The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-04

doctor has given him sleepin' powder
an he's asleep, an you know es Well es
1 that he ought not TO be disturbed
For a moment Alvira glared at the
speaker with angry eyes; then with
out word, she turned away
During the days that followed, Alvira
had plenty of time for reflection. She
drove daily over to the poorhouse, only
to be met with the same refusal from
Silas and the same stubborn frmness
from Martha Thompson.
Day by day the old farmhouse grew
more and more desolate and lonely
without its master. Night after night
she sat by her lonely fireside and
gazed with gloomy eyes at the vacant
chair opposite. Longer and longer
grew the dark night hours, when,
sleepless. she tossed upon her pillow
and thought of the past. OF the long
years that she and Silas had lived to-
gether in happiness and content. of
his patient loving kindness and tender
ways of her own quick temper. sharp
tongue, and lack of self-control Bit
ter, indeed. were her reflections. Re
morse, regret and shame filled her
soul with torture. What could she
do to atone? How to prevail upon Silas
to forgive her and return to his home?
AT last neT resolve was taken.
Six long weeks had passed, and
Silas had recovered as far as to hob
BILE about on crutches, when one
bright morning he saw Alvira drive
into the dooryard. From his chamber
window he watched her unseen, and
in spite of himself, a wistful look crept
into his eyes.
"Tain't right a Twin this way.
'Tain't right, an 1 know it," he NUT
tered sadly.
Meanwhile Alvira had hitched the
mare and was looking about the big
grassy lawn, as if in search of some
Woods white head and the red dress
of little Jeanette. as they wandered
hand in hand. Fastening toward
them. she said quickly:
obadiah Wood, do you want to be
the means of separatin' man an wife"
The old man looked at her sorrow
fully.
mo, Alvira. don't" he answered
sadly, AN I'm might sorry that
Silas took sides with me again you"
He was right, Obadiah. an 1 was
wrong" said A1vira eagerly. I'm
willin' to own it now, and if you an
Jeanette will come home with me an
stay till Luther comes, I'll be very
glad"
A swift flush overspread the old
mans face. and he lifted his head
proudly.
"Tain't likely Luther'll come, AL
vira, and 1 hate to be burden to ye,"
he said
Alvira held out one hand, while with
the other she drew the little girl into
her arms.
obadiah, can't you forgive an old
woman's hasty temper?" she cried, her
eyes filling and her voice trembling
We have a-plenty. more than a-plen-
ty, an from my heart you are well
come. And may the Lord do to me
even as l do to this little one" She
bent and kissed the little girl, who
smiled and nestled closer to her side.
Obadiah clasped the hands held out
to him, saying gratefully:
Tank you, Alvira. I'll come"
With these words they turned to-
wards the house and as they did they
saw Silas standing in the doorway, a
smile on his wrinkled face.
"Ye amt goin' to leave me be-
hind, AlVira, be ye?" said he limping
towards them cause 1 was gettin'
sort o. homesick, an was wonder
in eff you didn't feel a mite lonesome
yourself?"
Yes, Silas, more lonesome than I
ever wish to be again." answered his
WlIe, as tnelr eyes met in glance Of
renewed trust and affection.
1t is the unexpected that always
happens, and so it was only a few
short weeks after Obadiah Wood and
his grandchild were settled in their
new home that Luther Wood return
ed with his pockets full Of gold.
Broken in health. prematurely gray,
old before his time but rich beyond
his widest dreams. But his gold could
not awaken that broken-hearted wife
from her eternal slumber, nor recall
the dear mother from the Great Be
yond.
To buy back the old homestead and
to restore a few of it's scattered treas
ures he could do. and when he came
to take his father and little daughter
back to their old home he said to
Silas:
Mr.. Holbrook, I can never thank
you enough for your kindness to my
father in his hour of need. 1t is some
thing that gold can never repay"
Don't mention it, Luther" said
Silas with warm clasp of the hand.
1t want no moren 1 ought to have
done. But speakin' about yere gold.
Luther, ye'll find there air a few
things ye can't buy with it, an things.
eff We had, We wouldn't barter for a
grist ont. Alvira an 1 have been a