The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-07-19


when he kept it in his pocket. He
couldn't see how black it vast had
looked very black when he shut 1t up
there, two hours ago. He remembered
it now with a little shudder That
nursery soap and water little tenn
pered with heat might possibly have
made ii look less guilty had not &C.
Cured to him-did not occur to him
now.
OF course nobody had seen when he
slid his white nightgown over his
little trousers and waist. How else
could he keep his hand-that hand
in his pocket, he meant to, all night?
Jeffy felt better about it there. In a
sense it was in prison, where hands
that-that-you know-ought to be in
carcerated for their sins. In sense
he seemed to be making reparation.
Not exactly to Elizabeth-no-o, but
still-Jeffy twisted about under his
little white covers miserably. That
hand hurt him-maybe because it was
cramped and stiff, maybe not. Maybe
because-that. Jeffy wondered If
Elizabeth ached there.
OF course, Elizabeth was to blame
still, she was very little. All at once,
lying there in the dark, Jeffy remem.
bered how very little Elizabeth was.
Her head just came to the edge of the
dining-room table; you're pretty little
when you have to stretch up on tip
toe to see what there is going to be
for dinner. Perhaps when you were
as little as that you'd have meddled
with your big brothers things-you
might have.
Elizabeth was very little and Jeffy
was her big brother. Jeffy was sew
en-. He had always rather domineered
over Elizabeth, but he had never done
that, before. oh, no, no, tell you!
Never!
Does it show, I wonder?" the little
boy in bed thought, among the other
thoughts.
I'm going in and see," he said with
little premonitory shiver of dread
Elizabeth, because she was so very
little, slept beside mothers bed in her
dainty white crib. Jeffy could see
the Wilderness of it shining family
! through the dark. He crept toward it
very quietly. On the edge of 1t
nestled Elizabeth snugly, just her
small, serene face in it's mellow radi-
ance. Jeffy could see it distinctly.
She was lying on that cheek. He
could not see it at all. The other
cheek was fair and sweet, with dim
pie in as though a dream-angel had
been there and kissed it minute ago
and that were the print of the kiss.
The big brother" stood looking at it
with a strange impression that Eliz-
abeth was turning the other cheek
also. He flushed all over his little
guilty face.
Somewhere downstairs step
sounded and disturbed Elizabeth in
her sleep. She threw up both small
hands, then with a restless little heav-
ing of round body and white covers,
turned over on her pillows.
1T shows!" gasped Jeffy, and fed
back to his own room in horror. He
had seen little parallel red creases in
Elizabeth's cheek--that cheek. He
did not for moment doubt their orr
gin.
1T shows!-it shows!" he groaned
in the awful loneliness of night
Perched on the side of his bed with
his little lean bare legs a-dangle, he
thought about what the Bible said
Jeff's thoughts did not quote YER
batim
IF thy right hand strikest thy sis
ter, cut it off an cast it into Hell
Fire" he repeated under his breath
IAN there shall be gnashing--an
there shall be gnashing."
He shuddered. The precise signifi
canoe OF gnashing puzzled him little
but it meant something awful-awful!
An cut it off meant-oh, oh!
"Ur-rr!" softly shuddered Jeffy
thinking how hot hell fire must be
You were to cast it into He'll Fire
where there would be gnashing-if II
ever struckest thy sister. The Bible
said you were. And it had struck
her, 1t had struck Elizabeth.
The darkness seemed to grow dark
er, the stiffness stiller in Jeffy's room
The little figure on the bedside
swayed unsteadily-swayed again
fell backward on the quilts. Jeffy
was very tired. 1t tires you Toto
what does it tire you to do? Yes
oh, yes, that. An it makes you tiredel
still to-to-o-feel-sorry-so awful
sor-
Some one seemed to be speaking In
the room, but there was no one there
Jeffy could see, for II had grown light
as If many lamps had been lighted
Or else IL was one great lamp, the sun
Could 1t be morning? The voice
called out and now 1t seemed to b'
his own voice calling TO him.
Come, Jeffy, time to CO." 1t said
brusquely. The sooner you get 4
over with the better. / suppose 20,
know that?"
Yves" shlvered Jeffy, answering
himself, 1--WE got some O my clothes
all on. I'll be ready in a minute"
well, be spry about IL. You're go