The Delta independent., 1910-12-30

| would not stay buttOned. II required
much time and he sat down on the
step and with all his ten fat, wee nm
gers labored. Then, "Das q doodle
boy" he objurgated himself as he
resumed his climb of the stairs. the
button buttoned; "Das a daryin' yittle
gentleman!"
He shook the knob. Waited, jug
ging on the toes OF him and discours-
ing to Nicodemus.
The door remained closed
Two fat palms smote It wrathfully.
Open" he commanded; 'pease
open dis door"
Nobody answered.
Poor yittle boy" he wheedled at
keyhole: "zere amt nobody loves
i'm"
Nicodemus yapped and made feints
at desertion when a dog barked out
side. Fawned back. and licked the
fingers where bread and honey aroma
fingered. Sat up and waved an arabie
paw at him.
| He sat down on the floor and gath
cred bis yellow dog into his pinafore
and hugged.
"'Cept Nitodemus an myssef." he
said.
Great-srand came up the hall.
rs you been a bad boy. dreat-dran 20
he said. rs you all shutted outr'
Great-grand sighed.
Seems like this horse Just will run
away" in doleful tone. "and I've got a
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 hither 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 dismounted.
put his stsed in stall. came back to
stair-head. and. legs astride and head
thrown back, surveyed US from the
heights Of rsmembered injury. Be-
side him. perky. tongue lolling out.
Nicodomus sQuatted.
Long legs gathered to his chin,
great-grand ranged himself on the top
step and twinkied.
Yes. sirs." quoth great-grand:
"shutted US all out!"
Our baby nodded confirmation and
]
Men mys Nitodemus an mys dreat-
II dot . 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. Greatgrand loved to dig
and deive in the red-charred logs and
imprison the swarms Of rosy bees.
Fascinated, I would watch the swirl
ing uphed sparks. wondering what
phantasms of youth he saw allbeauti-
full In them. what faces went past In
that rosy mirage that his own should
wear so tender an answering look
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 encirclins arms watch. Sometimes
he would straddle one old knee and
snug his head under the down-ieaning
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 >!sion-
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 sinsings 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 growinys in their
whicker-whicker. We had hated to
shut out the skies, so divinely near
they closed in upon earth. with their
starry strands garlanding the rim of
hills. Our baby had seen his first me-
teor-a feathered trail Of ethereal fire
and a soundless splendor az the me-
teor burst and biggened into a globe
of slysian azure. and went out. And
the black violet skies seemed vet
deeplier black with that blue glory
memoried against them. and the stars
paliid and cold. And my baby won
dered II there might not be another
Christmas baby. in that blue glory. He
wondered whether. II we'd go out, we
might not md q few boys and girls
and babies that got left over. whom
God forgot who had asked TO have
some left at their houses. He wished
he'd been there that night at the or.
ems inn. to ses the little child. Sos