Smyrna times., 1906-07-04

wastobasket. and the boy burned 1t
with the waste paper. I'm sorry. but |
the truth is, dear girl, it never would |
have done in the wOrld-neverl 1t was |
amateuriSh. 1t had no action. 1t was
defective all through. Tell him to try |
again." He wished the woman would |
not stare at him in that bewildered,
helplesS way. He wasn't a ghost.
Come, now. Don't look so white.
I'll take you out to lunch, and then
We'll call it square, won't we?" But
she did not hear him. She had already
started for home. Home? Before her
Jim, wasted and eXpectant; behind her
blank failure!
Old Farmer Gray and his elder sis
ter We're having some sort of discus
sion over the rightful age of a man
whose death was published among the
country newspaper notices. The paper
stated it incorrectly, they were sure of
that But they couldn't quite agree on
what was his proper age.
Hes pretty nigh Brother HIS age"
said Farmer Gray finally. "Leastwise
he was born the same year-mebbe not
to the month. l recollect a story
mother used to tell abOut-but I'll just
go an look up His age in the Bible"
The air of the "best parlOr." which
he entered, was a bit close The sun
| never was allowed to shine in this
room more than once a twelvemOnth-
| it might fade the carpet. On mar
bic topped table, resting on a wOrsted
| mat, was the family Bible. The last
| time Farmer Gray had looked into this
book he'd registered the baptism of his
baby daughter, Madge. For his daily
readings he used little New Testa-
ment
AS he undid the heavy clasps of the
big Bible the pages opened themselves
at place where there was some
| pressed yellow sweet clover. The mere
sight of it somehow recalled farOff
memories. 1t recalled a certain sum
mer day so long ago. 1t was on his
honeymoon, and his young wife had
just plucked these sprays of yellow
clover. Think you can love me as
long as this keeps SWEET she had
asked archly. How pretty she had
looked, laughing up into his face! How
precious she had been to him! After
ten years of happy married life their
long wished for child had come. When
the young mother died he had chung to
the baby daughter with double tender
ness. He simply worshiped her grow
ing girlhood. But she had run away
| nrfn nd a.,
had forbidden her ever to cross his
doorsill again.
The old farmer scarcely knew what
he was about, his head swan SO
Doubtless it was that strong, swee
odor of the clover. Somehow it seem
) ed to him to be suddenly flooding the
, whole room. filling his stubborn hear
with something very like pardon anC
! mercy.
Madge dragged wearily down Broad
way in Il daZed sort of fashion afte
she had left the unctuous little man
ager. Almost directly in front of
theater she found herself walking int
Il small group of boys. They were jeel
: ing a man who stood close to the the
ater's entrance, timid and self distrus
: full. But Madge moved mechanical
: toward the street curb in order to pas
on She did not observe him.
!, wants to know where you go [
find out where the play actors live-di
I you ever?" sarcastically jeered one c
the urchins. Il say, Reuben, hadn't yO
/ better tend to the hay crOp?"
S 'WOt he wants t. do is ter go on
n stage hisSclf an find out" suggeste
IL another urchin. \ cop" came up I'll
y street at this moment, and the old ma
who had been affOrding the boy
Is amusement took few steps towar
y him. In doing so his eyes fell upon Il
&c slight, girlish figure who had just su
n ceeded in passing the group of urchin
n "Madge! Madge." he gasped.
" Father" Regardless of everythin
$ like a very little child she threw he
e. self into his outstretched arms
"'Twas the yellow sweet clover doI
2" it, darln'," said he, bit mysteriousl
ne while he patted her cheeks as of old.