The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1916-09-29
CHAPTER II-contlnued.

CHAPTER II-contInued.
The door swung wide Behind Sam
Thomas, Mary Alice saw a pleasant
room, and through the open doorway
waited the honey" smell that always
denotes the farmhouse. In her over
powering WEAKNESS and pain, the little
girl yearned to that hearth, her big
eyes wide with longing
"Well," said Sam Thomas. you
don't think I'm goin' to turn the poor
young one away, do you? What's your
name, child? And for goodness sake,
what's the matter with your forehead?
Looks like someone had hit We"
-
Sam Thomas stepped ont upon the
big nat rock that formed his back door
step just as the sun licked its first
broad rays, like the tongue of a cat.
over the saucer rim Of the world. A
wistful mooing came to him from the
barn. The furry-green weeds that
matted the side yard were all dain-
thy rimed with heavy white dew in
which Sans footprints would appear,
dark and distinct, as II In snow.
With humping Of feet and beat
ing Of wings. half hundred chickens
came hurrying and jostling to his feet.
"Gwan." said Sam. "Shoo! Mall
feed We. shoov'
He stumped of to the barn. milk
pail rattling cheerfully in each hand.
Some swallows issued, swooping. from
the tiny holes pierced high up in the
peak Of the barn gable. They swung.
circled and dipped, uttering small
cheeping notes of morning gossip.
Sam Thomas whistled thin, tune
Tess measure, swung open the little
door In the big door of the barn, and
pushed his pals ahead Of him into that
fragrant gloom.
Mrs. Thomas, in the farmhouse kitch-
a, washed her breakfast dishes with
the deft handling Of inbred eff
cheney. An oil lamp burned on the
shelf above the sink, for Mrs. Thomas
had arisen before daylight to make hot
biscuit. Now, as the slant rays Of the
sun crept In and turned the lamp flame
TO Q sickly yellow, she blew 1t out. An
other day had begun.
The everlasting. ever-renewing bust
ness Of cleaning went on with scarcely
any interruption. Martha was always
cleaning something; she scrubbed,
secured, rubbed, Furnished and pol
lshed by intuition, by inclination and
BY habit. And she did not find 1t
drudgery. She was plump, pink and
pleasant. In her manner lay a deci-
sion, a firmness, which In a less per-
Sonable woman one might have called
by a harsher name. All the time. just
40 her husband whistled his tuneless
measure while he did his chores. Mar
tina hummed a soft half-portion Of
song. a song which kept repeating
Itself endlessly without words or de-
anable notes.
From somewhere within the house
came call.
"Mum.mee-ee-eew The last note,
long sustained, high pitched, was as
honeyed as birds call. Mum
nee-ee!"
Martha stopped in the midst Of her
tasks. Every morning the same thing
happened; every morning came the
little clutch at her heart, the little, ten
der, recurrent pain of realization. She
answered, as always: "All right. sweet
heart; mothers coming"
She set her broom in the corner and
passed swiftly through the sitting room
into a chamber. The morning sun
filled the chamber with a golden ra
dance, and this radiance was reflected
and seemed to be enhanced when it
touched the shining yellow head of a
child nestled in the pillows.
THE sun come and walked me up,
mummee," said the child. as it time
b get upT'
IF you want to, dearie. How'd
mothers boy sleep?"
100, grand! don't rummember any
thin but just one little teeny dream.
Gee, 1t was a funny little dream"
.ATell mother" said Martha. She
busted herself with basin and cloths
and towels. As she bathed him, the
child went on:
"well, I can't just rummember every
thin; only, the was little girl in it
but she wasn't my sister. Gee, num-
NEE, I wish'd had sister" "
Martha stopped short in her opera
tdons. Land sakes!" she said. 81 for
got"
.Forgot what7" demanded the little
boy. sharply.
ssNothing, dear" said his mother;
and he saw that she was tremulous.