The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-10-04

She gives him the coat proceeds to
clear away the breakfast things, Dhl
just then baby Carls shrill notes as
cend
THAT baby" she exclaims, with no
very tender infection; and dropping
cups and saucers, she hastens to re-
lieve his sufferings. Charley has ms
coat on by this time, and is about
to start; he has a l5.minutcs ride TO
his work, He steps into the bedroom
and stoops over little Carl.
Come. Nell. my girl" he calls,
cheerlly fetch us the good.by kiss "
"Oh. I'm busy" replies Nell, tartly,
from the depths OF the closet where
she Is selecting baby clothes, kiss
Carl instead. that will do as well. |
don't doubt you think a good deal
more OF him than you do of me any
way" with peryersely bitter intona,
ton
If she thinks he will hasten to her
greatly mistaken; he Is not used to
any such moods in his bright little
hclpmate, so does not know how to
take them. There is Il sudden silence.
then she faces round just in time to
see him give baby Carl one long kiss,
aud he turns away mute and hurt and
is gone. She hesitates a moment. too
proud to call to him even then, till
at last her heart cOnquers and she
runs after him; but it Is too late,
gone down the walk and is just step.
ping on board the waiting horse.car
How heavily the day passes after
this. only tender.hearted woman
mastered by the same failing can
know Never before has she spoken
such words to the husband she loves
so dearly; never before since their
wedding day have they parted for
even a few hours without kiss and
loving word
Theirs has been very happy mar
riage, too having in it all the cle.
ments OF prosperity and content
Charley Burt is housc.carpenter by
trade, irstrate mechanic, sober, In.
dustrious, earning good wages and
constantly advancing at his work.
They have a coy little home, pref.
| ty cottage in the suburbs.
To-day she goes about the pretty
rooms tidying everything as usual,
and for the first time takes no pride
or pleasure in them,
She gets through her routine.work
! somehow, doing all she thinks Of or
| finds time for, because to leave any
| thing undone would only add to the
suffering of mind Ill at ease; but
there is a heavy weight of misery at
her heart.
VIII night ever come-and bring
her Charley home? At last every.
thing is done; she has prepared a
most inviting supper for her good
man" saying to herself:
IN take baby Carl and run down
to the gate and meet him when he
comes-then well kiss and make up"
Still he does not come. and It is
|
patiently holding her boy. het face
growing all the time more white and
drawn and anxious.
"Oh, how | wish | had said good by
just as ever to-day" she whispers for
the twentieth time; then as the slow
minutes creep along. q am afraid
oh. so afraid something has hap
pened,' for though he Is sometimes
a little late 1t is very seldom that his
time of coming varies halfhour-
and now it is two hours. and her
vague prcsentiments of evil are grow
ing to a dreadful certainty.
She gets up and walks the floor
tired out as she is; another hour
passes, and in the extremity of hel
distress and terror she is about tc
run across to her nearest neighbor
when mullicd trampng approaches
and, stops-"the feet Of them thai
bear him are at his gates"
It seems to Nellie Burt that she
dies a dozen deaths in that moment
while she stands rooted to the spo
and sees them bring in the man sht
loves, senseless. bleeding. broken
then she rouses herself, and II Is he
ready hand that arranges the bed ant
smooths the pillow under the poo
unconscious head.
Not dcnd-no-that would hav,
been punishment greater than poo
Nellie deserves, and more than sh,
could bear, but there has been 81
accident scaffolding has fallen, ant
among the half.dozen men killed o
injured Charley Burt has Jared hes
of any-Aonly broken arm, dislocat
ed shoulder, and some cuts ant
bruises. He has been well cared for
too, and only conveyed to his hom
when the attending surgeon has decid
ed that there are no internal injuries
and that he can safely be moved
But the dread might have been
stands out before her then so clea
and plain that 1t leaves its impress
on her very soul: and In all the res
of her life 1t helps to teach her tn
great lesson Of patience and sell