The Marshall republican., 1908-02-21
XIV.
Shall sefy Enter az This Cue7

heartn OF the Kitchen, In their charac-
teristic attitude when before a fire.
The hickory logs sputtered savagely,
but sent out to them. nevertheless. a
grateful warmth. Their faces and
bodies glowed In the fervor Of IL. And
there is nothing like this to put one
at peace with all the world.
Sally" said the old man, this IL
J'uice."
J Very NICE" agreed Sally.
But also there is nothing like this
TO send ones memory backward. And
this II was doing for both Of them.
Everybody don't haf no such fire
tonight" And the everybody he
thought Of as he sighed was-Seny.
mo. not everybody" sighed Sally,
propping her head upon his knee.
"Sally-who do you mean by efery.
body?"
Just n person." admitted Sally,
the same n you mean"
Vas" said Seny's father very soft.
~. and then they were silent.
"Mebby some's got no homes-and
out freezing tonight" the old man
said presently.
! Il hope not" said Sally. I'VE could
take them In here IL we knew where
they a~re-couldn't We, pappy?"
But that last NOTE was the one which
dams up tears.
"Yas-if We knowed where they air!
My God-if we chust knowed where
they air! Sally. don't you nefer turn no
n away from the door on a cold win.
ter's night. You don't know who Il
might bel"
I'll never turn any one away from
the door," said Sally with emotion.
That's right. Sally. Some's dead.
I'D rather be dead than haf no home"
"And l." agreed Sally.
("Nor N friends"
Sally nodded.
S"saily. how long 10 II sence you was
married?"
5'More than four years-nearly Ave.
pappy."
my! but sings is changed" said
tine old a 'Efen the sun don't
seem so bright no more"
ayes. things are changed" said the
(, girl.
"Yit Il must be chust an idee. Why, |
the Bible says that summer and winter
shall not change tell eferysing come to
observation-disclosures Then
his voice broke. "Yit-yit-yit It's
one sing amt come TO pass and Il
seems like It's nefer going TO. It's bet.
ter sence you come. But yit the house
Is damp-and shifery."-he shivered
himself-"and empty--like II was n fu.
neral about all the time. Yit It's no
n dead-no ones dead-he's not
dead-chust gone. You said so-you
said II first! And some day he'll come
back and we'll git on our knees and
beg his pardon. But It's so long--oh.
my God-so long! oh. SeYy-Seny-
little Sefy-I got a pain In my breast
abb ut you' You was all | had. Come
back to me-come back! I'm q oil
man. And I'm sorry-sorry--and
btpke--broke down. Rnt n you'll rome
batk-Sally, do you think he'll haf Q
JScar on his face?"
\ Something stihed his u~tterance. The
girl put out q soft hand to comfort
hun.
Some day We shall know-see! Be
bravel"
Undergraduates easy to say. But
you nefer struck no one right In the
face-when they was looking up at
youth that pleading kind of a way!"
she said ~piteously, mo"
Then you don't know Messing about
Il! oh. my God! " you'd had II before
you for more than four years-like Q
picture-morning and efening--day
and night--efery where's! The blood on
him-and the had and mel"
i"Pappy, l have done more--l have
hNrt him worse than you did, broke
-this heart!" whispered the girl. "oh.
i should have thought-there was no
ode like him--but l let him 60. II he
w4ere here now"
Whey sat silent then until the old
man said:
t"Ah welll Come. Sally. It's bedtime"
Yves"
This meant that It wal time for
til cir prayer. which they always said
in3 each others arms. there. before the
gfk eat fre. 80 Sally slipped to the
Id (or. and they folded their hands each
inS the other. And. after Our Father
Mas done. came this-rude. simple. but
not less . prayer; Tor In the hve years
OF Seny's absence It had passed Into
. formula.
GOD, nnd .Seffy. wherefer he may
DO, for thou seest all the world. and
put It into his heart to come back to
those who have repented these many
years; make him merciful to the old
and the evil-tempered. and yet. II this
be not In thy INFINITE purposes. 0 God.
We bend our heads In submission, for
It II thy punishment for our sin; but
send some word OF sign. that our
hearts may be comforted. and thy will
be done-Amenl"
And while this Was bang prayed z
face came 10 the window In answer