West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-11-16

'u' vi 'utI slgnti tney Deset HIM with
terrors by day and by night. Lions
rroared at him from dark corners; fiery
devils blazed on the wall over his bed
gibbering ghosts in white sheets moved
about in his lonely garret.
Helen stood between the lad and his
tormentors; but she did not guess at the
extent OF their mischief. One day she
met Sukey coming from the barn. carry.
ing dark lantern and buffalo hide.
with which Will had masaueraded the
night before. The boy was pale, wet
with perspiration, and trembling vio-
len;ly.
What is the matter, Joe?" she
asked.
It's that Harry and Billp' he NUT
tered. I've found 'em out! I'll paw
EN-! I'll fix the whole lot of 'em p
Helen quieted him. as usual and
lectured the boys apart. Will was dis
posed to be ashamed, until Harry re-
minded him that "she was only girl /"
and that call girls were chicken
hearted"
So he threatened to fix us, eh ~ con
tinued Harry. "Come here, you Suke :
See that horse-pond? Into it you go to-
night Can you swim ~
No sir"
"All the worse for you, for in you
gow
Joe looked after his tormentors i'm alb
lect terror. Whenever the boys met
him that day, they muttered "horse-
pond under their breath.
If they had had any idea of the agony
which the poor half-witted being under
went, they would have despised them
selves, being at heart manly boys.
In the afternoon Joseph disappeared.
but returned, and was in the kitchen be-
fore the supper-bell rang, hanging over
the stove while old Jane, the cook.
served the meat. He watched her
keenly as she poured out the coffee, ana
when she carried it in, followed her TO
the dining-room, where he crouched i'm
one corner.
What's Sukey doing here ?" cried
viii. Get out of this! You can
spend your time measuring the pond
yonder."
" What do you mean, William ?" said
his father.
&" It's only a Joke, sir. Joe under
stands"
" Let the poor boy alone. He is doing
no harm. Some coffee, my dear"
Joseph stood by the window, watching
Mrs. Cochran pour out the coffee. He
tilted his body from heel to toe, and his
Jaws moved AZ if he were talking But
he made no sound until Will and Harry
were helped TO coffee, when he cracked
his thumbs and chuckled.
Mother" said Will, " this coffee has
aqueer taste There's something gritty
in it,"
Nonsense Jane always makes il
alike. You're as captious about your
eating as a dyspeptic woman"
Will raised the cup again TO his lips,
but set it down with grimace.
At that moment Mrs. Cochran passed
cup to Helen. Isn't it AZ good AZ
usual, Nell?' she asked.
A little bitter, mamma" Helen re-
piled, and was lifting her cup again to
drink it, when Joe sprang forward and
struck it down.
g You shan't drink it. ] don't mean
to fix you" he shrieked.
Mr.. Cochran caught him by the
shoulder. What 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-yip
Mr.. Cochran flung nIm off as though
ne had been a venomous serpent.
Murderer! He shall hang for this"
he cried
Joe stood still a moment. Then the
meaning of the words reached his dull
brain, and he turned and fed from the
house without a word.
some time elapsed before the Cocb-
rams, in their terror and confusion, re-
membered that none of them had vet
drank enough Of the coffee To harm
them. IL was found, however, that il
had enough arsenicin it-that had been
u'ed in the barn TO poison rats-to kill
twenty men.
Your kindness to the poor mad
creature has saved our lives" her father
said TO Helen
In their alarm they had forgotten Joe.
At this moment there was a knock at
the kitchen door, and Squire Hall, one
OF the neighbors, put in bis head
" COchran-look a-herel II don't
want to brighten your wife-but-tbat
boy of yours -
" What is it? What's he doing
nowT'
" He's got through doing anything
He's dead"
" Dead %
They all cried out.
" Well--withiu a breath Of II % com
tinued the Squire. Here come the
men with him. Jones and me was ON
the road, when we saw the poor critter
throw himself headlOng into the pond
yOnder. The turnpikers and US fshed
him out. But he's jest about gone. I
ran ahead 10 break il to ye."
There was only breath between Door
Joe aud death. The men laid him down
on the grass under the apple-tree He
breathed family and at long intervals.
Now that his face was at rest. they
all saw how immature and childish II
was. Mrs. Cochran remembered, for
the first time, that the work-house boy
was an orphan-nevcr had known n
mothers gentle touch, or looked i'm a
loving face.
Little Helen knelt down and took his
head in her arms.
Poor Joe poor Joe r she said
lie opened his eyes and looked about
wildly, but when he saw her. he
smiled.
That's Miss Helen. She's bin good
To- me " no u,utforoI vcdIsve.. -