The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-02-14

BY Rose Willis Johnson.


parsonage His shotgun rested care
iessly between his knees. lie was not
hunter-he never hunted; but when
he summed himself on the wall II was
not prudent for a rabbit TO rise on It's
launches and look at him. lie never
fired at birds. They seemed TO know
this, and hoped fearlessly above
him among the branches
Today they were holding carnival
there; the sunshine lay warm on the
wall, the scent of clover made the air
sweet There was the road, a wind
Ing dusty ribbon; beside It the pink
capped sea Of clover and beyond, a
flash Of blue where the Ohio turned
+ from the town.
Why did he love the gap, the dusty
E country road, the crumbling wall
with its patches OF ivy? Perhaps be-
cause these things limited his desires.
Through the gap, years ago, a pretty
young bride had walked with him.
Soon she had died and he had been
"Glum" Halleck ever since. He was
a hardworldng man, as the village ad-
mitted; but he had his days of indif-
ference, when he sat at the gap,
made whistles, shot at marks, and sui
lenly refused to recognize chance
E passers-by.
Today his solitude was broken. The
rafting Of a detached bit of masonry
caused him to turn and behold a small
girl laboriously clambering to a seat
beside him, dragging after her large,
meek cat She was bareheaded bare
footed, clad in sober brown. Settling
herself demurely, she drew up the
dangling pussy, and slouched over in
comical imitation of Halleck's
stopped posture.
''Hello!" he said, who are your
Not word answered the intruder.
aShe Rugged her cat and stared into
space Looking more closely, he saw
undried tears on the brown cheeks,
an occasional tremor of the set mouth.
He spoke more gently: What do you
want, sissy"
Still she did not reply. Halleck
eshrugged his shoulders "Oh, Well"
( ne growled Cat got your tongue?
You bother me-better run home!"
4 But she did not run home She sat
+ shere; they sat there together, and
/ ignored each other. BY and by Hal
/ eck got down Grossly, and went tow
i Brd the house. Then the child got
Town and followed him. half dragging,
lalf carrying the cat.
~. Look here!" he demanded. fierce
". What do you want?"
Terror loosed her tongue. Moth
BVng!" she gasped, stirring at him help
essly. Don't whip mel Tm-Rosy."
He began to understand. 1t was Art
Eell's Rosy, the village problem. They
ad buried Artwell. and were now dis
fussing the disposal Of his orphan ba-
~. The minister had held out a
~ Anger to her after the funeral. I'm
fraid / can't keep her for good" ne
aaid. you know what uphill work
is for me- But she is so little and
Helpless, surely some of you can save
er from the poorhouse-some of you
nildless ones! Think it over and see
hat you can do In the meantime I'll
i've her her bowl of porridge."
But Rosy did not take kindly to the
bridge or to the parsonage. There
ere children there who stared at
ar and leased her cat. From the
BITE she could see Halleck on the
all and in her childish way she had
5ne to sit beside him.
$50 you are Rosy!" he said. What
Re you aiming to do with yourself,
ny way? What business had you to
4 born, without dollar anead to
low up on? The parson don't want
pu, and the big ones don't want you,
hd don't want you! What are you
ming to do with yourself?'
Rosy looked down. The sparkle in
Bre eyes suggested intelligence, de-
lite the slow-moying tongue.
THE old lady has supper about
@ady,' he added. did you Want to
sit me?"
Without a moments hesitation, the
amp, brown fingers clasped his. So
solemn silence they entered the
Ntchen.
There the religion of cleanliness
ade itself felt. Rosy sat down con
ntedly in the chair that Halleck had
ed as small boy, the pride of his
others heart. 1t had never been
moved from it's favored corner.
Now as his mother turned from the
bve her tired face paled. Why:
faltered why, who is this
Iyy?"
HE tried to frown. Its that BIZ
a youngster-the Artwell kid. She