, 1903-09-09
TWO KISSES
(Original.1

from his wife. The terms had been ar
ranged by correspondence. They had
two children, a boy and Il girl. The ia
Their was to have the boy, the mother
the girl. The father had returned by
appointment, and the business part OF
the affair had been transacted. They
now approached the matter of break
ing the news to the children.
Call them in said the father, turn
ing his back to conceal his emotion.
You CO. said the mother, with Il
tremolo in her voice. Il must get
through this ordeal with as little strain
as possible or | shall break down, and
to break down before the children
would not only pain them, but be ex-
cruciating for us"
VERY well; l will go and fetch
Them"
He went odt and in a few minutes
returned with the little girl in his
arms, the boy dancing along, holding TO
his fathers hand. Both We're laughing
and shouting, for they had been sur
prised in a romp. 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 we'll as
| can what is to be; then you can say
goodby to Arthur"
The woman still stood with her back
TO him and the children. She was
striving to 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 ann and Amy. You
will have to get used to living without
them, for other people will take care of
YOU, and you will have other play
mates"
"Who's to put me to bed?' asked the
child in wonder.
"NYell, my boy, some good woma
will do that, and l will begin by put
ting you to bed myself"
II 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"
"And not have ArtyY
mo. my child. Arty is going with
me-"
The girl looked into the serious face
of her father. then at her sobbing moth
err, and an inkling of the truth crept
into her young mind. Going to her
brother, she put her arms about him
~~a ssil.
"Arty shan't go away"
The two children chung to each other,
frightened by the serious looks of their
parents into a vague understanding
that some calamity overhung them.
The mother sank into a chair and
buried her face in her hands 1.-THE ia
Their leaned upon Il mantel, the image
of despair. The children. their young
faces cfouded 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 their
| parting their minds naturally fell upon
the moment of most perfect bliss that
either had ever known? They were ten
| years younger. 1t was springtime, not
early spring, but the 'leafy month of
June There We're music and dancing
within, and out on the piazza where
they had strolled into the moonlight
came through open windows and doors
the sound of violin. harp and flute. Her
hand rested lightly on his arm, and he
led her to a nook under an oyerhanging
vine. 1t was there that they made up
their first quarrel, there that he told
his story and there, secluded from the
moonlight, in the sound of Il babel of
merry voices, laughter and music, he
took his first kiss. This e~cstatic mo-
ment now stood out in contrast with
the grim specter that confronted them,
and for the moment each, shutting out
the present. was lost in a supremacy
happy past.
The mother felt Il tiny arm about
her. Then came another a little larger
and stronger. She knew that her chill
dren were clinging to her. She looked
down at them, then up into the face of
their father, whom they had drawn to-
ward her.
Mamma said the girl, don't let
papa and Arty go away"
Papa said the boy, don't let us
go away. Mamma. tell papa we
mustn't go away"
Tugging at their father, they pulled
him down till he sank on one knee that
he might encircle them.
MAUD" he said, these two little
voices calling on us to bear and for
bear for their sakos are all powerful.
For my part. the angry clouds that
have enveloped us are dispelled by our
.hi1Ipnt, who ,p, ~, fTnns@. 49,, -.