The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-07-25


ter came she sold her horse and buggy /
for $50. bat bought only shoes that she /
might trudge to town and stamps and .
paper that She might send her daily /
letter to the boy. Silent, bowed, tear !
less. but with a quenchless light OF |
hope In her mother eyes, each day |
she stood IN line at the window and |
asked softly for the letter that never
came The postmaster, who had half
guessed her story. tried to win her COM
ndence. He wanted to help her some
way. but she ev0ded an his questions.
And then at last there came a day
when she did not call at the postotllce.
II was quite an event. for the post
master and his clerk had come to re-
gard her visit as the one inevitable and
poignant occurrence OF each days bust.
ness. SO that night, suspecting the
worst, he drove in his buggy to her
lonely home. She was in bed. quite
IN, it seemed, but gently grateful for
his visit.
II did my best" sir, she told him,
"but my money is all gone. 1 killed
my last chicken last Sunday, and now
God help me- / must sell my home, his
home" and she looked around the
wretched, candle-lighted room with
dim, wet eyes.
at will be best for you Mrs. kava-
naugh," quoth the postmaster, kindly;
you're too-that is, you're no longer
young or strong enough to live like
this. Have you no relatives? no chill
dren?"
"Oh, yes sir" she answered proudly
looking up. Il have a son, sir; fine
boy; but he's away in the army, and
it's on his account don't want to
give it up"
But he persuaded her to ride to
! town with him, and assured her that
there would be no trouble about sell
ing her place.
Its not worth much, I know she
said. as they drove toward town, "bur,
much as I want to keep it, III rather
sell it than take charity"
He assured her that she might
"board" at his home until he had sold
the place. and she went there only to
lapse into a fever that taxed the best
ingenuity of the two doctors of the
town. She was a worn, ghostly old
woman when at last she sat ID and the
postmaster told her that he had sold
her place for $500.
IF you feel able you can just sign
the Geed; the money is ready down al
the bank, and Mr. Rogers, the young
fellow who wants to buy it, has gone
out to the place to look it over.'
So she signed the document a few
weak tears dropping upon it, and hand
ed it back TO the postmaster He tool
it and left her alone, but in the even
= ing. when he came home to supper
he came quickly into her room ant
said:
Mrs. Kavanaugh, the man VIII
| DOuSnl yOut p4dNCs MI ANNSNA5' '"'A'
= to see you a moment. Shall shoy
e him in?'
And when he came in she felt for he
4 glasses, but could not find them, S
+ she bade him sit down and told hill
J. that there were & few things in tn
d old shack, her Bible and an old album
b that she wished to take away. An
the stranger, a freckled, red-haire
giant, took her hand and whispered:
NANNY, don't you know me?"
Rogers" she murmured, feeling b
face with tremulous hope and fea
Rogers? If it's you, Tom, why al
you Rogers?"
Il wasn't of age, nanny, when
enlisted l was afraid daddy woul
stop me- so took Rogers"
And as he held her close to his brea
and felt the hot tears drip on his han
he did not ask for his father, for c
the wall he saw the weather-beat5
Widows cap and the dusty veil
mourning.-Joh H. Raftery, in Il
Chicago-Record Herald.
Mount Etna's Height.
Tho hnipht of Mount Ftna the