Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-07
FROM OUT THE PINES.

The doctors havu just said that there /:
no hope for me; that may die tomorrow
perhaps. indeed, tonight. But they die
not tell me that. Had they done SO
could have told them better; but they did
not. They went out softly to the Other
room, shutting the door. lest ! should
hear them whisper it to Minnie-my
niece Minnie-who takes care of me, and
who cried, yes. absolutely cried, when
they had gone away.
They shut the door, l say, but ah,
laughed at that Little do these doctors
know how keen grows the eye. how sharp
the ear, how eager the dull mind and clear
the brain, as one draws near the shore
and feels the bnaeze from off the Lake of
Death tanning the sunken cheeks. Some
times, while lying here. have heard the
neighbors in the room beyond talking
about my chances in the battle with the
shadow grim, and wondering and plan
ming what had best be done after all was
over with me; and | have been tempted
10 call out that | heard them, and tell
them to be gone. but then, why should II
They are good neighbors, as neighbors go,
and they have been very kind to Minnie:
SO | let them alone. nor did | speak to
them at all, only it used to worry me q
lttle-but that is over now
But so | heard the doctors, as they told
Minnie this morning; and afterward. when
she came into my room, pretended not
to see the pretty eyes all red and weighed
with tears, or hear the tremor in the
sweet, young voice. merely asked for
pen and paper. and to be alone a while.
She brought me these. drew up tho little
table within reach, and went out.
was left alone-yet not alone, for the
spirit of the dead woman is here beside
me now, giving me feverish strength
to write the words that may at last bring
peace to her soul and mine
am an old man now, yet, how clear it
seems before my eyes-clearer than this
memory of yesterday-that bright. sun
shiny morning long years ago, when
Joined hands and fortune with three other
men (all now are dead but me, and am
dying( But then, ah then, we were SO
young and brave and strong and full of
boyish dreams of wealth and love, and
manhood's happinessl
We were out locating mining claims
among the Rocky mountains, and for two
wild weeks we worked on side by side,
scanning anxiously the sands that ran
beneath our feet for signs of the CLEAN
ing yellow dust. But, so far, all in vain
One day it came my turn TO hunt the
game for camp. and in the clear, bright
morning | started off, whistling light
ballad snatches as | went; for, ali, how
could | see, with my duller eyes, the
wee, small cloud" then gathering in the
west?
The game was hard to track. and led
me farther and farther up hills and down
glens. so that when turned my face to-
ward camp the night was falling around
me, and with it came the conviction that
i had lost my way. But what of that?
/ was young and fearless, and q night
spent in that far canyon. with the white
stars for my candles and the wind sough-
ing through the dark rock pines above
me. would be filed with pleasant dreams,
not idle fears. So stood still, and look
ing about me for the safest spot on which
to set stakes, saw just little be
fore me, in the glen below, q small
clearing. and beyond clump of trees
/ made up my mind to go to this
clearing, and had Just started. when
suddenly a shrill, piercing scream rang
out on the quiet air, seeming TO come from
the shadow of the trees beyond. and echo.
ing down the long ravine, like the cry of
lost soul. Again it came. as | stood
there, for at first | hesitated at going to-
ward it, fearing a panther trap Then
once again.it rose, shivering through the
darkness, .'oh. help, help, for the pity of
Godl"
Then | knew what it meant. No pan
ther cries like that. Swinging myself
down from ledge to ledge, / was soon on
the little clearing, then on into the gloom
of the pine tree cluster, led by the cries
that had now sunk into pitiful sobs and
moans.
Just beyond the edge of the woods,
through the trees. | saw ray of light,
and tracking it, soon came up TO a miser-
able old shanty-a miners hut. Within
this shanty were the sobs, as of young
girl; and every sob was accompanied by q
curse and the dull swish of some heavy
lash as it flew through the air and
fell upon the qulverish ieshi One
moment paused, the next l had burst
open the miserable door. and stood gazing
on picture that has haunted me through
all my life Here, in the low, unfinished
room, lit by an old lantern that hung sus.
pended from beam across the center of
tzs roof. stood an old gray haired, gray
bearoed man. Man, did / sayf Nay, |
rather devil, fend in flesh and blood |
There be stood with long cattle whip |
uplifted for another blow, and at his feet |
lay q young girl scarcely more than
child. with her long. black hair all tan |
gled about her face and matted with blood |
upon her breast. Blood was upon her
face, her dress, her feet and on the floor |
All, what sight it wasl
One glance, and had caught the old |
iend by the throat, and flung him sense |
less on the floor beyond Then l took |
the poor little lassie in my arms, brushed |
back the matted curls from her white |
face, and gave her whisky from my
hunting flask. She soon revived and stood |
up before me. Drawing the tattered |
frock across her bruised and bleeding |
breast, she looked at me with a sort OF |
dazed, childish wonder, but with no sign |
of fear. Ali, l can see her now, just as she |
stood there, tall and 1.-THE and graceful as
the young fir trees growing by the door,
with her long black hair, black as dream |
of darkness, and her eyes, eyes with the
changing mystery of the night, the pas
sion of the storm winds in their depths.
who is her | asked her, pointing to
the man who lay there, stirring family.
''lieT oh, he says he is my father. but /
ne heo, ne anyways heS! CAME the answer /
in hot, passionate sobs, while her dark |
eyes glowed with the memory of hate and
pain.
And your" | asked.
"Me2 Oh, am Carma, and l have al |
ways lived here, only to be beaten and
beaten by that man-be will kill me some
time. ! sapposeT she said in dreary
little voice. where pitifuI despair seemed
giving way before the hope of death.
stayed there all that night. About |
daybreak the old man pulled himself to-
gether, looked at us for a moment, and, |
muttering curses, turned and went off |
dnxn amnnr the trees But when | too |