Amador ledger., 1905-01-27


bird notes in spring. Can't you fancy
them building nest somewhere of
boughs and moss-they wouldn't re-
quire much more than the birds. you
know-and settling down like the birds
to sing their love songs and rear their
young?"
A new light shone in Miss Mark
hams clear eyes.
"And this is the man whom the girls
describe as a mere business automa-
ton," she thought, but she only said
encouragingly, "Well?'
Hammond's head swan for an in
slant with a comprehension of the
magnitude of what he meant to do. but
he went on steadily.
"The day Of the tornado-you remem-
Der it-when the wind tore shutters
from the houses and overthrew chin
neys and great limbs were stripped
from the trees as the small boy pulls
leaves from a twig-that day 1 wit
messed the downfall of the house of
Buona-in other words, the complete
destruction of Antoine's fruit stand
and peanut cooker"
Miss Markham sighed with quick
sympathy. Hammond was uncon-
sciOusly giving the little story a dra-
matte turn.
Poor Antoine! He made one or two
frantic endeavors to prevent the disas-
ter, and then, crushed by the misfor-
tune, he clung to the doorway of the
office building and watched the gamins
as they wildly scrambled for the scat
tered fruit"
"And was everything entirely ru-
ined" Miss Markham's hand instino-
lively sought her purse.
"The peanut cooker lay in the mud,
bent and twisted out of all semblance
to its kind. Antoine picked it up with
trembling hands and then, realizing its
uselessness, replaced it in the gutter,
while the tears streamed down his
cheeks"
THAT isn't all?" expectantly.
Hammond continued obediently:
"'Never mind, Antoine I said cheer
fully-it's so easy to be cheerful over
another's misfortunes, you know
you'll soon be on your feet again. We
must expect reverses In business At
my words of sympathy the flood gates
OF his grief were opened, and the
words fairly tumbled over one another,
his soft broken English finally relaps-
ing into italian altogether as he told
his story. He had been so careful of
his mOney-he had saved twenty three
'dolla.' They were to have been mar
r1ed tomorrow, he and Carita, and he
was to have bought Carita a new gown
and rose wreath for her hair, and
they would have been so happyl And
now-then he pointed eloquently to
the ruined peanut cooker, waved both
hands in gesture expressing the utter
nothingness Of his condition, and the
ready tears came again.
II missed him then for several
weeks. The other day they came to-
gether and waited until 1 came out
from the Office. My brudda-he die
began Antoine cheerily as soon as 1
Joined them. AN leave Antoine sew
enty-four dolla,' said Carita, her eyes
big with the magnitude of the for
tune. An his business Antoine add
ed pompously. Did he have stand ?
asked him. No, piano. We mar
ry ourselves tonight, Thursday"
Hammond paused abruptly. The ex-
preston on Miss Markham's patrician
face was so unlike the usual air of po-
lite Indifference that he was almost
startled into the telling of his own
story, forgetful Of the italian lovers.
'"That is all" he added awkwardly.
"And how did you know they would
be at your Office this morning?" as if
reluctant to leave the subject.
Antoine hunted me up last night
at the club. Said his wife-you should
have seen his eyes when he said the
word-his wife wanted TO come and
play for me first, believing it would
bring them luck. hadn't intended to
go downtown this morning, as you
know, but thought that was really
very little to do if it would add any
thing to their happiness. Foolish
things, aren't they?" He turned his
head away. She would agree with
this, of course, and he couldn't bear to
have her do so.
She put her hand lightly on his arm.
mo, they are not foolish. They are
wise. They have found the greatest
thing in the world Those who win
love need look no farther; there is moth
ing more to have here. They who lose
it lose everything.
He put his own strong hand over the
smaller one resting on his arm.
"Shall we look for it-together, Eliza
beth?"
She looked hastily about-there was
no one near; they were quite in the
country now-and raised her beautiful
face to his. II think we have found
it already" she whispered.