The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-10-24
saw what there was in the roo,

l. . i
blinded him.
"Oh, gee, gee, gee!" Terry muir
INJURED. For the room was full of the
things his soul had craved. It wa.
full OF the wondrous mechanical toy.
he had watched so often through shor
windows on shop counters. The,
were here on low tables, on the fiool
and on shelves against the walls. A,
his feet was complete railroad sys.
tenn, with pitiful little stalled trains
waiting their small, dead engineer
But to Terry they were not pitiful-
they were joyous. With cry he was
down on the floor among them.
The Lonesome Man continued his
slow way down the street, choosine
the quiet ways and avoiding carefully
the streets of little children. He
looked neither to right nor left. but
straight ahead at a little child that
was dead. He was always looking at
that; he could never get the little
straight-limbed, perfect figure out OF
his vision
John Crowell!'
| He had known she was cominp
picking her dainty way along. He
mad seen her without consciously
looking. Why had he not remem-
bered that Esther often walked this
way in the morning?
| Are You going to run over me?,
Her slight, youthful figure-Esther
would never grow old-confronted
MIN with determined gayety. He
stopped with a sigh.
bdidn't want to see you" he said
unafraid OF hurting. her. They had
known each other always.
No-Decause you are going there
again John, you go every day."
YES"
And You promised - didn't Won
promise to go only once a week?
Anyway, told you not to go but
once-well, will go with you She
turned and fell with infinite difficulty
into step with his long strides.
They walked block in utter ST.
renee He was not angry with hor
Tor she was Esther But he did not
want her to go with him, and with a
guilty heart she knew it. Because
she could not bear the silence sha
presently spoke:
You don't want me to go, John o.
mo"
but ought to-someboty ought
TO. You ought not to 60"
He suddenly turned on her and de-
manded hard things of her
wouldn't she go? What if the little
dead son were hers-would she 20
once week or like this, every day?
| Every day." she answered hmm
bly,, and stopped quite still. eco
on she said. Il won't go, John. 7
nave no right-not childless old peo-
pie like me. 1t is queer i never
thought of it that way. / was think
ing OF the harm to you of going so
oiten-now see that you have to-"
Yes" he nodded drearily, II have
to-" and went on.
Esther Wakefield retraced her
steps thoughtfully. Poor John-noor
John-she could not give up her de-
sire to help him. But no way sug-
gested itself, though she would have
dared much. She knew of the child's
playroom and the belief of Johns
nelghbors that he spent his DAYS and
nights there. That was worse for
him than going every day to the
grave of the child. A sudden sharn
pain contracted the plying woman's
heart at the thought of the Lonesome
Man In that room. She felt a sud-
den desire to visit it herself.
The old servant who had been the
child's nurse came to the door.
Esther noticed that she was pale.
Jean, want to go up and see it
his little room, JEAN" Esther said
May / go? / am sure his father
would let me?''
Waltz The old woman's shak-
Ing hand gripped her sleeve. Jeans
eyes were Wild wait till / tell Won
he's there, Miss Esther! His little
splrit-it's back playin' with his lit
tie engines. I've been listenin' on
the stairs, but don't darse go in. /
can't can't! Hark! He keeps
tootin' the little whistle, an you can
| hear the little cars go round. I don't
know what to do, Miss Esther /
don't know what to do"
They were listening together. A
faint, CHEEKY whistle came down TO
them, and the remote clatter Of small
wheels. The old nurses ignorance
and dim superstitions lent haunted
look to her wizened face. Esthe: lis
tened with a degree of calmness at
variance with the foolish poundings
of her heart.
Ill go up" Esther said. 1--WE
are getting old, Jean-our ears de-
ceive us. There is no one there.
Hes there" Jean, sobbing .trem-
bled. His little souls come back to
play. They didn't give him any little
engines an cars an he's come back.
He couldn't stand it away from his
ROOM
I'll go up stifHy repeated Is
ther.
She put aside her wraps and
mounted the padded stairs with f:rm