The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-12-07
A RIVER MYSTERY.

8Ille-tIu WAS y sAtdlI country town
but such a town. 1t was a very old as
well as a very dirty place, and one par
ticular house in its principal street stood
forward into the road several feet beyond
its neighbors; its upper story quite over
hanging the basement. The house was
50 old that ii almost tOttered when the
wind blew-8s ii often did at Mile-end-
even in spite Of the wooden props, them
selves rotten now, with which it had
been buttressed up. But in spite, or
peEhap. because, OF its age and discom-
fort and general dilapidation, it was
beautifully meliowed and harmonious in
the tone Of It's coloring. Tufts of vivid
green moss, and yellow and gray hchen at
intervals carpeted and softened the red
tiles; and hardy clumps Of orange wall
flowers filed up the gaps left by depart
Ell bricks and mortar; thus throwing
over the actual decay and rotten
ness a glamor0us veil of picturesque
beauty. Within, this house was cruelty
cold and cOmfortless; the beauty Of de-
cay was all outside, and only its stern
reality existed within the frail and
draughty walls. There were ten rooms
in this house, which gave shelter
to seven families The noise and brawl-
ing were inCessant, never seeming to stop
night or day, for when at last the sickly
children were asleep, the night was made
hideous with the drunken blasphemies
and low quarrels OF the degraded men
and women; and the reeking air was
thick and heavy with gin and tobacco
and disease.
In one of these r0oms-it was in the
projecting upper story, which through
an unusually wide window commanded
view all up and down the street-lay
on straw pallet on the floor, barely
covered with an old patchwork quilt, a
boy of about fourteen, who, judging
from his constant cough, labored breath
ing and emaciated limbs, was in the last
stages OF consumption. Beside him on
the narrow bed lay girl a few years
older than her brother, fast asleep She
was pale and tain and dirty; but there
was rare beauty in the firm soft curves
of the mouth and chin, and in the low
broad brow, up from which was swept a
thick tangled mass Of curly brown hair.
Tears glistened on the long brown lashes,
and the eyebrows were knit together in
a painful frOWn, which suddenly relaxed
as the sick boy watched her with tired,
sunken eyes, and q sudden glowing smile
lighted up her lace.
She can allus dream, and escape 10
the beautiful world she tells me about"
he muttered with a wistful, impatient
sigh; and | can never even sleep"
Yes, she was dreaming, but not so
deeply but that the movement and sigh
,F hI,- h1- hnr 90 W.
the trouble, Harry dear? Be yo worse
tonight"
., no." he said, and sighed again.
9 was Just a wonderful where 70 was,
20 smiled SO; and | longed to be there,
too.
90 Harry | was way of, out O sight
o houses an streets an such like, all
alone in the valley; an all the trees an
the flowers an the river spak to me, to
give me comfort"
All the valley" said the sick boy;
that's where ! want to 60, as | used to,
fore ] was took bad. If | could sleep,
p'raps | could 90, too" Here was in
terrupted by a terrible fit Of coughing,
which only left him strength to gasp
fee6iy for "water."
4 cracked cup without a handle stood
on the window-siIl. and in it was a little
water The girl rcse to get it; but as
she was handing it to her brother the
door opened, and their father staggered
in. Fer an instant he looked at his
children, and in 4 drunken fit of sense
less passion struck the girl savage
buffet, which made aer reel and shat
tered the cup into fragments in her hand.
The girls brow flushed crimson with
anger and pain, and her brown eyes
flashed fire. You miserable drunken
brute" she said,
None 81 yer SARGE, gal, or I'll kill
yer" and he glared at her dangerously,
with his arm uplifted to strike.
Father, father commanded rather
than implored the sick boy, sitting up
with an effort, aud holding out q thin
pale hand between them, while a hectic
red blazed in his cheeks and vivid light
shone in his sunken blue eyes. Don't
yer strike her-don't yer strike her, or
God viii strike yon" There vas a
strange, almost unearthlv look. in the
boys spiTituahzed suffering face that
awed the man into temporary s9berness.
As he paused with arm uplitted. look
ing at his son, an expression of shame
and uncertainty crossed his features; he
hung his head, avoided the boys intense
eyes, and his arm slowly dropped by his
side.
Father" said the boy in gentler
tone, +" yo' hurt her-yO have, and she's
SC good 10 you.
The man shifted uneasily from one
foot to the other, and looked up at bis
daughter, who was standing defiant and
angry. with dull red mark on her cheek
and neck. When her brother spoke. her
face softened and her lips qulvered; she
knelt suddenly by the bed, and put her
arms around him, saying in a piteous
voice, a the big tears fell on his yellow
hair. " It's not for me | mind. Its for
We. Whaten viii We do the night
through withouten water? There's no
s drop more / the house nor the street. 5"
The boy said nothing as he stroked his
sisters brown head, but the wistful
longing look in his eyes, and the half
sigh he could not repreSs, showed how
much he needed the water. The man
looked at them for a minute, and then
the flames of the gin he had taken over
powered him again a he reeied 10 the
opposite corner of the room, where he
fell on to an old mattress, and in mo-
ment WITS fast in deep drunken sleep.
The boy closed his eyes YEARLY and
turned his face TO the wall. The girl
kissed him and settled him as comforta-
bly, asshe could, then rose from her knees
and went 10 the window, which she
partly opened. The moon was high and
full, aud the street without looked as
bright a day 4 sudden idea seemed to
-trike her fnr .he smiled hrightlv IS Che