The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-12-26

toward her from where he was lying before
the fire. ft| Nt..
'Cissy, I'm glad you're home" he said.
~ thought you'd never come"
She put her arms around him, laid the
poor little head on her thin shoulder, and took
him over to the fire again, trying to comfort
him as she went.
ais the pain very bad tonight, Willie 2"
Eyes" A sadder Eyes" never heard.
"Willic, wish could bear the pain for
you"
ats cruel Of father to send me out in the
wet he knows how bad am"
Hush Willie, hush he might hear
you"
al don't care I l don't care wish he
would kill me at once" ltI.s .Lf
| The reckless abandon Of the ohild's despair
was dreadful. t43
Hush hush he is our father, and we
mustn't say such things ~ This through her
fast falling tears. Then she said, Let me
| try and make the pain BETTER" tNfat
The boy took off his shirt W ~ ~ Aha
The girl leaned over and put her arms
round him, and kissed the shoulder she
then put her hand into her pocket and took
out the snuff-box.
"Oh, Willie, wish we had more, so that
1t might cure the pain"
Having lighted dip candle, she rubbed
the child's rheumatic shoulder with the few
drops of spirit, and then covered up the lit
tie thin body, and, sitting before the fire,
took the boys head on her knee and began
TO sing him to sleep.
took another look into the room, through
the half-open door; my foot creaked; the
frightened eyes met mine. put my finger
on my lips and crept away.
/ aa I hount, IN 1aarand tba stair
met drunken man ascending-sipping
and tumbling as he came. He slipped and
stumbled by me and entered the room. fol.
lowed to the landing unnoticed, and stood in
the dark shadow of the halfopen door.
A hoarse, brutal voice growled "What
are you doing there get up |"
"I can't, father; Wille's head Is on my
knee.'
"Get up!'
She gently laid the boys head on the
floor, pillowing II on her itte shawl. and
stood up.
"Father, Willie is very sick you ought
to try TO get him cured.ni 4t lf
"Shut upl II hear another word Pll
make you and him too keep yourselves quiet"
dthe brute flung himself on his bed, mutter-
ing to himself in his drunken semi-oblIviOn,
"Cure him, indeed Not If know it.
That's not the way to get the money; his
cough is worth lot alone. Cure him, in
deed. Not likelyi'
The black-hearted scoundrel
The girl bowed her head lower and lower.
could not bear it. entered the ROOM
The brute was on his bed already in his be-
sotted sleep. The child stole up to me, and
in halffrightened whisper said: ooh,
sir, oughtn't people to keep secrets Il
they know themi l think they ought, Il
they are other peoples This with the
dignity of queen.
1 could not gainsay her, so I said, as
gravely as could to the little woman, g The
secret shall be kept, but'you must ask me Il
you want anything"
She bent over, suddenly kissed my hand
and went dow the stair. fg
The next night she was shy in coming fol
the whisky, and l took good care that she
had good measure.
The last night of our long run of six nights
she looked more happy than had ever seer
her. When she came for the whisky sht
held out the thimble and whispered TO mt
with her poor, pale lips trembling, You
need only pretend tonight"
"Whyf" l whispered. F
Bscause-he don't want 1t now. He.
deadl''