The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-10-04

thought Sallle ought to have them and
l wanted you TO lose them. But
never thought OF their falling into the
wca."
You dishonorat!o iiti's GSe6lk!"
As this denunciation burst irotn RI.
pert, Bob turned and met his eyes,
The lantern sunk lower and lower in
Bob's hand. He wheeled from his
standing place and went out doors with
out another word.
Thus it happened, as the slow-footed
maid came in from selecting apples In
the cellar, she saw through the cellar
window a tremul0us light hover over
the well and descend into its depths,
At the same tim the long sweep in
verted its usual position against the sky
pointing out rs u fact that the bucket
had gone down the well, while not a
mortal stood near its curb.
The frightened girl sprawled with
her apples upon the kitchen floor, in
her hast c to escape this sight. Bessie
heard the crash and realized that hel
best platter was added TO other losses,
1t vas Rupert who first understood,
through question and confusion, that 8
light had gone down the well. He was
out instantly, calling Bob. The well
sweep still held itself inverted, but no
lantcru elimmered down the rocky
depth. 1t had gone out. Rupert threw
off his coat and seized the rope to let
himself down hand owe hand. He was
mad with sorrow.
Here the Squire's granite arms clip.
ped him around and dragged him,
struggling, ifan the curb.
Rash lunatic! VIII you n2ke your
mother childless?'
So Rupert sat stunned on the ground
while the Squire and Samuel slowly
and carefully brought the bucket up to
the curb again. Bob's feet were in the
bucket and he had fastened himself to
the chain BY n piece Of slack rope
which had hung 10 the sweep. He vas
dead. The gas in the mclean CID farm
well had met him on his way down to
search for those beads he had lost.
All this time Sallic Maylower was
sitting by her window upstairs with
the goll beads twisted about her
fingers, She had trod upon them be-
side the box-stove in the parlor when
she went down for some matches.
Every golden globule was to her a seed
of bitterness. She planned taking
them down and delivering them to
Bessie again with some singing
speech. The uproar in the house slow
" penetrated her senses. but she took
no notice Of it until the children came
and pounded at her door and walled to
her that Bobby had fallen into the we'll
and was killed.
What do You mcan?' cried Sallie,
throwing her door wide open.
Before they could repeat their tale
coherently she flew Downstairs and
saw that silent tragedy on the parlor
settce. She saw Rupert PROSTATE be-
side it and the oilers in a
trance OF hOpelcssncSs gazing at
it. Bessie was sobbing on her
apron, and rs she moved it aside from
her face to encounter Sullie, some Of
the children's Jobs tears fell from its
pocket with Il peculiar rattle which
startled new convictions in her. Some
of those Jobs tears had fallen on the
well curb and clatt"red down the well.
But Sallie needed no explanations.
She knew what had hRpponod. She
knew that while she was %brUoding
over the necklace Bob had thrown his
life into a rash attempt to restore to
Bessie the object he had helped her to
lose.
Lifting the gold beads Sallie flung
them as far as the rooms bounds.
''Oh, am the wickcdcat girl on
earth!-there is no forgiveness for me-
| killed him with these gold beads!-l
killed him with these poison gold
beads"
The string burst and all the beads
spattered romOustrance on the wall.
Bessie afterward picked them care
fully up, while ncighbors were shut
sacrcdly with Bob in the best bed
room, and Sallie still lay crushed
across the seat of q chair, and Rupert,
shut in the house Of his own grief,
crouched u~nstirring beside the settoe.
Neither of them needed whispered
words of consolation or the drawing Of
any hand that would lead them away.
Hours passed so-the family tip
toed around and finally went to bed,
for watchers were set. kilograms
had been sent home, and all the mi
mute observances which death e~niOins
had been silently fulfilled.
The clock was stopped, according to
rural custom: but those women who
moved or smoothed marble-like folds
of linen over Bob looked out at tho
deeply-bigh winter zenith and knew,
by tho position of constellation, which
they could not name, that it was about
four o'clock.
Rupert dragged himself up and went
and lifted SalIie's hidden face.
Come with me and let US look at
him, Ssllie."
80, Rupert, how can | look at himp
How dare ever look at you again? |
caused his death =. yself."
"SalIic, / cause his death by a vile.
lying accusation. We need to console
each other now. There is no hope Of
either of us being of any more use in
this world il we do not stand by and
console each other now. Help NE to