Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-30
Hannah wns roused at last from her

Hannah was reused at last from her
stupor.
yet IL might be that the breath still
fingered" The sentence came to her
mind.
mo. beg you to go on. I will re-
turn to the house. / have little money
that haze saved; YOU can divide il
among you. but do not leave the
work.
She then went back to the house, took
the little hoard saved for the mortgage,
and carried il out to the men. They
were idle sitting in groups.
"Ma'am, YOU will need the money
for the child and yourself"
"Never mind, only commence your
work again" she said. and they began
again to work vigorously. Half an
hour passed in silence. Again they
Jagged.
1T is no use, am, he is buried al
ready, dead. hours ago; it caves in
almost as fast as we work, the soil is so
loose here"
Hannah seized q spade. LET me
work with you," she cried. "Someth ng
tells me that my husband lives. Take
every cent of the money, and when u
is gone you can stop. but | will worn
ONT
Then. as though in reply to her. \
faint, faint sound, as of a strong mans
last cry for help, comes from beneath
the mass Of crumbling earth at her
feetl He had heard her brave words.
He lived.
Poor Dick had Just started to com.
up when the well began to give way.
I lint a laIIar hot l.. L. .,I l..
with him leaned slantingly against thu
wall, and kept much of the earth off as
he crouched in the hollow thus formed
The foul air had caused him TO fall into
state of Inconsistencies from which
his wife's voice reused him, for he had
heard her last speech to the men, and
had Just enough strength remaining to
cry out with all his fast-failing power
In his suspense as to whether they
would abandon the work or not he had
/ gnawed leathern belt that he wore
into pieces.
Hannah keeps the metal clasps of tbs
same belt among her treasured relics to
this day. When, few moments later,
they carried him up and out into the
blessed air, they saw by the light of
their lanterns that his hair had turned
quite white, like an old mans OF
eighty.
He lay quietly upon his own bed
few hours later. The curious neighbors
had departed
The early sun peeped in at the win.
dows and kissed the face of baby Jack
in his cradle, softly sleeping. They
| formed halo around Hannah s head as
she leaned over Richard, bathing his
temples with camphor. He was still
very faint and i'll.
His heart was full of peace and hum
bic thankfulness. He ieebly tried to
kiss his wife's hand as she arranged his
pillows. All the morbid pride and dis
trust had left him forever. Full of this
| blessed confidence, this child-like hu-
mility, he slept.
The sound of bells awakened him. 1t
came from the rude little Swedish
church of the settlement.
What are those bells ringing for?"
he asked.
"They come from the church, sup
| pose, dear Richard. IL is Sunday. YOU
know" answered Hannah, her eyes full
of tears.
"Oh! Hannah, =" said Dick, "can YOU
forgive me? / read Dennison's letter.
used to be jealous of him. and began
to think they might influence you
against me. When Mr.. Lawrence, mt
the planing-mill. asked me to go down
into the well he was having dug. did
not care what happened to me, and so
went, although knew it was very dan
gerous. Can you forgive me, my own
my wife, for ever doubling your
staunch devotion to me?"
Her arms were round his neck for re-
ply, and their lips met in a kiss more
fraught with deep feeling. more earnst
with love now sanctified by trial than
any they had ever known as lovers in
long past days at the old homestead. -
Era Katherine Cldpp, in Chicago
Standard.