The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-02
TODAY'S SHORT STORY
When The Sheriff Arrived

6AAAANC0
settlement miles beyond and took the
newspapers from a rude mail box.
Newspapers were the one connecting
link between their lives and the civili-
zation of which they had once been a
part. When the winter winds howled
down the mountain ravines and shook
their cabins door and windows, they
sat by the roaring logs in the big fire
place and talked of the goings on out
in the world and of what they them
selves would do, when their ship had
finally arrived. Bob was all for travel.
A trip around the world would be his
first choice, but Judith wanted home.
Nobody but herself knew how she long
ed for what almost all women have
home comforts, neighbors and friends
and just a. little, wee bit of leisure.
But it should be as Bob wished.
But in the hot weather, sitting out
under the great white stars that seemed
so close, his mood always changed. He
talked then of orchards in blossom, of
honeysuckles and roses clambering over
trelises and porches and of a home
where one could entertain friends, the
kind his fancy peopled the world with.
At such times Judith forgot the hard
that had now brought them to middle
life, so strong was hope within her.
Then, as suddenly as unexpectedly
their rough, drab life ended. A rail-
road was to be built directly through
their holdings and before they had real
lied what was upon them their land
and herds were gone and there was
more money to their credit in a bank
in thriving town down the line than
they had ever hoped to possess.
The town itself was Of their choos-
| ing. ~ Neither had wished te-permanent-
seemed that all that life had to give
was theirs. The home they had planned
and talked about in the firelogs glow
and out under the stars was fast be-
coming a reality. It's great skeleton
was rising in plain view of the little
rose-covered cottage they had taken till
their own was ready and till they start
ed on the travels Bob still craved.
Then, with the same suddenness with
which their ranch life ended, their plans
ended. Judith never knew the details.
At any rate Bob had lost control Of
the car he was trying out, it had left
the grade and lay wreck beside Bob's
dead body at the foot Of an embank-
ment almost within sight Of home.
To Judith the end of everything came
with the discovery of that wreck. The
awful aloneness, sleeping or waking,
appalled, her. The people who came and
went were strangers. They had no in
terest in her nor she in them. Over
and over, again and again, she told her
self it would have been far better If
she and Bob could have taken that
last wild ride together.
"I'm wondering" timid voice in
terrupted, "if I might have few roses
today? / haven't asked for any
lately. for didn't like, to 'sturb you.
But it's 'Van9elen's birthday and
thought maybe you wouldn't care"
"No, don't care" she said, YEARLY,
and with scarcely/a glance at the child
who had spoken.
"Then I'll take red ones. 'vange-
len is so pretty with red about her.
Tell you what"-with sudden enthu-
siasm-"I'd buy her a red dress if I
had the money
The boys voice as we'll as his words
made Judith look up. Her eyes went
from his earnest little face to the baby
carriage with two babies in it just out
side the gate. They were a familiar
sight. On many occasions she had
filled the carriage with roses, and the
baby hands with cookies or candy, but
today she seemed to see them for the
first time.
''Twins?" she asked.
mo kin whatever" he answered
gravely. I'VE don't even know who
they are. Launfell came first. He
was left on the doorstep, same as Van
geIen, Miss Ashe, the matron, says.
Do you like their names? named
'em myself. They's the names / like
best in the stories the teacher reads
US at school,"
'The matron," Judith repeated. 81
Il don't understand. supposed they
were your brother and sister,"
"Why," the child's eyes opened wide
in surprise, didn't you know we was
live at the home. I'm Jim Sandison,
9 years old, and I take care of the ba-
bies, cause l love 'em so. You see''-
his manner was quite cbummy--''they
think the world of me, and ] haven't
anybody that's all my own. It's fine
to have somebody that's all your own.
Somebody that's all your own! Ju-
dith knew how fine it was, and the aw-
fitness of not having, and she dropped
her head on her arms and wept as she
had not since the day they had brought
Bob home to her. dead.
'There, there, I wouldn't cry!" The
tender coaxing tone was that of a
grown-up quieting a fretful child. She
had laughed many times at the boys
old ways of speech and manner, but
now she felt strangely soothed and com
forted.
But 1 guess you can't help it, he
went on. 81 couldn't myself yisstiddy.
That was when / thought a man and
woman was going to dept the babies.
Course l know somebody'll want 'em
they're so sweet and pretty, but /
didn't like that man and woman. And
I'm afraid they'll get 'em yet. They're
coming again when their minds are
made up"
adopt" What do you, mean? 1
don't understand"
''Why-you know the folks of the
half orphans will want 'em again some
day, but the whole orphans nobody
wants, so they're 'dopted out. I've
hOnpd and honad s0mehndv would want