The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-02

ter.
at was a long time before Bub could
get Cal to 90 with him. William has
GOT too many brains to kill himself
SUI he. If he ha'n't, he amt worth
savin''
$50 Cal, do hurry SUI I, when 1
met 'em.
"'Does yer conscience smite We, old
woman?' SUI he.
81 didn't mind this fling. All l
thought of or cared for was the savin'
o. William. We hurried along, over
the bridge, past the house, past the
orchard, past long strip O. medder
land, and then we reached the woods.
We went along a fewrods further, when
we came to a wide cut through the
woods-the logmens road to Job Boil
toms saw-mill. We stopped there and
looked, but could see no track that had
been made since the snow fell, except
the track o one man that had gone
down this road, but hadn't come back.
Cal looked at these tracks. Then he
looked up the road, then back to the
tracks, and then up the road again. l
knew that he was afraid. Hadn't /
better 90 and have job Gomez says he.
Bottoms folks lived half mile away.
| knew it would be too late by the time
they got back, if William meant to kill
himself, l took hold O. Calls arm, and
SUI |: Cal, we ha'n't minute to lose.
Do come on. I'll 90 with you Bub
was runnin' back to the house as though
oil Oh al, i,,i
can 90 alone SUI |, and | started on.
But Cal dashed past me and went as
though he was determined to follow the
tracks wherever they might lead him.
We went around little curve, and then
the road began to ascend, and, lookin'
straight ahead, it seemed to end up in
the sky. After we had followed on a
piece further we could see, where the
light from the clearin' shone, a long
dark object, that looked as though it
was lynn on the snow. 1t might be
only log; yet the cold shudders chased
each other down my back as thought
O. what else it might be. Cal quick
ened his steps, and followed on as fast
as | could, and soon we had both
reached the dark object. l was Will
lam! but he was a standin' up and a
holdin' the old knife against his throat.
He had kicked the snow away, clear
down to the frozen ground, all around
him, just in the shape of a coffin. He
stood there like a statoo, starin'
straight ahead, and his eyes lookin' as
set as though the light O. this word had
already faded from out O. them. Cal
went up to him and said William two
or three times, but he didn't get no
answer. He took hold of his arm, and
SUI he:
Bill, don't you know me?"
Yes, it's Cal COrgan, SUI he.
81 wouldn't a believed it was Will
Jams voice if | hadn't stood right there
and seen his lips move; it sounded so
hollow, with the life all gone out of it,
just like the voice O the dead, | fancied,
if they was to speak.
81 knew Cal would take care of him
then, so / turned and went back to the
house. Bub hadn't. tended to the fire
at all, but had locked himself in his
room. The boy couldn't a thought
that anything was goin' to harm him.
He must a been nearly scared out o.
his wits, and thought that by lockin'
the door he could shut out the torment
ing fear that William would kill HIM
self. raked the Goals forward and put
on some wood, and, after while the
door opened, and Bill come in leanin'
on Cal and a cryin'
William SUI Cal, SUI he, can't
your trouble be helped?'
No. SUI William; I'm in debt
more'n | can pay, and there amt no
way | can help myself; haven no stock
nor nothin' to start on. | don't want
to live unless can be honest and pay
my debts
And he broke down completely and
cried as | never want to hear anyone
cry again.
81 tell you, Miss Martin, couldn't
stand to see him, a great, strong man,
a cryin' and sobbin' like child; so |
told him he should have the COW. |
forgot all about how he'd used me, and
went to quietin' him down, Just as |
used to when he was little fellow and
things had gone wrong with him. He
went to bed all right and in the mornin'
he got up and went to work the same
as ever But when Mag got back and
things went on in the old way again, |
wished once more that hadn't a giv'n
him the cow. had more trouble than
ever after that. Whenever William
didn't come in from his work as soon
as he ought to, l began to tremble, and
every minute seemed an hour till /
should see him comm. Yet, for all
OF my concern for him, he didn't seem
to have any feelin' for me. He cared
for no one but Mag, and always took
her part against me when we had our
difficulties. Itell you, Miss Martin, that
was more than | could stand; and when
he told me to behave myself or pack up
my buds and leave, l was ready to 90
And now he's got to keep up those pay
ments, or he may kill himself for all O.
what | care. | brush from my Shout
ders the dust O. all responsibility con-
cernin' his failin's or prospern's.''
Mrs. Barker had been slowly filling
her pipe from an old calico bag during
the latter part of this recital. She now
induced small coal of fire to crown
the well-filled bowl, and, putting the
pipe in her mouth, sat for some mo-
ments silently smoking and looking out
OF the window-not as though some OBJ
Ject were attracting her attention. but
as though there were passing IN phan-