Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-12-15


Open" he commanded; "pease
open dis door,"
Nobody answered. @
Poor yittle boy" he wheedled al
keyhole; ''zere amt nobody loves
I'M"
Nicodemus yapped and made feints
at desertion when dog barked out
side. Fawned back, and licked the
fingers where bread and honey aroma
fingered Sat up and waved an affable
paw at him.
He sat down on the floor and gath.
cred his yellow dog into his pinafore
and Rugged.
"'Cept Nitodemus an myself" he
said
Great-grand came up the hall.
is you been a bad boy, dreat-dran?'
he said. rs you all shutted out?"
Great-grand sighed.
Seems like this horse Just will ruI
away" in dolefuI tone, "and I've got
bone In my foot and can't run after
him."
In a wink he was after the rampant
steed. Captured and mounted, rode
it lordily hlther and yon. and when
at last he came back from the breath
less miles we had slipped down the
back way and at stairfoot waited.
Slowly, with dignity, he dlsmounted
put his steed In stall, came back tc
stair-head, and, legs astride and head
thrown back. surveyed us from the
heights Of remembered injury. Be
side him, perky, tongue lolling out
Nicodemus sQuatted.
Long legs gathered to his chin
great-grand ranged himself on the tor
step and twinkled.
yes, sirs," Quoth great-grand;
"shutted lis all Quit"
Our baby nodded confirmation and
Nicodemus yawned in our faces.
Men mys Nitodemus an mys dreat
dram" he said. IAN mys dreat-dran
is dot a bone in his foot an needed
to kiss mys muvver"
But for three long days the library
ddoor remained locked.
And regularly, after each mornings
breakfast, he mounted the stairs and
tried the knob and cogitated to Nico
demus, and poked broom straws under
the door.
Christmas eve we sat about a great
open fire. Great-grand loved to die
and delve In the red-charred logs and
imprison the swarms of rosy bees
Fascinated, would watch the swirl
ing upfed sparks, wondering wba'
phantasms OF youth he saw all-beauti
full in them, what faces went past If
that rosy mirage that his own should
wear so tender an answering lodf
into eyes he alone was seeing. Some.
times our baby would come to stand
between his knees, head leaned
against his shoulder, and from within
the encircllng arms watch. Sometimes
he would straddle one old knee and
snug his head under the down-leaninR
old chin, gold hair and white hair com
mingled and hand over the old hand,
help the poker that prodded and piled
the embers. And the wide eyes seemed
to be seeing with the old mans vision.
ing, SO united he would sit
Christmas eve we sat about the
great open fireplace. Greatgrand sort
ed and piled his red-charred logs.
Grandmother was watching, lost In
idleness. Grand father had gone down
cellar for apples and In my lap my
baby was telling me secrets. We
listened beyond the singings Of the
flames; beyond the delicate soft sing
ing and the signing and the daughters
Of them. the wind In the chimney
From the end Of the new backlog the
saps distilled. all the summers rains
and deWs and green groWings in their
whlckeF-Whicker We had hated 70
shut out the skies, 90 dlvinely near
they closed in upon earth. with their
starry strands EArlandinG the rim Of
hIlls. Our baby had seen bis nrst me
lsOr-a fsathsrsd TRAN Of sthsroal hrs
and q Soundless spIendor a. the me-
tsor burst and bIggsnsd into . globe
Of slyslan asurs. and went out. And
the black violet skies seemed yet
deeplisr black win that blue glory
memoried against them. and the star
pallid and cold. And my baby won
dered II there might not Be another
Christmas baby. IN that blue glory. He
wondered whether. n we'd 60 out. Ua
might not ind q few boys and Eirih
and bahiea that gOt len uger, vhea
God forgot who bad aakod 70 han
some len a their houaaa- he Wishsa.
nod been there that night a he ~.
~ IN 70 - the little uhiid. 81