The Opelousas courier., 1903-08-29

4Ou ScC, SuC Sdlu, SlLllLS uOWH lOl
) one minute beneath the sunfower ant
gazing up at it wistfully, I'm not real
ly a butterfly; and-my legs hurt a
little"
The sunfower nodded encourag.
ingly.
tits a long way" said Joan. 'T've
run miles and miles, pretty gold lady
oh, miles and miles-miles-" he1
voice tra1led off into a drowsy muir.
mur-"and miles," she said, with a
sudden jerk and sitting upright. She
gazed up at the sunflower reproachful.
ly. Il mustn't go to Sleep" she said.
I've got to find Man Daddy in the big
place where they took Fido when he
was lost. It's just there pointing
down the road. "Goodby, gold lady. !
must be quick. cause Man Daddy will
be lonesome without me and mother,
you see, andomother will be lonesome,
too"
She started at a run, then looked
back over her shoulder at the sun
flower with a troubled little laugh.
my legs won't work propelly," she
said, and struggEa on. The sun had
gone behind great threatening clouds,
but Joan took no heed. All her mind
was centred on getting on: She toct
no more rest till she came suddenly
upon a group of poppies1s>oWinG in
the grass at the wayside; BY them her
legs stumbled and gave way, and she
sank down On to the grass. She whis.
pered to them in a little voice that was
breathless and full of tears: Il want
mother and Man Daddy!" she said,
and then she lay still and set all her
teeth together to keep the sohs back.
But presently she sat up. "Dey's COM
ing" she gasped, her grammar grow
ing weak in her extremity. A sudden
CLEAN lit her face.
Grown up angels cry to give the
flowers water" she said, as a great
tear rolled down her cheek, and, kneel-
ing, she bent owe the peoples and
sobbed her heart out. while the teas
splashed on to the flowers. But other
drops from dark clouds overhead
drops that beat the peoples shudder-
ing to the earth. 1.-THE angels are
crying, too," murmured Joan, sleepily,
and rolled ove and lay still.
The angels crying was long and We
hement. 1t woke Joan several times,
but she was dazed with WEAKNESS.
Once she murmured with a smile: tits
most a cold bath stead of a teppy to-
day, mother" and went to sleep again.
In the dimly lit room on the little
bed Joan tossed YEARLY from side. to
side. 'You see, little blue ladies, it
hurts bad in you stummick-jus' here"
laying one hot little hand on her
chest; "but I'm not crying, you know"
mo, my brave little darling" muir
INJURED the woman, bending over her.
But you is, mother!!" in an access
of utter surprise. Il feel it on my
head. I Observation-Disclosures ups
never-Oh, it hurts, mother!!" her fin
gers clinging around her mothers; ut
hurts. you see," drawing a long, Sob
bling breath.
Presently she began, a%nxiously:
THAT did sound like crying a bit, but"
with a tremulous little laugh, "it
wasn't-it wasn't, really
mo, no, dear-I know-try to go to
Sleep" and she began to sing a lullaby.
"You sing very nice, all of you,"
babbled the restless voice. 81 do like
flower s~inging-you can hear the wind
shaking their voices-but Man Daddy
won't come! One day, it was years
and years ago., little pink ladies, / ran
tlefy, but, then, when b%uttle1ies use
their legs they go quite slow, and
haven't any wings, you see"
A frock coated figure bent over the
bed now, and the woman's eyes never
left his face.
Fever high-she must be soothed."
Il want Man Daddy-you're not Man
Daddy-do you know, one day, when |
was ker-wite little-I cut mine finger
i cried-Wasn't it funny? But Man
Daddy tied it up and I laughed, cause
he said it was a dolly. Would he tie
my stummick up if he was here? It
hurts, you see-oh, it hurts!"
Anguished and broken came the wo-
mans voice: Il do not know where
he is"
The doctor looked grave, and pres
emily he went.
Darling, you are so brave and good.
will you try to go to sleep, toto be
well when Daddy comes back?"
SIS he coming back, mother? oh. it
hurts!" with a sob. cit hurts so,
mother"
IF you go to sleep, dear-oh, do try,
Joan, do tryi"
T will shut mine eyes-tight, moth
er, So"
The restless little body lay rigidly
still.
Think of the sheep, DEAR said the
mother, using a recipe she had found
successful with Joan in a former child
ish illness. Count them as they come
up to the gate and jump oyer ii. See,
there they go-one, two, three"
Presently the great eyes opened with
a piteously worried look.
Mother, they stick! They won't
jump over the gate at ALL"
AL the woman's pride had gone,
She racked her brain for some clew
to her husbands whereabouts. AT
last she thought she had one, faint
and elusive. but she would try-she.
would telegraph. She crept from the
room while Joan lay in an uneasy
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