The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-06-20

Salu. III hollow, starved VOICE, ike
one in whom the life has sunk too low
to furnish strength with which to cry
out
II wanted Josephine"
BY the light that came through the
door behind him, he saw her plainly
haggard, wild-faced, and travel-stained,
while about her right hand, outstretch-
ed as in fear. was tied handkerchief
soaked through and through with blood.
AS he stood not speaking, but with his
arms outstretched as barrier to her EN-
trance, change came over her features;
she tottered. and almost fell, then
"IIe is dying-he is dead" she cried.
"IIe is i'll, said Frank: 'but why do
you come to him like thief in the
night? Where have you been all yester-
day and to-day"
She half looked over her shoulder to
that light which burned in the opposite
wing, then with shudder and gasping
cry, pushed past him, and ran into the
nursery, where, seeing the little broth
ers asleep, and leaning their heads to
each other, she fell down on her knees
beside them, uttering faint 'Thank
God!n Outcast, and something in
tangible that in Franks eyes shaped
itself to guilt, were written on her face
W1ltIl BIC lOOhCu UP dHu LlCp iiio Oy %,
then, as one whose thoughts escape her,
she said, in whisper
"She's dead. Do they know who kill
ed her?"
He came near to her; then said-his
loathing eyes glancing at and away
from her blOod-stained hand
go now-escape before it is too late
for her sake-because there must be
no scandal over her grave. / will let
you go; tomorrow it may be too late to
hide yourself from Mr.. Eyre"
She looked at him vacantly, almost
with the expression of All imbecile; and
the thought crossed his mind that she
was indeed mad, and not accountable
for her deeds; but in the same moment
Dody's painful breathing arrested her
attention, and she cried fiercely, as she
sprang up, and bent over the child
"IIe's more than i'll, he's dying.
VIVA What hayes. have you done to him while I've
She stopped to lift him, but Frank
put her aside.
"Can you touch him with those
handsy" he added, certain by now that
they were stained with Madcap's blood.
She looked down at them for mo-
ment; then as Frank took the child in
his arms she fell on her knees, with a
terrible gesture of longing
II have loved him best" she cried,
''give him to mel"
AT that wild mother-cry, rent from a
bleeding heart, Dody, opened his eyes
with q start, and saw her. lie smiled
and stretched out his arms
'Have 100 come back?" he said. But
mummy's been to sleep such a long,
long while, me can't wake her, he add
ed. shaking his head sorrowfully.
She dragged herself on her knees to
where Frank had moved, and prayed
him, for the love of God, to let her hold
the child in her arms but for one mo-
ment; but Dody took the matter out of
his hands 10y struggling down, and
throwing his arms round her neck.
''Seep wiz mummy" he said, as his
head fell on that soiled and weary
bosom, to which, for the moment, he
he had brought back life and strength.
And Frank had not the courage to
drag them apart, but stood aside, as she
sat down on low chair and rocked the
child in her arms. Only he could not
endure the sight, and with head sunk
in his hands, threw himself down in q
distant part of the nursery, and before
long, worn out by the fatigues of the
previous day and night, was betrayed
into profound slumber.
Hester held her breath to hearken to
his until sure that he slept; then with a
wild look around and upward, as one
who sees help neither in God nor man,
laid her haggard face down on the
child's head, and through the chill hours
of the night watched him, till with
Weakening morn the fever and restless
ness in him grew; then as daylight look
a1 in of In lint
on the sill without bird boldly shot a
ringing note, a shadow darkened the lit
tie face on which the Watchers heart
hung, and for the last time on earth he
opened his eyes.
MARY Kismus, mummy" he cried,
in clear, loud voice, as thinking that
it was Yule-tide, and lie had risen early
to wish her a happy one; and so, stretch
ing out his arms to Hester. as though
she were his mother, he went but one
step alone. And Madcap was never
lonely any more, for Dody had found
her.
When Frank awakened out of the
dreamless slumber into which he had
sunk, it was to hear Hesters voice talk
ing to what she held on her knees; and
as he started up, shaking the sleep from
Hio eyes, ITO UlOuSuJ. s.llSIuy. JlldU Sno
must be mad to disturb the child so.
Her eyes were dry, her voice was hard
and uneven. She had uncovered his
feet, and held them in one hand.
Little feet" she said, ''that will never
ache, or stumble, or trip on life's path
little heart that will never suffer, or
grow hard and cold-always young, al
ways loving-little hands that might
have done great work in the world. but
will never fail now, nor succeed-little
lips that never said cruel word, though
often and often they've prayed for
some little thing and been denied-and
Josephine was unkind to you till |
bribed her-as if a tender thing like
you had got chance against grown
person-and the more cruel we are, the
surer you are to come to us sooner or
later with the tears running down your
little cheeks, saying Me good now
We are so strong and you are so weak;
you can only fight us with your toys"
20 Godl" she cried, breaking off sud-
denly in her monotonous talk, "he's
dead-he's dead And I've been talk
ing to him, forgetting that he couldn't
hear.n
But long before the half-crazed wo-
man had ceased to babble, Frank, real
i1ipo that hic DARLING haI COT ont ~, III,