The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-05-25
CHAPTER xvI-continued.

The keeper went into the Office with
q somewhat hurried Goodnight" and
soon Abe found himself alone again,
the light in the kitchen beyond, no
sound in the room save that of the
booming of the surf, the rafting Of
the windows, and now and again the
fall of clinker in the stove.
The old man was surprised to find
that he could not fall back into that
blissful slumber again. Not sleeping,
he had to think. He thought and
thought-sober night thoughts-while
the oysters laid like a log in his
stummick" and the coffee seemed to
stir his brain to greater activity.
Suppose" said the intoxicated
brain, another big storm should
swoop down upon you and the bay
should break up, and you and Samuel
two or three months with a handful
of men-folks!"
Moo! Moo" roared the breakers
on the shore Serve you right for
finding fault with the sistersi"
Come to think OF it, if he had not
been 80 ungracious of Miss AbigaiPs
concern for him, he would now be In
possession Of hop pillow to lull him
back to sleep. Well, he had made his
bed, and he would have to lie on 1t,
although it was a hard old carpet-cov-
cred lounge. Having no hop pillow,
hn would count cbaan
One sheep going over the fence, two
sheep, three How tired he was!
How his bones ached! It's no use
talking, you can't make an old dog do
the tricks of his puppy days. What
an idiot he had been to climb that
practise-mast! IL he had fallen and
broken his leg?
Four sheep. Maybe he was too old
for gallivanting, after all Maybe he
was too old for anything except just
to be "mollycoddled" by thoughtful
old ladies. Now, be honest with your
self, Abe. Did you enjoy yourself to-
day-no. yesterday. Did you? Well,
yes and-no! Now. IL Angy had been
along!
Angy! That was why he could not
go to sleep! He had forgotten to kiss
her good-by! Wonder If she had no.
ticed it? Wonder If she had missed
him more on account of that neglect?
Pshaw! What nonsense! Angy knew
he want no hand at kissin', and 1t
was apt to give him rheumatism to
bend down so far as her sweet old
mouth.
He turned to the wall at the side of
the narrow lounge, to the emptiness
where her pillow should be. Good
night, mother" he muttered huskily.
Mother did not answer for the first
time in nights beyond the counting.
Mother would not be there to answer
for at least six nights to come. A
week, thought this old man, as the
other old man had reflected few
hours before, is long time when one
has passed his threescore years and
ten, and with each day sees the shad-
ows growing longer.
Abraham put out his hard time
shrunken hand and touched in thought
his wifefs pillow, as if to persuade
himself that she was really there in
her place beside him. He remembered
when first he had actually touched her
pillow to convince himself that she
was really there, too awed and too
happy to believe that his youths
dream had come true; and he remem-
bered now how his gentle, strong
hand had crept along the linen until
it cupped itself around her cheek; and
he had felt the cheek grow hot with
bushes in the darkness. She had not
been mother" then; she had been
'dearest," Would she think that he
was growing childish if he should call
her dearest" now.
Smiling to himself, he concluded
that he would try the effect of the ten
der term when he reached home again.
He drew his hand back, whispering
once more, Goodnight, mother"
Then he fancied he could hear her say
In her soft, reassuring tone, Good
night, father" Father turned his
back on the empty wall, praying with
a sudden rush of passionate love that
when the last call should come for
him, 1t would be after he had said
Goodnight, mother" to Angy and
after she had said Goodnight, IA
ther," to him, and that they might
wake somewhere, somehow, together
with God, saying, "Good-morning,
mother" "Good-morning, father!'
And Fair Is the day!"