The Washington herald., 1907-05-12

ter II you are my iaWfui Wife
And they said AIlly thought a n.inute
and then she says: I don't believe II
makes any difference with me. Dick I've
been through the worst, and I'm used
70 It, But II itll make Il any easier for
you. I'll marry you. And then there
my boy; maybe It viii be better for him.
-" Where's The boy?' says Dick; I want
to see him..
80 Milly went and called Richard in.
And as soon as Dick saw him he raised
up on his elbow, weak as he was. and
hollered out so you could hear him in the
next room.
Why says he, it's myself! It's my
SELF Stand off there where I can see
you, boy! Why. you're the man I ought
to have been and couldn't be. These
lyin' doctors says he. tell me that
haven't got day to live, but I'm goin'
10 live another lifetime ia yoUY
And then he fell back, gaspin for
breath. and young Richard stood there In
the middle o the floor with his arms
folded and his face lookin' like It was
made Of stone.
"As soon as Dick could speak, they said
he pulled Milly down and whispered some
thing to her, and she went over TO the
chair where his clothes was hangin' and
felt in the pocket OF the vest and got a
little pearl ring out. They said she shook
like leaf when she saw Il. And Dick
says: / took it away from you Milly,
twenty years ago. for fear you'd use It
for evidence against me-scoundrel that
was; and now I'm goin' 10 put It on your
finger again, and the parson shall marry
us fair and square. I've got the license
here under my pillow And Milly leaned
over and lifted him and propped him up
with the pillows, and the young parson
said the ceremony over EN-, with Jane
Ann and the old squire for witnesses.
AS soon as the parsOn got through.
Dick says: Boy. won't you shake hands
with your father? I wouldn't ask you be-
fore But Richard never stirred And
Ailly got up and went TO him and laid her
hand on his arm and says. My son, come
and speak TO your father. And he walk
ed up and took Dicks pore wasted hand
in hfs strong one and the old squire set
there and sobbed like a child. Jane Ann
said he held on 10 Richards hand and
looked at him for "A long time, end then
he reached under the pillow and brought
out paper and says he. It's my viii;
open il after I'm gone. I've sQuandered
lot o. money out West. but there's a
plenty left. and that mlnin' stockU make
you rich man. It's all yours and your
mother 8. / wish Il was more, says he.
sor you're a son that a king be proud
Of
Them was about the last words he
said. Or Pendlet0n said he wouldn't live
through the night and sure enough he
begun 10 sink rs soon as the young par
son left. and he died the next mornin
about daybTeak. Jane Ann said Jest be-
fore he died he opeed his eyes and mum
bled somethin', and Milly seemed 10 know
what he wanted, for she reached over and
put Richards hand on hers and Dicks,
and he breathed his last Jest that way.
"Miliy wouldn't let soul touch the
corpse but her and Richard. She was a
mighty good hand al layin out the dead,
and them two washed and shrouded the
body and laid il ia the coffin. and the
next day at the funeral Milly walked or
one side o the old Squire and Richard on
the other. and the old man leaned on
Richard Ike he'd found a prop TO- his last
days.
Il amt much Of a hand to believe in
signs, but there was one thing the day
OF the buryin that / shall always ricoI-
iect. II had been rainin of and on all
day-a soft, misty sort O. rain that's
good for CROWN th.ngs-but while they
were fiiln' up the grave and smoothin' Il
on. the sun broke ont over IN the west.
and when We turned around 10 leave the
grave there was the brightest. prettiest
rainbow you ever saw; and when Aully
and Richard got into the old squires car
riage and rode home with him. that
rainbow was right IN front Of EN- all the
way home. Il didn't mean much for Mil
iy and the squire, but 1 couldn't help
thiakln' Il was "a promise o. better things
for Richard, and maybe a hope for pore
Dick.
'Milly didn't live long after this They
found her dead In her bed one Tnornini.
The doctor said it was heart disease; but
II my belief that she jest died because
she thought she could do Richard better
turn by dyin' than IIvin'. Shed lived for
him twenty years and seen him come
into his rights, and L reckon she thought
her work was done. Dyin' for people is
a heap eastern Twin for EN-. anyhow.
THE old squire didn't outliye MiHy
many years, and when he died Richard
come into all the Eirod property. You've
seen the Elrod place. amt you. chldg
That white house with big pillars and
porches in front Of IT, It's three miles
further on the pike, and folksll drive out
there jest 10 look at IT, I've heard 'em
call II colonial mansion or some such
name as that. II was all run down when
1Nchard come into possession of h. but
now It's one o. the finest places in the
whole State. That's the way il is with
families; one geueratiOnll tear down and
another generationu build up. Richards
buiidin' up all that his father tore down.
and I'm in hopes his worku last for
many a day.
Aunt James voice ceased. and there was
a long silence. The full harvest of the
storytelling was over; but sometimes
there was an aftermath TO Aunt James
tale, and for this ] waited. I looked at
the field opposite where the long. verdant
rows gave promise Of the autumn reap
ing. and my thoughts were busy tracing
backward every link in the chain of cir
cumstance that stretched between NInly
Bakers boy of forty years ago and the J
handsome. prosperous man I had seen /
that morning. All, a gOodly tale and a
goodly ending. Aunt Jane spoke at last. /
and her words were an echo Of my
thought.
There's lots OF satisfactory things in !
this world, child" she said, beaming at /
rae over her spactacles with the smile of 1
the Optimist who is born. not made. /
There's q satisfaction IN roundin' OF the /
toe ot stichln ike m doin now, and /
KNOWN that your works gOin' to keep
somebody's fcet warm next winter There
IS satisfaction in bakin' a nice light
batch o bread for the children to eat up. 1
There's a satisfaction in settin' on the /
porch IN the cool o. the evenin' and /
thinkin o. the good days work behind 4
You. and another good day that's comm
tomorrow This world ain. a vale o !
tears unless you make il so on purpose. /
But Of all the satisfactions I ever ex- /
Derienced the most satisfyin' is to see
people git their jist deserts right here in /