Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-08-27

with the hardness of your heart and
90 and fetch home Molly and Richard
and Jimmy. I'm cookin' the best in
the land, like l always do. You do
what I cay and see how good it feels
to be decent once. This will be New
Years and good time to begin. This
is the last word I'm going to'say about
it." She closed her mouth and slammed
the oven door on the pie.
Pa stood in the middle of the room,
holding his gun, too dumfounded to
speak or move. At last he started for
the door, and she called him in her
usual voice:
"It's most IL, and dinner'll be ready
at II. What you want with the gun,
pap He answered duly:
"Ssw some fat rabbits over in the
cornstalks. Thought I'd like to taste
one. We amt had any this winter"
He marched out of the house, and
from the window ma watched him
plow through the snow and cornstalks
till he passed out of sight behind some
old sheds and haystacks back of Mol
ly's barn.
She put dinner on the table at II
and called loudly to the barn. She
waited awhile, then put things in the
oven to keep warm. In the pantry
the pies stood in delicious brown crisp
ness beside the fruit cake and cram
berry Jelly and all the delicacieS the
farm afforded.
At l o'clock he had not yet come,
and che grew impatient. She had
heard the gun once or twice, but that
was some time back. At 2 she went
out to search the barn.
Then she thought he might have
been asked in to dinner at q neigh
boris, and she ate little herself and
cleared the things away. 1t grew
dusk, and still he did not come h1me.
She flung her shawl over her head
and, taking the little pie. started for
Molly's, forgetting everything except
that she must find Richard and get
him to look for pa. She was sure
something must be done. AS she
went down the road she saw little
Jimmy run wildly up from the barn
and rush into the house, leaving the
door open. He ran out again with
Richard and Molly, who followed him
to the barn.
They disappeared back of the old
sheds behind the barn. Mas limbs
almost failed her. She seemed to be
making no progress. though she was
not twenty rods from the gate. Then
Molly ran back to the house and re-
emerged with blanket on her arm.
Mas heart was oppressed with a
vague fear, but at last she managed to
reach the porch and sink upon the
steps. She rested there a moment till
around the corner of the barn came a
sight that made her sick and dizzy
pa, limp and seemingly lifeless, in the
blanket, with Richaad carrying his
head and Molly his feet and the little
boy crying Ma toppled over and fell
senssless in the snow.
When she opened her eyes she was
on the sofa in her own room. The
lights were bright, and little Jimmy
stood beside her, patting her cheek.
Molly stood over her, smiling, and
across the room she saw pa propped up
in bsd Old DR. Smith was just going
from the room. She tried to get up
to go to pa, but he called out TO her
to stay where she was Richard was
standing near him, and he looked
kindly up at the tall young fellow.
Tell ma I'm all right, Richard. l
only fell and hurt my leg, and the
rheumatism was go bad that tainted,
and when 1 co ne to 1 couldn't get up.
IfJimmy hadn't come chasin' out there
and found me I'd "a frozs to death,
though. l amt to say hurt at all I'll
be up in dag or two. Amt nothin'
broke, ma, but my hard old heart, and
twas high time it was ! had over
four h9lrs out there in the snow fight
in off freezin to death and tryin' to
make some one hear. l had plenty of
tim, to think and l was afraid Id die
an you'd never know l wasn't as mean
as acted" Ma began to cry softly.
bu. Molly soothed and petted hsr.
Never mind, ma; it's all right now,
and Richard and Jimmy and I'll come
over every day and look after you"
But pa had another word to say. jim
my w4s sitting ia a dark corner very
busy :. something. he rose and came