Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-02-19

The perplexity of the small face
changed to sorrow.
You are troublesome baby. And
if you don't mind what is said, they
will send you off to the poorhouse."
Without warning. down went Rosy
on the grass, and the walls of broken
hearted childhood rent the air.
Mrs. Halleck stood above her, per
picked.
"Rosy!" she said, presently; ROSY"
Yes, ma'am," sobbed the stricken
child
What do you want of us?"
81 want to love you," came the an
swer.
Mrs. Halleck sat down on the grass,
took the child in her lap and rocked
silently to and fro. Just then her
son passed, unnoticed. Something in
the sight checked his irritated steps;
something in the droop of the thin
arms, the faded cheek against the
round, tinted tear-stained one. A world
of helpless loneliness expressed itself
in the posture.
"Why, she's old!" he thought. "And
she's coddling the child; she wants
to keep it,"
He walked on to the clump of lilacs
near the door. His brows were knit,
his hands shut tightly. Then the pow
er within, the spirit of darkness which
prompts the cruel word, the brutal
deed, turned him short about and
brought him back to she woman and
the child, still on the grass in a close
embrace.
Yes, she was old, and she wanted
the child, but it did not matter. He
took the little one fiercely by the
shoulder in a grasp that swung her
clear of the protecting arms; and
shaking her, he set her down.
Now you clear out!" he command
ed. "If ever catch you this side the
gap, I'll"
The threat left all possibilities open.
The little seeker of love fed from be-
fore his face.
At little distance Puff stood on
the defensive, with tail erect and way
ing. Halleck flung clod which mar
rowly missed its mark; then he turned
to his mother. She stood in a defect
ed attitude, the slow tears running
down her cheeks.
"There!" he said, gruffly 81 reckon
that will settle Willett's little game.
If he, aims to foist his beautiful plan
of benevolence on to my shoulders |
guess he'll change his mind. | shall
report this pauper at headquarters in
the morning, and see if the community
has to be pestered any longer. And
Willett needn't apply to me when
the church needs money!"
Mrs. Halleck did not answer. Long
submission had made revolt impossi-
BILE. She went silently to the kitchen,
and set out the food prepared the day
before. Then she and her son ate to-
gether-stil in silence.
1t was always thus, but today
new element entered in. Each was
subdued by discovery. The woman
had learned that her Davy was coarse
and brutal, and the man had learned
that his mother was old and in need
of love!
Furtively he studied her face and
figure line by line. The cheeks had
faded, the brown eyes had lost their
laughter, the worn hands their
dimples.
His glance rested on the little chair
in the corner. He remembered day
when she had brought in manikin
nodded of butter and set it on the
table, pretending to be Indifferent, but
delighting in his delight. Then, laugh
ing, she had picked out the Glove eyes
and given them to him, because she
knew his fondness for cloves.
You shall have the top of his head,
too" she had cried, buttering a slice
of bread. And then the two had
laughed, so foolishly and happily, just
because they were all the world to
each other!
Now Halleck drew his shirt sleeve
roughly across his face. IT'S mortal
hot" he grumbled. There's storm
in the air. | don't believe I'd go to
Sunday mother if l were you.
You might get caught. You amt as
spry as you was the day-you first
put them little buff linen breeches on
me, and we went to meetin, and raced
the storm, and beat"
She looked up amazed IL re-
member the breeches," she faltered.
II sat up the night before to make
them for you. You looked so sweet!
You were always a pretty child. Davy.
Folks don't dress little boys that way
now, but l think they used to look
natural and wholesome-like.
you made the stuff yourself" he
said. 81 watched you. You've worked
pretty hard in your day, guess. You
don't feel any too timber these times,
either. If Min had lived"
He stopped, and she looked blindly
into her plate, trembling. When life
is almost done, all one asks is that
it's service be remembered. He was
remembering! Out of sorrow and
loneliness sprang sudden joy. The
faded cheeks blossomed anew, the
| frn Iii Loo Il, !,