The Forrest City times., 1914-08-07
I can't see extry we'll this

! why, Abel It's slicked eZ slick eZ 1t kin be naow." However, the old wife reached up as he bent his tall. angular form over her, and smoothed again his thin, wet locks. He laughed little. self-mockingly. and she laughed back, then urged him into the hall, and. slipping ahead. led the way downstairs. At the first landing, which brought them into full view of the lower hall, he paused. possessed with the mad desire to run away and hide, for at the foot of the stairway stood the entire flock of old ladies Twenty 1 nine pairs of eyes were lifted to him and Angy, twenty-nine pairs of lips were smiling at them. To the end of his days Abraham remembered those smiles. Measuring, unselfsh and tender. they made the old mans heart swell, his emotions go warning to- gether.
 He wondered. was grateful, yet he grew more confused and afraid. He stared amazed at Angeline, who seemed the embodiment of self-posses- sion, lifting her dainty, proud little gray head higher and higher She turned to Abraham with a protecting, motherly little gesture of command TOT him to follow. and marched gal 1 lantly on down the stairs Humbly, | trembling at the knees, he came with l gingerly steps after the little old wife. ] How unworthy he was of her now! l How unworthy he had always been, 1 yet never realized to the full until this moment. He knew what those smiles meant, he told himself, watching the l uplifted faces; they were to soothe ms sense of shame and humiliation, to touch with rose this dull gray color of the continuation of his failures. He 1 passed his hand over his eyes, fiercely l praying that the tears might not come to add to his disgrace.
 And all the while brave little Angy kept smiling, until with truly glad leap of the heart she caught sight of blue ribbon painted in gold shining on the breast of each one of the twenty-nine women. A pale blue rib bon painted in gold with-yes, peering her eyes she discovered that 1t was 1 the word 'Welcome." The forced smile vanished from Angeline's face. Her eyes grew wet, her cheek white Her proud figure shrank. She turned and looked back at her husband Not for one instant did she appropriate the compliment to herself This Is for you.' her spirit called out to him, l while new pride dawned in her working face
 Forty years had she spent apologiz ing for Abraham, and now she under stood how these twenty.nine generous old hearts had raised him to the pedes- tai of hero. while she stood a heroine beside him. Angy 1t was who trembled now, and Abe, gaining a manly cour- age from that, took hold of her arm to steady her-they had paused on a step near the foot of the stairs-and, looking around with his whimsical smile, he demanded of the bedecked company in general Ladies, be yew
 spectin the president"
 Cackle went the cracked old voices of the twenty-nine in a chorus of ap- preciative laughter, while the old i heads bobbed at one another as if to say, Wont he be an acQuisition?" And then, from among the group there came forward Blossy-Blossy, who had sacrificed most that this should come to pass; Blossy, who had sat till mid night painting the gold-and blue rib bons; Blossy, the pride and beauty of the home. in delicate, old, yellow, real lace gown. She held her two hands gracefully and mysteriouely be- hind her back as she advanced to the foot of the stairs. Looking steadily in Abraham's eyes, she kept a-smiling until he felt as if the warmth of belated spring had beamed upon him.
 The president" Her mellow, we'll modulated voice shook, and she laughed with a mingling of generous joy and tender pity. Are we expect ing the president? You dear, modest man. We are welcoming-you."
 Abe looked to Angy as If to say, How shall take it?" and behold, the miracle of his wife's bosom swelling and swelling with pride in him. He turned back. for Blossy was making a speech. His hand to his head, he bent his good ear to listen. In terms poetical and touching she described the loneliness of the life at the home as it had been with no man under the roof of the house and only a deaf and-dumb gardener who hated her sex, in the barn. Then in contrast she painted life as it must be for the sis ters now that the thirty tender vines had found stanch old oak for their clinging. "Me?" queried Abraham of himself and, with another silent glance. of Angy
 CTO BE CONTINUED