The Red Cloud chief., 1881-09-29

81 can't" she said "1ts my foot
Phebe. The COW trod upon IL. and I
stir. VIVA; shall we do,'
BY this time I had caught her excite
and was near 10 giggiiny - in
sancly rs she. What shall we dor 1
echoed.
But now there were approaching
steps upon the walk that we both heard
Jennie knew them in q minute and that
minute restored her 20 herself.
"Phgbe." she said firmly. "rn tel
you what we must 90. You must run
home and tell father 10 come with the
wagon. I'll creep up here OF the road
side. and keep perfectly still, and no
body'll know I'm here till you como
back"
But I can't leave you alone. 50 bad
ly hurt. can't Jennie,'
PLEASE Ph9be, please hurry. dear!
Some body is coming
I'm glad Of it," said l. Some
BODY ought e come and help us"
but Phnbe. Phnbe. don't let him
find us-ics John!r'
II don't carc IL it Is. I'm glad Of il.
and Ist remember. il he was going
over To East Side with Jessie Sears.
he Il not be here now. You've been
too quick, jennie, there's some mis-
take"
Poor Jennie could only give a little
moan vi pain for answer. Her ankle
was beginning To hurt her badly. Little
as her moan was. John was near enough
TO catch il. for that instant We heard his
anxious voice calling:
Girls, Phebe, Jennie. are you
there?"
There was a silence for a minute.
then l spoke ont: Yes. John. We re
here. and we want You"
You want mel What is the matter?
What made you run away from me?
got out as fast as | could To catch up
with you"
Dear, how troubled. and hox kind.
and how full OF comfort, too. his famil.
lar old voice sounded.
.'rm SO glad you've come" ! cried.
Jennie is hurt"
Jennie hurt"
All, you should have heard the tone
Of his voice when he said that; I almost
felt as il | ought not TO be there TO hear
1t; why, there couldn't have been more
feeling in his voice if she had been his
sister and mother and wife and child
all in one!
l guess John was pretty well worn
out with what he had gone through ut
McCrecrv's. to say nothing of having
wanted Jennie's company all the even
ing and mis- .ed it. And sometimes TO
be tired out and sacrificed in the SER
vice of Others softens and opens a per-
sons heart before he knows it.
fIe knelt down beside Jennie and Lit
a match to look at her. | hope it vas
not wrong for me TO have taken a glance
al the two faces that match lighted up;
Johns so troubled and devoted. and
Jennie's scratched and fearful, pitiful.
wistful, questioning.
He spoke right out like a man to the
silent cry of the heart. MY darling"
he said-''my darling, what is the mat
ter?'
That was more than she could bear
Just then; she wavercd as she sat. and
fell back in 6 dead faint. John sprang
to raise her head, and I ran t. the brook
TO sop my handkerchief with water and
battle her face. l begged John to let
me run home at once and send the
wagon. 1t was plain he could not bear
to leave her, and l ran off as fast as l
could.
twas back again before the horse could
be harnessed. bringing with me cam
phor and cologne. But Jennie had re-
covered her senses before | arrived. l
heard her talking i'm a low voice to John
before I reached them. What he had
said TO her | do not know, but she vas
meek enough now; as humble and CRATE
full rs possible when we lifted her into
the wagon and got her home.
And how heroic she was while the
doctor was setting her ankle. At least
they all said she was heroic; but it is
my private belief she did not feel the
least pain for sheer happiness, and
therefore there was no virtue whatever
in her keeping as still as a lamb.
| told her the next day that she did
not deserve her happiness. and she
owned she did not. | asked her if she
was not ashamed that /, who was only
his friend, had stood up for John more
staunchly, In my W mind, than she
who was his lady-love.
1t was only an accident his appear
ing with Jessie at the choir-meeting. A
young man from Woodville had been
yer to visit her and detained her till it
was late. On his way home he had
brought her i'm his buggy as far rs the
church and let her in the vestibule.
Right there she had met John. and had
made as much of the opportunity as she
knew how.
Would you like to hear what else
John did that night9 When he had
brought the doctor and gone again on
errands to the druggists, and then
stayed by till he could learn that Jennie
was made as comfortable as possible for
the night, without saving anything to
anybody he got a lantern and went to
search for that unhappy COW. He found
her, drove her home and shut her into
Mrs. McCreery's yard. The poor wom-
an did not know till long afterward who
had done her the kindness. Spring.
FIELD (Mass.) Republican.