The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-03-20

suddenly decided to take ssbarge," !"
which went within quarter Of n mile
of that schoolllousn where the Rankins
were.
Alightng. we walked through n
| small patch af sweet fern that sent up
20 us its odor of wild aud rock past
ures. We were on hill and the ocean,
| gray auil misty Ia its cast turn, was
before us There was the building we
sputiii. alone. It's old red paint nearly
worn oii. it4 whole aspect desolate.
Now that we were here we suddenly
felt that we might be intruding. We
sat down Ia bed OF sweet fern
''sweet fern" they call IL here, and the
boys sometimes dry its leaves and
make cigars of them.
Presently we heard sound at the
door. and. looking. saw the gaunt
form Of Randy Rankin standing there.
Her face was turned away from us
aud toward the water Her dark ging-
ham gown hung straight down. She
had her hands clasped tightly before
| her, and she suddenly flung them up
| ward. There was not house In
sight--a fog was setting fast over
everything.
Turning 10 go back in the house, she
saw us and started. Then she recog-
/ nized rs. We rose and she stepped
out Ia the tall grass about the old, fiat
stepstone.
'Tm mighty glad you've come" she
said hoarsely II didn't dare leave
him, and did wish somebody was
here"
Her seraggy face was perfectly pal
| lid. She had not slept since she came
10 the place.
''How is hep we whispered
Hes goin' fast. | don't expect
| he'll last more'n To the turnin' of the
tide, and that's at eighteen minutes
| past tonight I've just ben a-lookin'
into his almanac to find out; it's COM
in In quick, amt II? just listen
We did not reed To listen. The roar
of water dashiag over rocks. sucking
/ up through chasms, aud pounding on
ledges was plain enough 10 hear. II
was now nearly o'clock.
'He amt known me sence the first
halliday / was here. Then he told me
| he was much obleeged To me for COM
1 i'm and twas more'n he expected. I'd
knows I've done right a-separatin'
from him.
She looked of again TO the ocean.
Then she cried out piereingiy, "But
God knows | couldn't help it, He
| knows | sh'd have to do the same
thing ever againl | shouldl | shouldr'
She struck her hands To together. Her
hollow eyes famed. She was remenl-
bering her life with the man who was
/ dying.
"HushH we said.
NV friend put her hand on the wo-
mans clasped bony fingers.
She felt the touch and looked down
on Carlos. her gaze softening in n
strange, sudden way that dimmed my
eyes. II was almost as though she
had never felt touch so gentle and SO
kind.
Come in, she said moment after,
in faint voice.
And we went in. We knew thai
we should not leave her again that
night
IL was the most lonesome room !
had ever seen. The desks had been
removed. but the floor remained as II
had been in the old time, when coun-
try sehoolhouse floor was made slant
ing from the back of the building
down TO the front, where the teachers
desk was placed on platform about
six inches high. This platform was
still there and ON this, as the only
level place, Mr.. Rankin had his bed,
which was a substantial tour-posted
one.
The windows were high and small.
AIR. Rankin had evidently disposed oi
a good deal of his first wifes furniture,
which he had taken when the separa-
ton occurred between him and his
present wife.
The cook stove was rusted irrepara.
bly,, which is a thing which happens
quickly here by the salt water. On
top of it was small keroseae-lamp
stove, whose flame was heating some
thing in tin dish covered with n blue
saucer. There were three chairs OF
black walnut and haireloth. very dusty
and daubed.
The figure on the bed was perfectly
still aud breathing deeply.
Mrs. Rankin sat down beside him
and began mechanically to move a fan
over the CHASTITY face ON the pillow.
We sat down silently. each on a hair
cloth chair All the windows were
open, and through them and the door
the salt air came in damply and
strongly. The broad flame in the lamI
wavered and smoked. The sound OF
the swift, incoming tide pervaded tn,
place. | had not sat there five min
utes before | was absorbed in listen
ing to that tide, and almost counting
the distinct sounds that the large
waves made as they broke on tn.
rough beach below us
Ny friend rose and took the far
from Randy's hand. standing besid,
her and welding the fan slowly. Ran
dy sat rigid. She was watching tn,
mans face.
At last there was change in, tn,
sound of the rollers-an indefinite soft
ening. We knew that the tide had be
gun to go out.
In uncontrollable. but silent, ex
citement | rose, standing still.
quarter of an hour must have passed
Then saw the sick man open his eye
and look Mt his wife.
Randy" he said, in what seemed
perfectly natural voice. ''I guess W,
won't have the Tree of Death hung NJ
in the sett'n-room any longer, senc,
you kinder don't like it."
He turned his head more comforta
bly, on his pillow and closed his eye
again.
The Lord has given Randy Rankin
her freedom.-NeW York Tribune.
Origin of the Game of Billiards.
The game of billiards was invented
about the middle of the sixteenth cen