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Show A FARMHOUSE IDYL PATHETIC LITTLE TALE, WITH JOYFUL ENDING. Old Man's Toil and Loyalty Well Rewarded Re-warded Abiding Love That Knew No Limit and Put All Doubts Behind. Be-hind. After milking was over and the cans had been started on their way to the cheese factory, Ezra came into the house with his lips pursed for whistling. But the whistle froze upon his lips as he stepped over the yellow painted doorsill. He dropped inJ-0 his easy chair, and with a look of discomfort dis-comfort on his face he watched Cindy bustling to and fro from the stove to the table. Occasionally he would lift his eyes to the clock shelf and sigh. He had seen that same sort of envelope before. be-fore. The writing was in the same familiar hand. He could guess what the lines within had to reveal. When Joe came from the factory the three sat. down and ate in silence. The envelope on the clock shelf seemed like a bird of ill-fate, whose very presence seemed to choke every particle of food the quiet ones swallowed. swal-lowed. The spell of that letter spoiled the meal and robbed the tea of its fragrance and taste. After Cindy had gone to bed and Joe had dragged himself up to his room the old man opened the envelope and read the letter. "Same old thing. Bright outlook for doing great things. With $500 he could make $10, MOP. Says he's got a tip. and that there is big money in bight sure this time." The cat crawled upon his lap and cuddled down to sleep. The snowball bush tapped against the side of the house as the old man sat there. . "Jim was a clever hoy before he went to the city. That hurt him. I put him through school and looked after him. His mother loved him so, and he had his father's eyes. Oh, Jim, dear boy, my old comrade brother, broth-er, If you only knew how hard it was for Cindy and Joe and me up here on the farm you wouldn't do this. , No, you wouldn't. The next day Ezra went to town and did some business at the little village bank. When he came home his shoulders looked a little more stooped and his lace was graver than before. He and Joe toiled early and late, same as before. Cindy scoured the pans, cooked the food, and bustled about the house, same as before. Three days after another letter came. It was placed upon the clock shelf, where it cast its gloom, the tame as before. After the others had retired Ezra got out his glasses;, turned the wick up, and opened the envelope with a sigh. The cat crawled upon his lap and c (idled down, and the snowball bush heat against the side of the house. The old man drew a deep breath as a slip of pink paper culled about his fingers. Its touch seemed to smooth some of the wrinkles from his face. He caressed the cat as he let it slip from his lap. He went to the window and looked out upon the fields and the glittering stars that twinkled afar and away. Jim's mother loved him so. And he had his father's eyes. I stayed by you all the time, dear boy. 1 staged by you through thick and thin though it pinched us all to do it. I am glad 1 tlld. old comrade." The next morning iu the center of the table was a certified check for $5,000, payable to the order of Ezra Sprlggins. Horace Seymour Keller, in New York Times. |