The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-13

nation or Captain Cutie and smiled, for he understood his humble position with Dombey & Son pretty well in time; but for all that, In brave, boyish simple way he dreamed of do- ing something great some day to win her favor.
 Florence thought as often about Wal ter. With the exception of Susan Nip- l per and little Paul, none others enter ed into her lonely life closely enough to touch 1t except on the surface. She 1 loved her brother with all the might of her affectionate heart, but she dared not show her feelings before her stern 1 father. and when Paul was only siy years old they were separated. for MT. Dombey felt that 1t was high time for the boy to be fitted for the tremendous position of Son. Therefore he went one day with futtering heart and with one tiny hand clutching Florence's tightly, while the other lay timidly in Mir. Dombey's. to be introduced into | the majestic seminary of Dr. Binber. who was famous for having introduced l pupils into Greek at six and whose | proud boast was that there was noth- Ing but learning going on in his estab- l lishment from morning until night | They left him there--a very little, | pale. shrinking child. Florence ran back again to throw her arms around | his neck. It made his young bosom heave and swell when she was gone. l Dr. Blimber lost no time in inducing l Paul into tn mysteries of knowledge. | Into which there peered beside him self the most depressed ard hopeless | young gentlemen whoever had been | gathered under any one civilized roof | They spent their days in dejected con | sideration of old Romans and Greeks and their nights in painful slumbers made terrible by nightmares of unac- | complish ed tasks.
 | | and repass the school and wave her hand to him where he waited for her | at his window. So soon as he saw | her, even far away, his face was light | ed up with Joy: and so soon as she vanished again the light would retreat and leave a patient melancholy on the | little face.
 Many times after dark another figure walked before the school. It was that | of MT. Dombey. lie did not come of | ten now to see his son face to face. | He shrank from the weary. weary look | and the tiny, wasted form. Yet he could not see what Florence saw. He was too much bent on making Paul the 1 Son to permit himself even the shadow of a thought that the boy might never succeed to the great house. So he looked up to the window and waited and watched and planned and hoped. They called Paul queer and old-fash- | toned in the house. Old-fashioned | indeed he was as he sat there dream | was soon to be- for little Paul was ! going fast to follow the oldest fash l lon in the world.
 There came the day when even pr. l Blimber had to confess that the old Romans and Greeks were too much for down stairs and to the carriage and fso home. with Florence sitting by his side and holding his hand.
 Florence" he whispered. "Floy, my l own pet, wasn't that papa standing in the hall when they carried me up stairs from the coach? Did he cry and go into his room when he saw me?"
 Florence shook her head and pressed her lips against his cheek.
 I'm very glad he didn't cry" said little Paul. "I thought he did. Don't tell them that I asked"
 He never rose from his bed again. He lay quite still and tranquil, con- tented unutterably to have Florence with him always. One day. when he had been drifting long and far on the river that will bear us all away some day. he heard below the voice of Walter Gay, who had come on an er- rand. Florence and he had talked about him often and he had seen the lad many times.
 
 his fathers voice sounded bidding the young man come up. Paul stretch ed out his hand and said: "Walter, dear, goodbye Then he turned to his fa- ther. who had bent his face close to the pillow. Remember. Walter, dear papa" he whispered Remember Walter. was fond of Walter"
 He put his arms around Florence and lay still. The old. old fashion! The fashion that came in with our first garments and will last unchanged till our race has run its course. The old. old fashion-Death.
 For many days afterward Mir. Dom bey locked himself in his room. Every night Florence stole lightly down the stairs and stopped before his door with beating heart and blinded eyes and hair that fell down loosely and un- thought of She touched the closed door with her wet cheek and whis- pered Good night. dear. dear papa" and stole back to bed again, with her heart full of love-a love cast away. but always turning back to him who never had looked at her since PauI's death,
 One night he heard her and came out. The face that he turned on her had not one gleam of tenderness of in- terest or pity in 1t. There was a change in it, but not of that kind. It cast a shadow on her and froze her as she looked. for even to her young eyes her fathers face told her that 1t was gall to him to see her in her youth and her promise and to think of his boy.
 Another bereavement came into her life before the grass on Paul's grave was green. Walter was sent to Bar bados by MT. Carker. who seized the opportunity offered by a vacancy there. Before ke went Florence came to the sign of the Little Midshipman, who prettier vision through his sextant in all the years that he had gazed so in- dustriously through it.
 T have come to say goodby, dear Walter" said Florence crying. And you must call me Florence for Paul said before he died, Remember Walt err and if you'll be like a brother to me now that he Is gone and I have none on earth I'll be your sister all my life" And with her full and sim pie heart she held out both her hands to him.
 The next day Walter sailed, his last act being after great effort to force back on the reluctant Captain Cutie all that worthy mariners worldly ef- fects, consisting of an immense silver spoons, and, which he insisted on giv- ing to his admired young friend.
 The last sight that Walter had of those he loved was when the boat showed of from the side of the ship. He saw his uncle's head hanging de- jectedly, while the captain thumped him encouragingly on the back with the great silver watch and jesticulated hopefully with the sugar tongs and the