Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-07-07

hands were cut and his trousers torn
Mrs. Finn raised her hands in horror
when her boy returned.
'.Arrah, bad luck t. that black divvle
wild tn wicked horns! Fax, didn't hear
tn shilloo We let out whin he dhruv ye
agin the fincel Musha, take tn AK an
bate in the head iv him like key o nails.
Do. Mickey, that's dear; tn murtherln
vagabonesl LUX at tn way he's spillin'
yer hearts blood an peelin' yer shinsi
Faith, III blow him up wild nitro-giycer-
ane tn morrer, so ! will, an I'll be let
liver
But Mickey only laughed. He liked
goat of spirit, he said, and so he washed
his wounds and seated himself before the
fire to mend his trousers, he being
mighty handy wild tn nadle," as Mrs.
Finn had told Mrs. OBrien more than once
Mrs Finn resumed her vigil beside her
sick husband, and Mickey dropped asleep
in the chair with his feet on the stone
hearth
At 10 o'clock Mr.. Finn called feebly for
water, and when he had cooled his
parched tongue Mrs. Finn parted the cur
tain and looked out upon the night. The
wind had veered and the rain was frozen
into snow The fakes flew against the
pane and melted, leaving little wet trails
behind them as they ran downward. The
shutters began to bang and the frai door
to groan on its hinges as the shoulder of
the storm heaved against it. AS the gale
increased the snow forced it's way beneath
4 4-~A u Al
upon the floor The invisible fingers Of
the wind tore q brick from the chimney
top and dashed it rafting down the loose
shingles. Little Mike awoke with start
and joined his mother in the sick room.
She was kneehng before crucifx at
The head of the bed in prayer. As the
wind rose higher and higher the shanty
rocked on its foundation. Mingled with
the bowling of the tempest was the
plaintive ma-a-a-a of the nanny goat in
the cellar and the thuds of the bnly's
head against the cellar door as he tried to
regain his freedom. All through the ter
rors of the succeeding two hours Mike
Finn slept At least his wife thought
him asleep until she touched his feet
while arranging the bed clothes, and
found them as cold as the snow drift upon
the floor.
The storm was forgotten. The immi-
nent danger of the topping shanty was
UNDECIDED. Her husband was dying.
While death was crashing at them from
tho outside, that devoted wife and son
worked to drive the grim terror from the
inside Mickey replenished the fire. He
hcaped it high with wood until the sparks
flew out of the chimney and mingled
with the eddying snowfakes. Mrs. Finn
heated fannels and placed hot irons OF he:
insensible husbands feet. Together she
and her boy forced his mouth open and
poured brandy down his throat, at least
half of the fiery liquor being split on the
pillow. The chimney fell with crash,
but they worked on and needed it not
The drift on the floor had been getting
higher and an occasional furry of snow
came in between the rafting sashes. And
still the mother and boy fought against
the black angel whose wings were hover
ing over the insensible figure on the bed.
Mrs. Firms face was bathed In tears, but
no cries escaped her lips. Little Mike
with shining eyes and palid lips, ran back
and forth between the bedroom and the
kitchen, carrying hot fannels. now rub.
bling his fathers icy hands, and then
cheering his mother with hopeful words
until the reluctant blood began to flow,
and faint color, such as heralds COM
ing dawn, flushed the pale face upon the
pillow. But Mrs. Finn knew that the
crisis was not yet passed.
Whisper, Mickey" said she. closing
the bedroom door softly behind her. Plac.
ing her rough, red hands upon his shout
ders, she told him to look into her face
And there they stood in that darkened
room, looking into each others eyes with
the freight throwing its Pickering
shadows over them. Whisper: Dye
think could ye get tn doctherf He's
cowld around his heart yet, and he'll die
agin tn mornin' IL tn docther's not here
wild his drugsl" t
"Yis, mother, yis. I'll git him!" said
little Mike. simply, the color on his face
deepening and his heart beating wild
tattoo against his ribs.
'Now. quick put on yer fathers boots.
wrap this shawl round yer shoulders, put
on yer fathers gloves, an'-an'" Mrs
Firms voice trembled) "God be wild ye.
me b'yi"
Mrs. Finn stopped down and kissed her
son. She pressed him to her heaving
bosom in an embrace which was so close
that he gasped for breath Then he went
out into the night and the door was shut.
Mickey stepped into snowdrift up to
his neck when he left the stoop As he
foundered out Of this feecy quicksand he
rounded the corner Of the shanty and was
banged against tho fence, stunned and
breathless. How he got into the road he
never knew. Here the wind had car
romed down from the Catskills and swept
the road as clean as barn floor after
thleshing. But that awful gale beat
upon him like hail of carpet tacks. 1t
stung his flesh even through his trousers
But Mickey set his teeth together hard
and zigzagged up the old point road like
q vessel beating in head wind until
he reached the shelter of friendly hill.
Here he encountered the snowdrifts
again. They rose before him like success
siye escarpments. He scaled those packed
hard by the wind. He struggled through
others like hfeboat through the pillows.
When he reached the doctors door he
was SO nearly exhausted that he could
only reach the bell by crawling on his
hands and knees. He jerked the bell cord
so vigorously that the bell rang like fire
alarm through tho silent halls. Then he
listened. For five minutes there were no
sounds of life in the house. Then lamp
twinkled at the head Of the stairway.
which he could see es he peered through
the keyhole. There was patter OF slip
pered feet in the hallway. The big door
swung open and the vicious wind dashed
in and blew out the light.
WHO'S there?" said voice.
"It's me, was the reply.
who's mef''
Mickey Finn"
why, my little fellow. what are you
Al, IL xR,.l IL I.-ass