The Red Cloud chief., 1881-08-11

Deborah sprang forward as IL struck,
then slowly turned and crept back,
STOPPING TO part the dense leaves.
There, where he had dragged hims If.
iay a bCy-in blue. A man thev called
him, no doubt. when he first put on the
gay new uniform; but where his face
was upblackencd il wa. fair and beard
less, while the powder-scorched hair
curled crisp and brown about the teCn-
pies. As Deb tore apart the branches
he opened his eyes and saw her lean
ing over him-fne eyes, but growing
filmy.
lit most broke m heart to leave
you Father gave you ome-when he
died-but said-bc a man-th!s seemed
the way. 1t ism the diving. mother!
it's you! On, mother. mother: moth
err"
No holy word from Heaven, no ago.
nized cry from he'll could have so
stirred that woman's soul as the long
wall of love put into this. for her. word
Of words. Had he begged for help she
might have spurned him like a reptile;
had he PRAYED. this rebel Deb might
have tainted him. But the CRY OF the
boy who knew what the mighty mother
love vast called all the heart out Of
her in response.
What is it? Where is il worst she
asked, tenderly, her grea; hands softly
tou hing his GOA
81 thought il was-mother,' he an
swercd, fixing his eve ON her fa-e, and
for n moment he cecmcd trying 10 IN
dcrstand what allied him.
She waited. dimly comprehending
the process in the poor fellow mind.
The discntangiing of the home visions,
the familiar rooms, sunny quiet-peaee
away of there; 4 ~soft-yoiced, gentle
woman pctiing him, petted by him
Was he thrre! Was she hcre7 What
thoughts were these of the wind rust
linz the foliage in a Nirginian forest
fancIes of dead men only a few rods
away with faces u%pturncd 10 the skyi
Last and cleareSt to hIs dull-gTowing
senses, this rough woman, whose voice
had Il tone he could yet recognize as
kind
..Will Won let her know? Wont YOU
help me back to herr" he murmered.
Deb unbuttoned his coat, examined
his wound. did a quick work with ban
dages torn from her clothing. then said:
"Tll 20 fetch n cart an cit YOU WAR
] ken see to ye. You kentrust me; I've
got a boy
She started 10 90, but turned before
she PLUNGED through the underbrusn,
and a,ked:
What yer name?"
"Will Haven, and mother is in
Massa-'
HIS lips could not form more words
for weakness. lie mot oncd that some
thing WAS in his brcaSt-pocket, and she
hurried away.
The lame nero knew better than TO
ask questions. He had put out old
Prince, the blelche | nag. and sat hob
nobbing with cid Turk. the bicached
dog: nevertheless 1T Deb's orders he
locked up Turk and brou-h. forth again
Prince and the cart. He iumb ed over
the harness so long that she pushed him
aside AMI did his WORK for him speedily.
She tumbled into the cart then old rags,
straw, nondeScript article, hastily col
lected, that gave 1t a matter-O;-course
look. She ordered Tom himself to get
in. She brought from the house a flask
of brandy. aud finally drove away,
linking off the negro IN 4 state of aston
ishmeut no words could describe. She
chose a short cut by 4 near and not
frequcntcd lane toward the highway,
close 10 the place where she lett the
In on solder. She found him alive.
but almost unconscious. Cav him L 1t
tie brandy, aud with Toms help got
him into the cart. As sire covered him
with the rubbish he asked again: .'WIll
YOU help me to her? It's away off
in
Yes" she answered, gruffly. "Do
I'pcar to be lying?"
The task she had undertaken might
not be easy, but difficulties made Deb
defiant. At the first jolt of the old cart
the Young man ceased 10 speak and
soon ceased to groan. They met sew
eral people along the road, some known
TO Deb; they talked together of the
DAYS events, and Debs " rhetoric
was ~variegated to correspond with their
profanity. She was not inconsistent;
she hated the North, and proclaimed
her hatred boldly; but she was a wom-
an, and the heart of one knows no
geography. The compass in it always
points where the love current is strong
eSt-eaSt. west, north, or south. no
matter which way but all her secret
actions follow after. Deb was more a
mother than a Southerner to night.
Tom at the end of the cart. his heels
dangling in the dust, or Tom limping
along on foot, he heard her parr, all
questions as to her load, and wondered
what she could be plotting. Was she
going 10 wreak her vengeance in some
of the dreadful ways he had heard her
hint at in the past? Who knew?
1t wa dark. and the rain was falling
briskly when they reached home.
Strong as Deborah was. she had n hard
task. with all Toms added strength,
10 get her burden over the threshold.
Lock the door" she ordered, look
ling herself for a candle. When found
/. and lighted she knelt where its yellow
rays fell faIl in the soldiers face. The
old negro covered close beside her,
while she took the hand. rs shs0eIv and
delicate rs a woman's, in her own hard
one. Ii was warm and linz. but the
beat OF the pulse had STOPPED forever.
Dead before We got him here" she
muttered. and sa: immovable for a long
moment or more; then, turning to the
negro. she exclaimed. You've seer
noth;n'-know nothin'-d'ye hear?"
Ee nodded vigorously. while she
bent over the bows body. fe,t in his
breast pocket, found his mothers let.
tiers. a pretty girls picture his sister
er his sweetheart-all the same now.
She learned the mothers address, and
put the things back. then she brought
a wet cloth and washed the stains of
his face. The uniform was saturated
with blood. and stiff with the dust hs
had erawled through. She gave a looE
and a thought 10 a cleaner old gray
coat that hung on a wall peg. The
CORY old blue coat was not half so re.
pugnant to her not over-reiined sense
of nicely as that which il represented
was to her hot prejudice. Should she
change the coat on him? But what al
insult it would be to Rich to do that
to put on the blue If he were helpless
and this other boy cried, "Oh, mother.
mother"
$50 to bed" she said Grossly tc
Tom. "Git up when 1 call Il four
and then forgit ag'in, if We know
what's best fer yer"