Evening journal., 1903-07-10

cruclaung Tor US.
every well; l viii go and fetch
them
He went out and in few minutes
returned with the little girl In his |
arms, the boy dancing along, holding TO
his fathers hand. Both were laughing |
and shouting, for they had been sur
prised in a romr. When the man came
into the room where he had left his |
wife she was standing with her back |
toward him.
"Maud," he said, "here are our chill
dren. will explain TO them as well as
1 can what is to be; then you can say
goodby TO Arthur"
The woman still stood with her back
10 him and the children. She was
striving 10 master her emotion. Sud
denly, with an effort she turned and
said composedly:
Proceed"
Arthur" said the man softly, 'you
are to go away with me and live with
me, leaving mamma and Amy. You
will have TO get used to living without
them, for other people win take care Of
you. and you will have other play
mates"
who's to put me TO bedT asked the
child in wonder.
"Well, my boy, some good woman
will do that, and l will begin by put
ting you to bed myself"
Il don't want any good woman TO
put me to bed / want mamma. You
don't know how to undress me, papa"
The father knit his brows and, with
out making any reply, spoke to the
girl;
"You, Amy. dear, will stay with
mamma"
3 "And not have ArtyT
sNo, my child. Arty is going with
me-"
The girl looked into the serious face
of her father. then at her sobbing moth
er, and an inkling of the truth crepi
into her young mind. Going TO heI
brother. she put her arms about him
and said:
'Arty shan't go away"
: The two children clung TO each other
frightened by the serious looks of theiI
parents into a vague understanding
that some calamity overhung them
The mother sank into chair and
buried her face in her hands The IA
ther leaned upon a mantel, the imag'
of despair. The children, their younl
faces clouded with their first serious
trouble, glanced from father TO mother
wondering what all this meant. There
/ was no sound except the mothers sobs
Before husband and wife came The
same picture. Was it thought transfer
!. ence or because at this moment of theii
parting their minds naturally fell upoI
the moment Of most perfect bliss tina
either had ever known? They were tel
years younger. 1t was springume, no
early spring, but the "leafy month o
: June" There were music and dancin
within, and out on the piazza wher
they had strolled into the moonligh
came through open windows and door
the sound Of violin. harp and flute. He
hand rested lightly on his arm, ana h
led her to n nook under an overhangin
vine. 1t was there that they made ~
their first quarrel, there that he toll
his story and there secluded from tn
moonlight, I'm the sound of q babel o
merry voices, laughter and music, h
took his first kiss This ecstatc mC
ment now stood out in contrast wit
the grim spscter that confronted then
and for the moment each, shutting on
the present. was lost in a supremel
- happy past.
The mother felt a tiny arm abou
= her. Then came another a little large
and stronger. She knew that her chi
dren were <linging to her. She locke
a down at them, then mp into the face {
their father, whom they had drawn 4
ward her.
"Mamma." said the girl. don't L
papa and Arty go away"
Papa" said the boy. don't let
90 away Mamma. tell papa "
mustn't go away"
Tugging at their father, they pullC
him down ill he sank on one knee thi
he might encircle them.
"Maud," he said, "these two lit
voices calling on us TO bear and fo
bear for their sal1es are all powerfI
For my part. the angry clouds tn
nave enNelopeu us ilit uiNptiitu ny "
children, who are suffering from Of
own imperfection. let us wipe aw;
- the chickering's that have brought
and them TO the verge of parting al
for the sake of all that makes Il
Is worth living, parental and filial lov
for the sake Of these two innoce
- ones, for our own sakes, let us forgi
and forget. l have been thinking
L the kiss 1 took that night. You I
~ member
strange. was thinking of it too"
Z "Iet us take it again. We may n
have with it that youthful thrill '
Y had then, but let us remember that '
q were then but two, while now we a
. four"
In another moment father, moth
anG children were folded in one el
brace. +. A. MlICHEL
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