The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-06

By ELLEN e. II. WILDMAN.


at her
mo. Miss Evans, you must not think |
that Bess never ursurped her mothers |
place IN his heart, but between her and |
her father there was peculiarly strong
bond of sympathy
Frank fell III of fever. AT first It
did not appear to be serious but sud
den change took place, and we soon
saw that the worst was to be feared
During his sickness. whenever he
reused from his stupor, he would call
for Bess: Bring me the baby, Mary,
he would say to his wife, and she
would bring Bess to the bed. The child
would cudde down by him, looking so
wise and grave, and stroke his hot
face with her dimpled fingers, calling
Papa! Papa! till 1t broke ones heart
| to hear her"
His voice choked. Rising from his
| seat on the log he walked quickly
down to the edge of the beach, and
stood looking out upon the tranquil
water that lay an undulant reflection of
the blue above. Her eyes followed him
wistfully, but she did not speak; and
presently he came back and sat down
beside her.
Excuse my foolishness," he said,
rather shamefacedly.
Il do not call it foolishness," she
said quietly; please go ON
We'll, the end came soon, and one
sad day we were gathered around
watching him as he slipped away from
us as quickly and as silently as Johns
boat vanished from our sight this af-
ternoon. He lay utterly motionless and
yoiceless. His wife knelt sobbing be-
side him, while Bess sat on the bed
close to him, her blue eyes wide with
wonder but with no fear in them"
He looked at her inquiringly: do
you read Kipling, Miss Eyans?"
Eyes, some"
do you remember what he says
about Ameera when she lay dying?"
She shook her head What does he
say?"
She made no sign when Holden en-
tered, because the human soul is a very
lonely thing, and when it Is getting
ready to go away, hides itself in a mis-
ty borderland where the living MAJ
not follow
"These words seemed to ring in m!
ears almost as if someone had Spoken
{ them aloud, as l watched Frank pass
ing and making no sign, and though
u he was gone, when suddenly the bah
called him: Papa! Papa!' | verify be
u lieve that his escaping soul turned o.
the verge between this world and tina
misty borderland' beyond, to answe
Il her, for, as she called him, he opene
his eyes looked at her, then at hi
y wife, and spoke their names family"
He stopped abruptly A light win
Il sighed through the dropping willo
branches, and crept out over the wa
e er in a thousand shining crinkles TIL
pendulous leaves Of the poplars on tt
is side Of the steep bluff rising from II
s. sandy terrace battered like the SCUM
n Of falling raindrops From the upp'
Y, air the call of a bird dropped clear al
IN sweet through the stiffness.
70 do l seem to you"-a puzzled froV
drew his heavy brows down to blac
r. line over his keen eyes-'1ike persC
easily deceived by appearances, or ca
lily tricked?" rnJn.
Oh A little smile of arfonshent gre
ID around the red curve of her lips.
I'd. Anything but that" sh9 answere
.ot 'cWhy?"
Because that is what l am half pr
I'll, suaded at times that l was-a cred
DIV lous fool, tricked in some way. And )
a 4 know that l was not. But, with
in impatient sigh, ut is all so inexplit
it BILE by any merely logical process
-ch reasoning"
ay, what is?"
zen The frown deepened, For a nome
to his eyes, oblivious of her and tn
md surroundings, looked back into
ter past. Then he began, speaking slow
led as if searching his memory for eve
II detail:
about a week after Franks dea
pc was sitting alone in my room, VIII
was on the second floor and at
N rear of the house.
y There was but one door to the roc
Iiss +bo+ ononina into tho inner hall
the side opposite the door was
10 window, while at the back end of
room was a fireplace with a CRATE.
lsIy the crate stood large jar of re
that filled all the open space. My ia
ION stood nearly in the centre of the re
UNI ord IN front If tho 6ren1aca
IKE con coming in had closed the d