The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-22
CHAPTER <.


steamer, and from the landing waved
adieus Jocko using his little red cap,
and Brave his beautiful, black plumy tail.
The vessel had passed out Of sight |
around the bend in the river, and the lit
tie group turned their faces homeward.
sswe sho' will miss her. She wuz
or quar- little thing, but you jes couldn't
hep lovin NV her. Aunt Debby eyed
her mistress curiously.
Yes, with all her fancies, she is an
4 attractive and loyable child. Elba was
wondering if he really loved the girl,
Us he had once professed to love her. The
/ drop that had sweetened the draught was
growing bitter from doubt.
she ain 4 er chile no longer. -. The
old woman shook her head wisely. She
come ter us er chill, she lef US Ter 'om-
an.
"What do you meant" Elba looked
inquiringly at her servant.
HNothin you won't know in good
time, honey She patted her bosom, as
if it were the repository Of wonderful
secrets.
When they reached the house, Elba, fol
lowed by her usual attendants, turned
into the path leading to the family bury
ing ground. Golden lances from the West
we're falling on Blossom g grave.
Elba sat down, and leaned her head
against the marble slab. Her heart was
heavy. Never since Blossom had left her,
had she felt so entirely alone in the
world. The truth came to her now. Al
ways, before, she had felt that she had
claim on him. Today she realized that
she had forfeited that claim. She was
utterly alone.
ooh, baby. If were only lying here
! by you. What mistake my life has
y been. Lower, and lower her head sank,
until her face was buried among the flow
ers. The form lying on the sod, was as
motionless, Us the one beneath.
: Jocko, and Brave, as though conscioul
. of some new trouble, were quiet, ant
. dignifed. The former resisting the temp
. tation to slap the latter while their mis-
t. tress was not looking. Brave forgot, OF
s. did not care to chase the great gaudy
butterflies that darted here and there, 50
\ tantalizingly near his nose. A toad near
by, was unmolested. And when rab-
Z bit ventured out of the high grass in the
fence corner and looked timidly at
i them, neither moved. Jocko looked al
i Brave, as though to ask, can you re
sist9'' The dog returned the look, with
L an j IN surprised to see you SO consider
q ate = expression. Both seemed to appre
ciate the seriousness Of the occasion, anC
IF to realize that the chasing of butterflies
and rabbits, and barking at tcads while
h their mistress was in that attitude, would
be as homogeneous as clog dancing at {
Il funeral.
The butterflies circled higher, and still
e higher, until lost to sight. The toat
= hoped away, and was hidden by TIN
tall grass. The rabbit cast gratefd
look at the monkey, and the dog, ant
,e with his long leaps passed through hol
under the iron fence, and was gone.
d. Either tired Of the unusual inactivity
t. or impressed by the approaching suppe
hour, the two watchers began to move TN
10 easily, and walk softly about the bowe
form.
IL. ,s.ly 81 7
was the Sea Bird, coming down the river
It. The call was repeated. She was stoppin
IN at the landing.
Elba rose slowly, wondering vaguely
II who was getting off, or on. She though
~ of the girl who had just left and the par
she had played in her life. How Ion
,e ago it seemed, since she had taken tn
: girl from the river. Suppose she ha
not gone to the burning boat woul
things have been any different7 VIII
IA did she come here to disturb the calm {
ey my lifea" she asked herself. ~ wa
IS content, if not happy. Hope sustaine
On me. Now I've no shadow of hope.
is, know, now, why I was affected SO strang
ar ly that night. It was the nearness {
y his other self. All, my resolutions fl
y. the future; my plans for reform, ar
49, future usefulness, and-my happiness.
10 lying in ruins about me. Too late " 81
nd smiled bitterly, as she turned toward Il
40. lonely house
m. Knowing her mistress love for Il
tie twilight, Aunt Debby had not light,
nis the house.
Sitting down at the piano the lone
Ife woman began playing the weird inour
GU full notes, which Aunt Debby declar
as sounded like "sperits whispcrin Ell
iy. seldom sang, of late, preferring solen
his funeral marches and fugpes.
ed. Just outside the yard stood a man.
yea was heshating, as if afraid to enter t
Gu big, old house, looming up so dark a
~ ghostly, in the shadowy starlight, am