Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-13

SHE BRINGS IT DOWN UPON THE scoU|
DREL's PATE.
whilst she was away What il he be nj
dead9 Poor, little, tander-hearted Duchej
Let her not be thought unwomanly if
this supreme moment she hopes passionate
that she has killed the man who would hal
slain her lover and only fears that she h
not done so.
What if he should rise and finish [
ghastly work whilst she ran blindly alo{
an unknown road to gain that assistant
she might never meet. Moisture rises
her brow as she thinks il all out, and thI
all at once sho abandons that idea of gai
ing help and with ono quick indraY
breath steadies herself for the work she
determined TO do this night or die in the 1
tempt.
STOPPING, she encircles Denis with h
arms, and presently has drawn him, III
toward the broken gateway, then throu
it; through the blessed OF ening that PERM
her to drag him out of view of that CT |
figure on the ground into the safer shell
of the woods beyond.
Yard by yard-sobbing, painting, wi
her fear and her fatigue pressing sorely
her, yet never discouraged-s she slowly Al
ever more slowly, as tho willing arms gry
SO deadly weary, drags him to the pj
lection OF that lonely hut close to the
tree.
Even when she has got him in and u
him softly downwards, with the poor brol
arm as comfortably settled As she can mans
it, her zeal for his welfare does not re-,
Off her own tender body she strips her SCI
skin coat, present from her auntie,
make pillow for his head, and then,
thinking it high enough-careless of Gel
of discomfort, nay dead to them-she 81
Off her flannel petticoat and adds that
the coat.
Not until she has done all this does
permit herself to kneel beside him and Id
into his facet
Is it his face, that calm, still motion
mask, all streaked and dyed with bio
blood still flowing? She has been so n
crossed hitherto with her terrible task
bringing him here tat tho idea that
labor might be in vain-that death mi
already have robbed her OF what she M
values upon earth--has not sug gested itsl
but now ii comes, and very agony
despair takes possession OF her. Nea
she leans over him, still nearer, her mise\|
bic eyes clinging to his deathliks ia
What horrible pallor is that upon
cheek! how sunken are the eyes within tn
sockets, how cruelty calm the mouth /
is he dead?
oh! no, no, no, no! Not dead. III.
nigh unto death, if it must be, but OH
dead, indeed! Her very soul uplifts il
in supplication. Manned, suffering, bro
1at i'm, ha- hnt hot fa et;l
within his bruised body.
"Ohl Thou loving L.ordl by whom
prayers are heard"
Softly, TREMENDOUSLY, she entreats; ::
with nervous fingers she loosens his c
and feels for the heart that should beat
meath. And after minute who shall
what ages lie in it0 faint pulsation
wards her. He livesl AS yet, at lie,
the vital spark is in him.
But how to keep it theres Deity
tears first her own handkerchief and q
his into strips and binds item round al
brow. The search for his handkerchief
brought to light small flask which, to ~
JOY, contains brandy; but though she trl<
even with her fingers to get some hetw
his lips, she fails TO make him swallow ip(
And now again terror drives her alnrd
wild. Can she do nothing VIII no ?
ever come to her aid? she runs to u
doorway with vehement determinatiorl1
rush through all the binding storm
search of help. But as she crosses
threshold she looks back and, seeing !, 4
lying there SO quiet, to all appearance
lifeless, her heart grows weak within ID
and her courage fails. Alas too, even,
she were to venture forth, whittier co..
she go' The place is strange to her;
would not know which way to turn, an,
size were TO wander too far In this gatlu|
ing darkness and fail TO make her w
back again, what might not happen to +
before morn in her absence, alone, VI
tended, desertedg Oh, no, she cannot lea,
him. ~
A vague hope that they would be II
cued later on by messengers from Ven 4
gives her some wavering comfort, but
truth her present fears are so many
comfort in the future is quickly ousted. II
Is so cold, too-so bitterly chill. She leO
longingly ut the dry sticks lying on
hearth, but even though she knows tha'
the aid OF the vestas she has found In
pocket when looking for the flask she 81
set fire TO them, she shrinks from doing
n nervous horror lest the smoke shall
tray his resting place to the enemy rest,
ing her.
She takes one of his hands in hers
feels IL is cold as ice-his very lips, as =
lays her fingers on them, seem frozen.
draws OF her sole remaining petticoat
wraps its around him, with despair
gathering at her heart. Oh, TO light t.
fret
To DE CONTINUED.
Charlevoix fishermen are uniformly