The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-12-24

on y i guess IL wont neeo IL A.
she spoke q smile Of perfect sweet
ness rested on the face. and the hand
within my own nestled in dovelike
peace.
The boy bent over the white face
from behind and whispered something
in her ear. trailing the little laughing
lips across her brow as he looked up
Not now, Jamesy; wait q while"
"Ah!" said I. shaking my head with
feigned merriment, don't you two go
to plotting about mel"
"Oh, hello, no. cap?" exclaimed the
boy, assuringly. Il was on'y jist a.
tellin' sis to asst you II she mightn't
open that box now-honest! And you
fist ask her II you don't believe me
I won't listen" And the little fellow
gave me a look Of the most penetHS
tive suggestiveness; and when a mo
ment later the glad words. Christmas
gift! Jamesy." rang out quaveringly
in the thin voice, the little fellow
snatched the sack up, in a paroxysm
OF delight, and before the girl had
time to lift the long dark lashes once
upon his merry face. he had emptied
its contents out tumultuously upon
the bed.
You got it ON to me, sis!" cried
the little fellow, dancing wildly round
the room; got it on to me this time!
but I'm game, don't you fergit, and
don't put up nOthin' snide! How'll
them shoes there ketch you? and
how's this fer a cloak?-is them
enough beads to suit you? And how's
this fer a hat-feather and all? And
how's this fer a dress-made and
everything? and I'd "a got a corsik
with it if he'd On'y had any little
enough. You won't look fly ner
nothin' when you throw all that style
on you in the morning!-Guess mott"
And the delighted boy went off upon
another wild excursion round the
ROOM
Even slatternly Molly looked up
with a faint show of interest that
| might have grown into enthusiasm,
and the sodden lump of flesh on the
floor stirred and moaned uneasily. his
drunken slumber disturbed by the
noisy joy of Jamesy. isis" gasped a
bit and lovingly her thin hand hOvered
over the things that should have been
precious to girl or woman. She lifted
the shoes, stroked the cloak and dress.
and there was just the suspicion of a
sob in her throat as she fOndled the
hat, feather and ALL" Then she turned
toward me.
Lean down here" said the girl. a
great light in her eyes and the other
slender hand sliding from beneath
the covering. Here is the box you
sent me, and I've opened tit wasn't
right you know, but somepin' kind O.
said to open It fore morning-and-
and I opened it." And the eyes
seemed asking my forgiveness. yet
were filed with great bewilderment.
You see," she went on, the thin voice
falling in a fainter tone, Il knowed
bills-I knowed them bills cause one
of 'em had a inkspot on it. and the
other ones had been pinned with it
they wasn't pinned together when you
sent EN-, but the holes was in where
they had been pinned, and they was
all pinned together when Jamesy had
'em-'cause Jamesy used to have
them very bills-he didn't think.
knowed-but onc't when he was
asleep, and father was a-goin' through
his clothes, l happened to find 'em in
his coat fore he did; and counted
'em, and hid 'em back ag'in. and
father didn't find 'em, and Jamesy
never knowed it. never said moth
in, cause sOmepin' kind o. said to
me it was all right, and somepin' kind
o said I'd git all these things here.
toO-on'y / won't need 'em. ner the
money, nor nothiD'. How did you get
the money? That's ALL"
The boy had by this time ap-
preached the bed, and was gazing Gu
riously upon the solemn little face
What's the matter with you. Sis?"
he asked in wonderment; "airt you
! glad?"
I'm mighty glad, Jamesy, she
said, the little, thin hands reaching
for his own. Guess I'm too glad,
! cause | can't do nothin' on'y list feel
| glad; and somepin' kind o. says that
that's the gladdest glad in all the
world. Jamesy."
"Oh, pshaw, Sis! Why don't you
tell a feller what's the matter?" said
the boy, uneasily.
The white hands linked more close
ly with the brown, and the pure face
lifted to the grimy one till they were
blent together in a kiss.
BE good to father. fer you know
he used to be so good to US"
20 Sis! Sis!"
"Molly!"
The sQuabby, red-faced woman
threw herself upon her knees ard
kissed the thin hands wildly and with
sobs.
Molly, somepin' kind O. says that
you must dress me in the morning
but won't need the hat. and you
must take it home for Mamie Don't
cry so loud; you'll wake father"
I bent my head down above the
frowzy one and moaned-moaned.
And you. SIR went on the failing
voice, reaching for my hand, YOU
you must take this money back-yOu
must take 1t back, fer l don't need It.
You must take II back and-and-
give it-give it tC the poor" And
even with the utterance upon the aa-
cious lips the glad soul leaped and
| A,1ttere6 through the omen gates.