The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-05

"Can you hide me anywhere, he said,
''The bloodhounds are after me. Had
you given me the money yesterday, this
would not have been.''
"Oh, Willie,' cried.
eyes, mother,' he said sternly, ssyou
have made me criminal. l want to tell
you / have secretly married Kate Has.
tings. God knows what will become Of
her."
Kate was pretty little creature, only
Is years old, innocent as the violets
which grew around her homc-My bleed.
ing heart gave quick, painful throb as
he continued:
''The world will not believe we are
married. She will be scorncd by all.
Hark; they arc coming, Mother, I am
too young, too wicked to die, but must
die. Farewell -
saw his purpose now, for his hand
clutched revolver, and springing to my
! feet threw my arms about him to shield
him from himself. But he shook me off:
The next moment the loud report of his
pistol echoed through the house. One
glance showed me his liieless form,
stretched on the floor. Then existence
was blank to me.
"When I awoke to consciousness the
morning sun was shining and the house
was filed with people. But even Justice
was satisfied, and was left alone with
the dead. All day, fearless and motion
less, l sat beside the mangled corpse.
Some people kinder than the rest, came
in to make preparations for the funeral.
and passed silently out, bqt I did not
heed them.
Kate Hastings came just after dark. She
was dressed in deep morning and her face
was so CHASTITY that it startled me.
'You, too, have come to reproach me, -
I said.
:'No, mother. You suffer enough with
out my reproaches. I have come to
watch with the dead.''
Il with to watch a.one," said.
1T is who will watch alone,'' she re-
turned. ut is my right, I am his wife -
How calm she was! There was not
even tremor of the voice to tell how sh
suffered.
Eyes, it is your right, my poor child =
said. It gives me another pang to give
him up, even to you, my daughter still
l do it,
She looked up quickly.
He has told you!'
sYes.''
''Yet you speak kindly to me and do
not condemn us.
A sad, beautiful smile for a moment
lighted her features. She raised one OF
my hands and kissed it revcrently.
11fk h. l,,A
All night I sat on the floor outside the
door, hoping that Kate would bid me
enter; but no such summons came. Day.
light returned and the busy world again
moved, still heard no movement in the
chamber efdeath. At last my anxiety
became so great that opened the door
and looked in. The girl knclt by the
side ofthe corpse apparently asleep. Softly
l stole forward, and raised the dropping
head. But no sad eyes met my gaze,
nothing but the white face, the staring
orbs of corpse. Katie had died by her
own hand, as bottle which she c!utched
proved.
Leaving the bercaved mother for nc.
ment Mrs. Gray stole softly to the door
and called: 'sWillie p
liz CI1lu AcdlN ucE duU CAME QUICKLY
to her side.
s'Wbat is it, mammal"
1T is so lonesome without you, dar-
ling she said, drawing him to her.
A smile lit up his face.
''Then, do you love me, mamma o.
''Love you Oh, Willie!'
Her arms were about him now and she
was sobbing on his shoulder.
did some body tell you about those
bad boys?' he asked, wonderingly.
*'They have got a flask Of whisky, NAM
ma
''Thank God! You are saved, my
darilng,'' she cried, Historically.
She drew him closer to her, she chung to
him, she showered kisses on his wonder
ing face. But never, until he was a man,
with a son Of his own, did she tell him
the story of that other Willie, whose
childhood and his had been so much
alike, and how, by the knowledge of that
other Willie's unfortunate career, he had
been saved by her perhaps from like
fate.