwelt with us for the
longest five days and nights we children
had ever in our lives experienced. Nor
was our long term of restraint from
childish sports relieved wholly by their
absence, since Aunt 'Lizabeth had taken
Mary Alice back with them, saying that
"a good long visit to her dear old home
pore as 1t was-would do the child
good"
And then 1t was that we went about
the house in moody silence, the question.
-is-Mary-Alice-Smit for
ever yearning at our lips for utterance
snd the still belated echo in the old hall
overhead forever answering "Oh-she-
s-gone-homer'
1t was early spring when she returned.
And We were looking for her coming,
cr,A lrr,ax hafS he, he
day she would arrive-for had not Aunt
'Liznbeth sent special word by Uncle
Temps, who had come to town to do
his millin, and git the latest war news,
not to fall to Jest drop In and tell us that
they was layin' off to send Mary Alice in
next Saturday"
Our little town, like every other village
and metropolis throughout the country
at that time, was, to the children, at
least, a scene of continuous holiday and
carnival. The nations heart was pal
plating with the feverish pulse of war,
and already the still half frozen clods
of the common highway were beaten in
to frosty dust by the tread of marshalod
men; and the shrill Shrek of the flfe
and the hoarse boom and Jar and rat
Ting patter of the drums stirred every
breast with something of that rapturous
insanity of which true patriots and he
roes can alone be made.
But on that day-when Mary Alice
Smith was to return-what was all the
gallant tumult of the town to us? I re-
member how we ran far up the street to
welcome her-for afar off we had recog-
nized her elfish face and eager eyes peer
ing expectantly from behind the broad
shoulders of handsome fellow mounted
on great housekeeping horse that
neighed and pranced excitedly as we ran
slx11rrviup toward them
"Whoo-eer she cried, In perfect &C.
stacy, as we paused in breathiess admi-
ration. "Clear-the-track-the
--folksi -fer-Mary-Al -
David = Mason--Jef tries = is = come to
town.
o, what a day was that And how
vain indeed would he the attempt t. de-
tail here a 1.-THE of its glory or our hap
piness in having back with us our dear
little girl. ard her hysterical delight in
seeing us so warmly welcome to the full
love of our childish hearts the great.
strong. round-faced, supplemented "Da-
d-Mason-Jeffriesr' Long and long
ago We had learned to love him as we
loved the peasant hero of some fairy
tale of Christian Andersen's but now
that he was with as in most wholesome
and robust verify, our very souls seemed
scamperirg from our bodies to run to
him and be caught up and tossed and
swung and handled In his gentle, giant
arms
All that long delicious morning we were
with him. In his tender charge we were
Permitted to go down among the tumult
end the music of the streets, his round,
gocd-huIored face end big blue eyes lit
with a lustre like our own. And happy
little Mary Alice Smith-how proud she
was Of hfml And how closely and how