Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-22

| ing his men for the coming battle. Sht
paused beside Geordie, spoke earnestl,
for few moments, while Geordi'
gazed solennly at her, and then sh,
| came back to Billy in the corner neal
me. What she was saying l could no
hear. but poor Billy was protesting
| spreading his hands out aimlessly be
| fore him, but gazing at her the Will,
| in dumb admiration. Then she came Il
me.
"Poor Billy! He was good to my
husband" she said softly, land he ha.
a good heart"
Hes not much to look at" I coult
not help saying.
"The oyster hides it's pearl" she an
swered, little reproachfully.
"The shell is apparent enough" re-
piled, for the mischief was in me.
"Ah, yes" she replied softly, but Il
10 tn. pearl we love"
I moved over beside Billy, whose
eyes were following Mrs. Mavor as she
went to speak to Mr.. Craig.
well" said, you all seem to have
high opinion of her"
"An Ugh hopinionw he replied in
deep scorn. can Ugh hopinion, you
calls it,
what wo~ld you call itw 1 asked,
wishing to draw him OUT
"Oi don't call It nothink," he replied,
spreading out his rough hands.
"She seems very nice" said indif-
| fercntly.
He drew his eyes away from Mrs.
Mavor and gave attention to me for
the first time.
Mice! he repeated, with fine con-
tempt. and then he added impressive
ly, "Thcm as don't know shouldn't say
nothink.'
you are right" answered earnest
ly. land | am quite of your opinion"
He gave me quick glance out of his
little, deepset dark blue eyes and open
ed his heart to me. He told me in his
quaint speech how again and again
she had taken him in and nursed him
and encouraged him and sent him out
with a new heart for his battle until,
cradle weakness, he had kept out Of
her way for many months. going stead
lily down.
"Now, Oh hain't got no grip. but when
she says to me tonight. says she, oh,
Billy'-she calls me Billy to myself
Ohis with a touch of pridey -" oh,
Billy says she, we must ave total
habstinence league tonight. and OF
want you to 'elp! and she keeps a-look-
in at me with those heyes O. hern till,
if you believe me. sir" lowering his
voice to an emphatic whisper. Though
OF knOwed Oh couldn't 'elp none. afore
OF knowed Oh promised 'er Oh would
It's 'er heyes. When them heyes says
do hup you steps and does"
l remember my first look into her
eyes, and I could quite understand
Rilly's submission. Just as she began
to sing went over to Gcordie and took
my seat beside him. She began with
an English slumber song. "Sleep. Ba-
by. Sleep" one of Barry CORVALLIS, |
think. and then sang love song with
the refrain, Love once again." but no
thrills came to me, and began to won
der if her spell over me was broken.
Geordie who had been listening some
what indifferently, encouraged me,
however, by saying: "Shcs just pittin'
aft time with the feckless sangs. Man.
there's nae grup till them" But when,
after few minutes pause, she began
"My Ain Fireside" Geordie gave a
sigh of satisfaction, "Aye, that's some
thin like and when she finished the
first verse he gave me n dig in the ribs
with his elbow that took my breath
away, saying in whisper. "Msn hear
till Won, wull yep And again I found
the spell upon me. 1t was not the
voice, after all, but the great soul be-
hind, that thrilled and compelled. She
was seeing, feeling, living, what she
sang, and her voice showed us her
heart. The coy 1ireside, with its bon
ny. blithe blink. where no care could
abide. but only peace and love, was
wildly present to her, and as she sang
we saw it too. When she came to the
last verse:
when draw in my stool
on my coy hearthstane,
My heart loups sac LIGHT
scarce kent for my an,"
there was feeling of tears in the flow
ing song, and we knew the words had
brought her picture of the tireside
that would always seem empty. l felt
the tears in my eyes, and, wondering
Mt myself, ! cast stealthy glance at
the men about me, and saw that they,
too. were looking through their hearts
windows upon dresides and ingle hooks
that cleaned from far.
And then she sang 1.-THE Aud Hoose,"
and Geordie, giving me another poke
said, That's my ain sang" and when
l asked him what he meant he whls-
pered fiercely "Wheesht, monw and I
did, for his face looked dangerous.
In pause between the verses heard
Geordie saying to himself, aye, maun
gle it up, doot"
"What?" l ventured.
"Naethin' ava" And then he added
impatiently, Mon, but ye're an in.
queestive buddie," after which l sub.
sided into silence.
Immediately upon the meeting being
called to order Mr.. Craig made his
speech, and it was fine bit Of work.
beginning with a clear statement of
the object in view, he set in contrast
the two kinds OF leagues proposed-one