The Irish standard., 1908-04-18

birth, only to sigh and pass to the
care of him who rules life and two
eternities. Through weary weeks the
mother fingered, unaroused to conya-
lescence by hope or by skill of ply
sicians. The warm frontier heart Of
the town watched and sorrowed with
her, cheerfully adding the burden to
their laden shoulders; supplying all
possible comfort and every obtainable
luxury.
Stella, regularly attentive in the
sickroom, reported daily to Alfred.
His humble berth of extra" brakeman
had brought his sleeping hours in the
little town, left his evenings free. For
several weeks he had devoted these
to planning benefit for Mrs. Sackett
that was to invade jointly the do
mains of Thalia, Polyhymnia and
Terpsichore.
For days Stella and Viola had toiled
ut the tasks Alfred set them. Details.
as we'll as most of the mems parts,
rested on Alfred, for men were too
busy or too bashful for play acting"
He had chosen short extracts from one
or two popular plays and planned q
couple of charades representing local
interests. He had drilled Viola in the
rendering of some songs and boy
or two in recitation. But the ambi-
tious part of the performance was to
be two scenes from Romeo and
Juliet"
Under Alfred's tuition Stella discov-
cred different Shakespeare from her
fathers pompous poet. Stella walked
on air. Weight seemed to leave her
body. Sleep and food were no longer
necessities. All day she longed for
evening; all night dreamed it over
again. She was iourneying the old.
old rose-path, believing herself dis
coverer!
On the morning Of the day of days
Gideon returned from his long alb
sence. Stella knew nothing of his
wanderings save the little told in his
infrequent letters; and she was quite
unprepared for the Gideon who pre-
sented himself before her. The change
she saw in him was mysterious, al
most uncanny. Something about him,
his clothes, his bow, his voice. an at
mosphere she could neither define nor
understand, made her feel as If char
acter before unknown had stepped out
of book to meet her. She was glad
there was no time for him, that she
could plead the pressure of work for
the evening.
He had hardly gone when Vic Wah
poked his yellow face into grand
ma'am's room, where in spite of ALL
gust heat, four women were plying
hurrying needles in last preparations
for the evening.
Charley Clocker, he come now pitt
ty soon.''
"Cut my shoestrings! Extras, Vic;
and hurry!" Sally B. rolled up her
work with one hand, smoothed her
hair with the other and was out of the
room before the cooks reply was
finished.
You callee me Vic Wah! Sabe?
All light. Extlas plenty gosh quick.
/ damn hully," he called after her as he
ambled to the kitchen, his words fol-
lowing her flying form to the office
door.
Standing in the open doorway Sally
B. began a voluble welcome to her dis
tinguished guest while che was yet
great way off, her high words carry
ing like arrows from taut bowstring.
Not to the public wash basin and
a i~er h,1t %o har 20
tidiously clean best room, kept for
such emergencies, Sally B. conducted
Mr.. Crocker for "a wash-up n hair
brush" Without actual need of the
ceremony, he was too tactful to de-
cline it, but used Sally BIS home
wrought conveniences with an appre-
ciative thoroughness that brought
broad smiles to her face as she stood
by, serving him, and retailing we'll
selected railroad gossip the while.
The dinner served to the superinten-
dent, seated apart in a corner of the
dining room, testified to Vic Wah's
fine understanding of the laconic Or
der, extras" The flag-draped, fir.
trimmed walls, and a stage at the end
of the room, aroused Mr.. Crocker's Gu
riosity; and Sally BIS description of
the show to be held there that night
''fur the benefit of Jim Sackett's wild
der" was so eloquent that Mr.. Crocker
put in her hand the first five dollars
for "a reserved seat" he said.
At six o'clock came message from
Alfred to Stella. my train is ordered
to the Front. You'll have to postpone
the programme till come. Set them
to dancing, and get Sally B. to OK.
plain. She's hostess; it Will come
properly from her. I'll be there as
soon as possible. It will be after ten."
she dispatch met Stella as she
went il to supper, early tonight and
contrary to her custom.
Tearlsters, trainmen, shopkeepers,
saloon1nen, gamblers, employees Of In
gram, Finn & Gould's Fast Freight
wagon train to leave in a day or so
for the desert, the three musicians