The Red Cloud chief., 1881-11-17

her. and nearly starved with her, II /
hahn { rpased up at las, and done all oi
a man work ! could. Hut. yoc see.
il told on the children They weren'i
strong. We Lived in one end OF the
house and let the rest. We did with
out everything. and they pined- Low
fever. the doctor sad; and iint Harry
died. and then Johnny. and / knew the
rest were going. And one dsy in 90
oh, 1 shall never forgeti-a sailor
came MP the path. Trsnny sat By the
window. and she rose up suddenly and
then sat down.
thought il was Water she said.
perhaps he knows about Walter
The sailor fixed his eyes on her ~
il he could not take them Of. and then
he told u. could not stop him. lie
spoke right on. and Tranny seemed 10
make him. Tor with each word he
seemed To stop. and with each word she
faced him. and said: Go on.
And do you know what IL was2 Not
common shipwreck, not drowning. not
anything that could eve give an body
n thought II comfort that he was lying
still and peaceful even if it must be nj
the bottom Of the sea. No. They
were ready To come home. Why they
wanted To stop nj another island no one
could tell, but they had stopped, far
out, and a boat gone ashore for fruit
| Walter and tive Others. And these
islanders were not quite like the others.
They were there in ambush AMI rushed
out upon them. Three got away. This
man was one. Walter and the other
dashed into the wave and tried to
reach the boat. The air was full of
their spears and arrows. They didn't
get the boat. The savages had them.
dead. we know. for a club had crushed
in Waiter skull. And then. from the
ship, when they had gained il and
been pulled up. full of bleeding wounds,
they saw fires on the beach, and dane
ing. and heard shouts, and they knew
what il meant, for, don't YOU know.
this was an island where they were can
nibals,
Tyranny listened TO every word.
and when he stopped she dropped BE-
fore him like dead. And in all the
wears since YOU cant get a word but
the words YOU We heard to-day or words
like them. At FIRST | tried To take away
everything that would remind her of
Walter. but then she grew wild. and
screamed and cried like she was mad;
and the doctor said / should make her
50. and she must just be let alone.
Thirteen years ago. You wonder
| an here. and Ill tell you how. IL
had all gone together-all | had oil
cared for but Tranny. | took in sew
ing. | nursed. 1 did all my hand
could find to do, bu. what vas it? And
then Midnight had rheumatic fever,
and there was nobody 10 help. for we
were all poor and distressed together.
And N day when / sat in the door,
looking at everything gone To ruin, and
wondering who | could go to for some
corn-meai to keep us from starving,
this mani mean Silenus, my husband
came up. He was 4 poor white, it's
true, but better than most. and had
had a little place, and my husband had
been good TO him. And he said, and
tears running down his face:
Mrs. Moore. I've watched you an
done what | could; but 1 reckon now
there amt but one way. You're all
dyin' here together. an l can't hev it.
I've got a place just left me up near
Hamlet. an there's enough for Us all 10
be comforrable; an I've always said
there wasn't a lady in North Carolina
could come nigh you nor Miss tyranny;
an [ feel SO now. Marry me an you
sha'n be troubled by me. l don't
want nothin' but to take caSe o YOU,
an make things easier. l amt your
ekal-I don't look to be-but / reckon
l kin keep you comfortable
lit didn't seem to make any differ
ence. l was stupid with trouble, and
the next day l married him. He's a
common man, and 1 was raised a lady.
He drinks too much-yOu can see ii
plain-but there isn't a gentleman in
Virginia there isn't one in all the
South-that could be kinder or more
faithful. All my old life is dead. lam
content here. He made this place for
Tranny. He's always hoping she'll
come out of it, and always planning
some way to bring her out. He said
this morning you looked somehow aS il
you could do somethiD'. an Id beter
take YOU in. But you can't. No one
can but God. and His time seems slow.
But 1 can wait. We are all going home
together some time-His time
A whistle sounded.
Train readyw brakeman shouted.
In a moment the deep sun-bonnet hid
the tears that had slowly gathered and
fallen. She bent over Tranny Tor m
instant, then opened the door and we
passed out without a word.
a Ii you're yer this way again." 81.
lenus said, "you must stop and see us.
Mrs. Moore, she'll be glad"
Twelve years wife though she might
be, the old title was still i'm force. ST.
lenus' face had gained a new dignity. ]
could not smile. With the faint scent
of the orange blossoms still about us ]
turned away, looking for Il moment, as
the train steamed slowly oil. at the low
house hidden 500 from sight. and won.
dering if any story rs tragic Law shut in
homes all about.
ANY life, no matter how common.
place, holds its pathos and power, the
soul in it making it forever infinitely
precious, but for the most the story re-
mains untold, the soul meantime all ig-
of its own meaning and of life;
and SO Silenus, lost in the North Caro-
lima woods. and dragging through the
long DAYS in which small incident will
ever come, will hardly know, on this
side, his Own quality, though quite
fixed, once for all. rs to that OF the
women for whom he cares. - Christian
Union.
Practical Knowledge in Farming.