The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-02-07

III he loved us why did he lean
ASP. asked the child, with that lo&ac
which exists only In the unwArped
minds OF children-Of all ages.
Even harder to answer than that nm
answerable question were the sincere
blue eyes raised with questioning look,
to her own; and Alice Newcomb, as:
Il seeking an answer to give the trust
ng child, whose head nestled SO low
ingly on her bosom, looked out OF the
window to the sunshine and the birds
and all the pretty growing things ana
| sought In vain for an answer.
| Why had he left them? The Ques-.
ton that had never left her mind by
night or day for Eve years; the har-
assing, singing, burning question
| which 1t seemed to her was branded
into her very soul. Her last thought
| each night, her first at dawn, haunt
| ing her dreams by night and her work
by day, never forgotten, always unan-
swerable: why had he left them?"
| The village had known no happier
home, had never contained within its
boundaries a prettier or. cosier nest
than the cottage where now sat the
| lonely woman with the winsome child
in her lap. The sunshine peeped
through the honeysuckle and into the
room where these two sat, just as John
| Newcomb had known 1t would when
with his own hand he had planned and
built the little home, full of hopes and
purposes for the future.
Their married life had been OF un-
usual and perfect content. Lovers for
many years, they had waited until
Johns prospects as partner In the
firm of Newcomb & Miller, carpenters
and builders, gave them assurance OF
financial safety, and then they had
married and settled in the prettiest OF
cottages almost before Alice could be-
lieve it true. Three happy years had
they spent in their home, during which
an added joy had come to them-the
little golden-haired girl whom they
had named Madeline. She was beau
tiful and an ideal child, born OF the
love of a perfect and happy home
and her coming had filed to the brim
the cup of happiness which life held to
the lips of John and Alice Newcomb.
John Newcomb was a manly man; as
the men said who worked for and with
him, he was every inch man." And
with every inch of his many inches, for
he was more than six feet tall, did he
love Ibis girl" Alice, and his baby
Madeline. To all that was rough and
burly and hearty in him, did the
dainty little girl appeal, with the un-
conscious strength of childhood. The
first word and the first step and the
first tooth were events never to be for
gotten in John Newcomb's life, sc
tightly about his heart did the little
Madeline weave the meSheS of love
giant meshes woven by baby hands.
The partnership prospered, the cot
tage was almost entirely paid for, ane
Johns reputation for the practical par
of his work, as well as the theoretical
for he had been known as an eXcellen
draughtsman, grew apace, and was thu
source of some modest pride to Johr
and of much wifely pride to Alice. TIT
Homecoming of John at night was thu
joyful part of the day to all Of them
and as the little one grew to more o
the pretty ways and words, of baby
hood and childhood, more and NOR
did John look forward to the reStfu
evening time at home.
One night, it was soon after Madelin
had reached her third year, and ha'
had "beefday party" something HAP
pehed that had never happened before
John did not come home.
Never before had such thing oc
Cured. He was experimenting tn
work of a handsome school building il
a neighboring city. 1t was contrac
the firm had been proud to get, and h
had gone down to supervise the wor
, in person, coming home each night. A
, the hours went by Alice first becam
alarmed. but her perfect faith in job
and her confidence that nothing bu
, the missing of his train could have de
, layed him. soon quieted her fears, an
like the innocent baby, she soon wen
to her rest.
Poor Alice. 1t was the last peace
full and perfect day that had bee
granted her. Five years of former
had she lived through, and yet, job
had not come. The love for her chill
and his had held her to life and sanity
the work of her hands, with some al
from her friends, had kept the littl
home.
The fall of a heavy stone archway
the building where he had lingere
2 alone that night, going over the wor
: of his men, crash of stone and brio
upon a man when none were by to ST
} and tell of it, hours of lying uncol
D scious in the darkness in the chill o.
; ~
|; ~
h <~