The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-02
The Yanccy Birthday.
BY JULIA TRUTH BISHOP.


 BY JULIA TRUTH BISHOP. Copyright. 1soe. by Daily Story Pub co.)
 Richard Floman. lawyer and orator and successful. self-made man, was fndinx himsslf exceedingly bored and blamed his fatss accordingly. What had he done that hs ahetad have to at stin in the car, while very young lawyer poured fatuoAs pl4utudes into his unwilling ear? "
 don't know that Plf show mysek any 700 prominently about court today" the inans chatter went gIibly on. had an tnttmAtion on the street that mi1ht he appointed to defend that fellow Yancsy. and l dont want anything to do with the cass. does man no good to set mixed popular sentiments down on the crfrn- inaL You get the worst of 1t, whether you clear him or not--and of course 1t would bs impossible to clsar Yancey." returned Faoman. dryly. looking
 oh. Of course You see. he's got no friends at all. The strikers are down on him because he refused to go out with sasa,,1. sas%usnd sa tm yst ne soss and makes an ,.rSht at Yancey's own door. too--when Stedn was probably calling there to do something fer his family-and Stein falls and strikes his head. and dies--so every OSNy eS e8aAhCS uhsu A ludu gets HO honor by defending a case like that. All the felloBs are lighting shy of it. Per- sonally I'm going to keep out of it if cal. for . mans reputation is---'' ard Flonnan abruptly. and swung himself down from the car, wondering vaguely what he had done to be visited by such unntterabfe plaques.
 but why should he hurry to reach the ohtce where more bores awaited him, doubtless, to talk him into a deeper frensyf Let his partner attend to them for a little while. He plunged into the park across the way and took off hts hat under the trees. He had the park almost to himself. Tho children were at school. or going there; the nurse-maids had not come out yet
 In all these shady places, just himself and two little children. They were a girl and boy, seated on a bench. The girl s feet hung down. but did not touch the ground. and the boys feet stood straight out before him, because his legs were too short to hang down. The boy was crying dismaliy. and Floman. who was in a ioung'ng mood. stopped and spoke to him.
 Hello. young man." he said. What are sn these tears for? Lost your ball? Broken your wagon?
 lie spoke gruffly and awkward1y-not with the silvery persuasiveness that melt ed all hearts in the court room and on the rostrum. He was not used to speak,
 
 house. and no ball or wagon. He and a certain proud and cold woman would have been better and happier to have had them there.
 The boy csased sobbing. a little fright ened; but the girl explained with sober little smile.
 No. sir: he's crying because tomor- rows the Yancey birthday. and papa can't come homeland so we won't get any thing
 Flonlan found his attention caught by this artiess speech. Most of the speeches hs heard were anything but artless. He at the two. his hands in his pockets.
 What kind of birthday was that you mentioned?" he asked politely. "seme- thing new in birthdays7'
 The chtld's face flushed. It was a pretty little face that had grown too delicate.
 "The Yaneey birthday" she explained carefully. You see, that is our name-we birthday-mamma's and Boys. end mine We are all three twins: And that's what made papa call it the Yancey birthday" :" She smiled up at him innocently. de- lighted to take him into her childish con-
 That is !. beautiful idea" he said home to buy Boy somsthing?"
 He had not thought until then-he had been merely passing an idle half hour but the look on the ch,td's face. the sor- row so much older than her years struck to his heart
 "Oh. I sec he said. gently. Your father is Frank Yancey!'
 Yes" said the girl. in patient little tones Then she went on telling about 1t. We used to have a splendid birthday when papa. came home-sometfmes a pie mic if It wasn't too cold-and nice things for all of us. Of course. now, mamma and I talk things over, and we can un- derstand it. but Boys such a baby. and he cries."
 .tOh! Boys such baby, is he?" asked F1oman. It had been long time since he had been very sorry for any one, but now something was tugging at his heart strings. He was looking down at Boy s sister. whose feet did not touch tho ground.
 "Oh. yes," she said resignedly. And that's the reason l bring him out here, so that he can cry without making mamma feel bad. Mamma and l talked things over for nights and nights, trying to fix up something for Boy so that he wouldn't feel quite so bad, but we couidn t good times when your papa's away, de you? If it wasn't that talk over ev- l eryttring with mamma-every single thing -I don't know what we'd do.'' The tall gentleman in the other seat looked away down the avenue. A pathet- tc little iong-gone vision rose up out of that past when he had not been success full nor self-made. It was a vision of q raw country boy, going home from church through the moonlight. under the whis- pering trees, with timid little hand on
 Thursdays story, "A FURRY OF CON