Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-25
There's something gritty il

it."
"Nonsense! Jane always makes it
alike. You're as captlous about your eat
ing as dyspeptic woman"
Will raised the cup again to to his lips,
but set it down with grimace.
At that moment Mrs. Cochran passed a
cup to Helen. isn't it as good as usual,
Neli?' she asked
"a little bitter, mamma" Helen re-
piled, and was lifting her cup up again
to drink it, when Joe spraDg forward and
struck it down.
"You shan't drink it. I don't mean to
fix you!'' he shrieked.
Mr.. Cochran caught him by the shout
der. 'sWhat have you done?" he asked,
sternly.
The boy struggled madly to free him
self, laughing and sobbing both at once.
'Poison poison They'll die like the
rats last week! Hi-yin'
Mr.. Cochran flung him off as though
he had been venomous serpent.
Murderer! He shall hang for this y he
cried.
Joe stood still moment. Then the
meaning of the words reached his dull
brain, and he turned and fled from the
house without word
Some time elapsed before the Cochrans,
In their terror and confusion, remember
ed that none Of them had yet drank
enough OF the coffee to harm them It
was found, however, that it had enough
arsenic in it-that had been used in the
barn to poison rats-to kill twenty men.
HOTr l. NJ nncc TO bn cd
ture has saved our lives" her father said
to Helen.
In their alarm they had forgotten Joe.
at this moment there was knock at the
kitchen door, and Squire Hail. one of
the neighbors, put in his head.
Cochran look, a-here don't want
to frighten your wife--but that boy of
yours"
"What is it? What's he doing now?''
Giles got through doing anything. He's
dead"
"Dead!'
They all crowded out
"Well-within breath of it, contin-
ued the squire. "Here come the men
with him. Jones and me was on the
road, when we saw the poor crltter throw
himself headlong into the pond yonder.
The turnpikers and us fshed him out.
But he's jest about one. I run ahead to
break it to ye."
There was only a breath between poor
Joe and death. The men lad him down
on the grass under the apple-tree. He
breatbed family and at long intervals.
Now that his face was at rest. they all
saw how immature and childish it was.
Mrs. Cochran remembered for the first
time. that the work-house boy was an
orphan-never had known mothers
gentle touch, or looked in loving face.
Little Helen knelt down and took his
head in her arms.
Poor Joe! Poor Joe!' she said He
opened his eyes and looked about wildly,
but when he saw her he smiled.
"rhats Miss Helen She's bin good to
me-" he muttered, nodding; and then he
cried out: THEY'LL hang me- But l
couldn't bear it no longer-no loneerr'
Nobody shall hurt you, joe said
Helen, tendeJly.
His wondering eyes rested on her again,
softened and filled with tears.
"You's the only one that's ever spoke
kind to me in this world" he said slowly.
Then the silence about grew deeper;a
bird twittered overhead, and the boy Law
dead on the grass.
Poor Joe! he hadn't chance in this
world, said the squire, turning away.
~ our good words seem to have been a
kind of help to him, Nellie A person
never knows how far kindness or unkind-
ness is going to act on human beings,
ne continued, feeling that he ought to
draw some sort of a moral from this sud-
den death.
But Will and Harry did not need any
such lesson when they looked upon the
dead face at their feet. They had not
thought to be cruel they had not
THOUGHT at all. They had trampled On
poor Joe's feelings as though he had no
feeling, and now the result of their last
cruel act was before them. 1t seemed to
them almost as if they were murderers.
The shadow of that childish dead face
went with these two boys in after years,
and could never be forgotten.-Y Youths
Conp0nion.
CrOquet.