Middletown transcript., 1908-04-18

ouU AAo LAOIAOA WIS
frivolous.
Ludwell Harrison Carter, she
said, suddenly, you look exactly
like a delicious bonbon. l think
I'll eat you up.
She proceeded to devour him
with kisses, while he gave
chuckling screams of delight.
Let me drive Chippy!he gurgled,
taking brazen advantage of the
situation.
Oh, you're on my box, baby
boy! She lifted him back to the
seat and removed the box to her
lap, while he held the reins along
a level stretch of road.
1t was a big white box from rhe
old. florist, and now we know
where the invader was going,
and what an inexcusable thing
she was going to do. Yet it was
nothing in the world but bit OF
the sweetest selfshness for the
comforting of her own heart,
very homesick on this day of all
the year for a tiny fower-heaped
mound-yet what meaning had
flowers placed by caretaker?
She left the cart at the meadow
bars, and with the white box
swinging from one hand and the
cherub swinging from the other,
gained the silent little enclosure
among the pines. The sunny
peace of the day descended dove
like on her spirit as she knelt
deep in the netted vines and un-
covered her white baby roses,
her violets, her fairy daisies.
The boy pressed closer, his
lovely little face aglow and alight.
He caught her suddenly under
her round chin with his soft,
eager, baby hands.
Is they for my little sister,
mommie,-the words stumbled
out, soft and eager, too,-my
sweet, sweet little bit of a sister?
That set her lips quivering.
Yes, my precious, she said, hold
ing up her face to be kissed.
And this was the picture the
old lady beneid with an amaze
ment, indignation not to be put on
paper. The pine-needles carpet
ing the wood road had blotted
out the sound of her carriage
wheels.
She might have decended from
the skies or risen up out of the |
earth as she conforted the in
vader, who sprang to her feet |
confounded and put to shame,
and clinging desperately to the
one masculine protector in reach.
All at once, as if by special reve-
lation, she comprehended the en-
ormity of her being there.
Not even my dead are safe
from their impertinence! 1t was
written on the old lady's face as
she waited-quite openly wait
ed.
Forgive me! stammered Rose.
It was double distilled made
quacy, but it was all she could
think of. She had been startled
pale; but now she blushed deep
ly and moved toward.
I think you are forgetting your
pretty flowers, reminded the old
lady, who conspicuously bore
flowers of her own.
AS the discounted invader
stopped to recover her flowers a
dreadful thing happened. Bitter
tears brimmed over and rolled
down her cheeks. 1t was all to
have been so sweet, and now
The boy gazed in her face with
perplexed eyes. II
Come, sweetheart, she said,
and passed by the insulted
mother heart, and the invaders
tears were plain to be read upon
her cheeks.
Inexplicably and unexpectedly
her aspect touched the the cid lad lady
to be belated comprehension.
In flash it came to her that she
was very old and that the invader
was very young, and that the
long, long years between had in
deed been lived to little purpose
if she could let this girl go past
her and out of her life with
those tears on her sweet, hurt
face. And the boy, how beauti.
full he was!
Child! she called. The invader
looked back, pale once more, and
duly wondering, and behold!
the old lady offered shaking
hand. Forgive me! she said, for
when she capitulated she did it
nobly and with out reserve. I
She kept the young hand in hers.