The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-02
Daily Short Story
THE LITTLE BOY WHO NEVER
WAS.

she Jay very sull. gazing between
What was that stranEs glow Long
ago. when she was n little girl she had
zen a sreat golden star like that. There
honeysuckle about her now. lust as
there had been then. Perhaps Al was
the same star. pcrhaps-
There was /. sudden soft rustling
pcd she knew now. THIS star WAS the
shAoed night lamp I'm her dressing room;
the woman was her nurse.
slowly h lowered her iashes until
thsy lag upon her white cheeks. sh.
teit the eyes OF the nurse upon her ",
she remained motionlsss. she heard he
10, open ana then a mans voice. curl
Well. Miss Bins
in the stupor. doctor. She has
oesn TINS way since midnight.
She ielt cool fingers touch her wrist.
set she made no sign. She smiled in
scious. hut her mind vas clear a. Ib.ir-
clearer. perhaps. FOR che felt strangely
hght and airy. as AZ her body we're gone.
ana only her brains remained. conpr.-
hcnding abnormalty every sound In the
room about her.
The mans voice sun muffIed. broke
IN upon her thoughts.
II she regains consciousness before
lawn L think there - hope. There will
propaoiy be no chance for an hour. II
The nurse and doctor passed into the
outer room. For a she heard
mem speaking la low tones. then came
the tsint click OF a closing door.
slowly she raised her la-hss. Tn.
shaded lamp glowed like a golden star.
ne nurse sat beside ~. her head rest
Again the Woman smiled without
moving her lips. They thought nor
she had grOped FOR SO long ~ ss.SfS
years before she had heard the cali
Lra e'1ns bach She remembered those
bnr uark hiiis Win the cold wind ON
her Iace ana the sound or sobbing In
her .ears-the sound OF her own sons
as she hunted for her way back. Then
blackness and she had opened her Ewes
20 see ths lamr. the nurse aud the great
She felt curiouSly strained and .ar.r
as III she were waiting for Somethfne
or some one. Yet the heavy Fragrance
on the h~oneysuckle seemed to weigh
.er down; the light blurred and she
ielt herself climbing the hills again.
with the wind In her face. With an ef-
iort she struggled back. and lay watch
the nurse.
She must wait a little ionge--per-
hhssS mot very long She turned her
knew why she had come back.
hyN glad she was, \ 10y that was
IN her heart ana glowed on her smiling
ace Tor there in the doorway stood
- my W no never as
81 had never seen him before. hut
ways. always her heart had known
him. There could be no mistake. She
knew he would have just such curly
black hair. just such grave blue eve.
Then. as she watched him he smiled.
ana she knew. before she saw Il. that
dimple I'm his cheek.
As she lay with her eyes upon him. all
ne lonely years which we're behind her.
the years when he had molly lived In her
dreams. passed in slow procession be-
Tore her. Yet she felt no bitterness that
ne had come so late-only a great Joy
lhat he had come at last.
lie moved quickly toward her. and she
saw with a sudden rush Of tenderness.
now ilne and sturdy he was. I he had
only come IN time TO grow up, She
stltled the rising regret. and her eyes
We're clear and beautiful rs he leaned
against me bed looking down at her.
You called me back-why?" she ask
ed han. - she lifted her hand aud touch
"a ms hair: h wanted TO hear has
You know" he replied. with quaint
gravity. drawlng her hand down to his
check and holding ~ there. The hills
take care Of you-alwsyF."
GU knew me-" she 0ugricd.
on. yes. her replied simply Il saw
YOU rom Nondcr. I chose YOU Tor min.
even before you thought of there being
any me. lie laughed softly. brushing
bis lips across her hand. I'm twelve
Twelve, So she he'd dreamed Of him
that long lie was almost a man now.
ana able 60 take care ct her. IL was so
good To b" taken cprr Of All those
cars when she had struggled alone:
When there bad only been her lonely
dreams; when
You mustn't think OF that" said the
Little Boy That Never Mas. r.adiuE
aflght the shadow on her eyes. nm
mere now-that ts all. You must come
IT'S almost dawn. Come
Ito smiled as ne slipped his sturdy
arm beneath her head.
For a long time she had been too fired
70 move at times 10 had been AN cnort
hardly worth the roub to ur her
feaNN cyelidS. Yet now she felt Ifrht
aud airy and fun oI eaEeruesS. a. n
her body were gone. leaving her soul
burning ike q clear name. She feit a.
Young and strong a. on that night long
ago. when. a. a. little girl she had seen
me golden star. she wa glad. glad
that the years bad slipped away. Ieav-
Ing her n ~ companion FOR the Little
BOY who mad come at last.
with has hand iu hers. she rose.
Hand IN hand they went to tho door.
There she STOPPED and looked hack. In
the outer room the shaded lamp glowed
family; The nurse still sat with droop-
ing head
It b. almost dawn" the Little Eov.
Who Never Was repeated. we must
So. sim hand in hand. they passed