The Cairo bulletin., 1910-07-11
RESTORATION
BY Beatrice ColSurn.

~
| That was the proper move for fate
| to make next. and because his part
ner. who had lost ali In speculation
shot himself upon the morning OF
discovery did not put Stokes on
his feet again
So as the years passed John Stokes
laid aside his youthful ambition like
an out-grown coat and opened a
small periodical shop In a suburban
town.
Times, one cent. No. sir, we
| don't keep that brand of cigar, Your
papers will be here this afternoon.
MFR. Bill
Sometimes you would wonder (it
YOU could have heard the sharp, me-
tallic click OF Stokes tones) whether
they were uttered by the Godgiven
voice OF man, The information was
ever the same and the words came
with the even precision of clock
work.
Every night at six Stokes emptied
a tin box which he hid underneath
pile of newspapers, then extinguish-
ing the light he locked his shop door
and turned homeward
Home TO him consisted Of back
room two flights up In Mrs, Grub
bins lodging house, which said room
boasted stove, bed, two chairs and
and old-fashioned table as ugly as
sin itself.
Stokes would then with stolid sill
ence fry his scraps of bacon, munch
bakers roll and after doing up
| the, solitary dish. sit by the window
and commune with his pipe until bei
| time. Over his tiint-like features
there would pass no shadow Of eX-
! preston, but when the seance was
long one, as on hot summer even
| fngs, he would occasionally for var
iety remove his pipe to utter an UNI
emotional hump"
Mrs. Grubbins accused her back
room lodger of being queer" aud
| contided to the charming Widow
Pinkcheeks (who with her little tioc&,
occupied the two front chambersl
that there was something missing IN
| his make-up-just what, she couldn't
| say
| John Stokes trusted no man
/ from his word to his penny
One day when Stokes was well
\ along In years, for the first time in
his remembrance, he lay in bed from
| dawn until dusk, saw the sun when
1t first peeped into the little room and
watched its setting rays crimson the
dingy back windows of a neighbour
ing house,
| Mrs. Grubbins was too busy to
make personal call upon the invalid,
but twice sent her daughter with
bowl Of ill-smelliag Cruel.
Toward night as Stokes lay look
ing out toward the darkening sky, he
seemed to be thinking intently and
| did not hear the door open. Sud
denly a child stood before him. It
! was the Widow Pinkcheeks Youngest
daughter and she carried in her dim
pied hands a third bowl of Cruel
Very carefully she deposited the
| precious burden beside the bed, then
paused and clasped her hands be-
hind her.
Well" he said, and one could al
most fancy the word clicked like
something metallic, 'WelI?"
Hazel Pinkcheeks stepped nearer,
unabashed by her reception
Il had a birfday today is free
years old"
Hump" was MFR. Stokes COM
ment
Yes" continued Miss Pinkcheeks,
unclasping her hands and twisting "a
curl around one plump finger. An
/ has free dollies an pin wiz blue
stones"
Mr.. Stokes returned her gaze with
cold indifference.
Isn't you ionessme7" VIE Hazel's
| next remark. Receiving TO answer,
she continued, "Muzzer says you 8
awful old--mos' old nuf to die
The hand on the blanket twitehed
Yes, Muzzer says you's old. an You s.
poor, too, isn't your When | die.
babbled on the little voice, lis do
| ing 10 tate Sally Ann-that's my new
dolly long too.
Suddenly Miss Pinkcheeks seemed
to bs inspired fer she clapped her
hands and tripped toward the door
calling In q shrili treble:
IFS cumming wife back, old man
wife back.
Presently there sounded the patter
of little feet and the brown-eyed
baby entered Straight up to the bed
she went with determined step
Dare, poor old man, is bot you
sumpfing to teep you lump ny 7
Into Stokes arms tum BLEED something
soft and black.
TITS my Dinah! be dood to hei
won't you, MANI The little hans
sought Stokes fingers, pressing some
thing into them spasmodi>ally a,
though the sacrifice was IN effort
"An' here's a penny. saved II al
myself"
The soft footballs died III the dis
lance. but no sound bro%c the sill
ence Of the darkening room.
When next day the sun reeped Ii