Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-01-05

and fingers flew in the wild frolic of
the Devils Dream" 1t led me out
Of my sadness into a world all new to
me.
"Now, God bless your soul, boy" he
exclaimed, by and by, as he put down
his instrument. eve shall have a good
time together--that we will. Not a
stroke o. work this day! Come, have
a guide here that will take us down
to the land O. the fairies"
Then with his microscope he showed
me into the wonder world Of littleness
Of which I had no knowledge.
1.-THE microscope is like the art O. the
teacher" he said. 1--WE known a good
teacher to take brain no bigger than
a fy's foot an make 1t visible to the
naked eye"
One of the children, of which there
were four in the Hacket home, called
US to supper. Mrs. Hacket, a stout
woman with red and kindly face, sat
at one end of the table, and between
them were the children-Mary, pref
ty daughter Of seventeen years; Mag
gle, a six-year-old; Ruth, a delicate
girl of seven, and John a noisy, red.
faced boy of five. The chairs we're of
plain wood-like the kitchen chairs of
today. In the middle of the table was
an empty one-painted green. Before
he sat down Mr.. Hacket put his hand
on the back Of this chair and said:
"a merry heart to you, Michael
Henry"
I wondered at the meaning of this
but dared not to ask. The Oldest
daughter acted as a kind of moderator
with the others.
MARY is the constable of this house,
with power to arrest and hale into
court for undue haste or rebellion or
impoliteness," Mr.. Hacket explained.
VI believe that Sally Dunkelberg is
your friend" he said to me presently.
"Yes, sir" I answered.
"a fine slip of a girl that and a born
scholar saw you look at her as
the Persian looks at the rising SUM-"
/ bushed and Mary and her mother
and the boy John looked at me and
laughed.
"Puer pulcherrime! Mr.. Hacket
exclaimed with kindly smile.
Uncle Peabody would have called it
a stout snag." The schoolmaster had
hauled it out of bis brain very deftly
and chucked it down before me in
kind of challenge \
"What does that mean?" | asked.
"YOu shall know in a week, my son."
ne answered. 81 shall put you into
the Latin class Wednesday morning,
and God help you to like it as well as
you like Sally"
Again they laughed and again l
bluShed.
Hold up yer head, my brave lad"
he went on. "Ye've a perfect right to
like Sally if we've heart to.
"a lad in his teens
Will never know beans
If he hasn't an eye for the girls"
1t was merry supper, and when it
ended Mr.. Hacket rose and took the
green chair from the table, exclaim-
ing:
'Michael Henry, God bless you"
Then he kissed his wife and said:
Maggie, you wild rose of Erin I've
been all day in the study. l must take
n walk or I shall get an exalted abdO-
men. One is badly beaten in the race
o life when his abdomen gets ahead
of his toes. Children, keep our young
friend happy here until l come back,
and mind you, don't forget the good
fellow in the green chair"
Mary helped her mother with the
dishes, while I sat with book by the
fireside. Soon Mrs. Hacket and the
children came and sat down with me.
Let's play backgammon" Mary pro-
posed
81 don't want to-" said John.
Don't forget Michael Henry" she
reminded
"Who is Michael Henry?" I asked.
''Sure, he's the boy that has never
been born" said Mrs. Hacket. "He
was to be the biggest and nOblest of
them-kind an helpful an CHEEKY
hearted an beloved O. God above all
the others. We try to live up to him."
He seemed to me Il very strange and
wonderful creature-this invisible oc-
cupant of the green chair.
l know now what l knew not then
that Michael Henry was the spirit of
their home-an ideal of which the
empty green chair was a constant re-
minder.
We played backgammon and "old
maid" and Everlasting" until Mr..
Hacket returned.
The sealed envelope which Mr..
Wright had left at our home, long
time before that day, was in my pocket.
AT last the hour had come when
could open it and read the message
of which l had thought much and
with a growing interest.
i rose and said that should like to
60 to my room. Mr.. Hacket lighted
candle and took me upstairs to a
little room where my chest had been
deposited. There were In the room a
bed, chair, portrait of Napoleon
y ri 4.