The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-11-26

'What are you doing, my boy?" I
asked.
II am getting dinner" he replied. in
differently.
"Why do you attend to that? Il
there nobody in the place to cook for
you?" i.
Nobody" he replied, drily.
"Where are they all2'
''Who?"
"The rest Of the people belonging to
the house"
"They are dead"
"All the servants dead?"
'Most of them are dead, but some ran
away"
"Why did you stay here? Why didn't
you go to our relatives?"
"They refused to see me. They were
afraid of the cholera"
"Then there is nobody on the prem
ises except you?"
Nobody except Hector. must feed
him."
"Why don't you stay in the house in
stead of camping out here?"
II don't like to go into the house.
oO>AAScOAJ
sat down on a box near the fire, and
little Julius turned his attention to
roasting the chicken on the stick. The
dog began to paw the ground with his
forefeet.
down, Hector!'' exclaimed the boy,
angrily. "We don't want any more
graves. We have had enough of them.''
'Do you think-?'
'Yes, Hector knows beforehand when
anybody is going to die"
There was a painful silence for few
few minutes, and then remarked:
'He will not have to dig many more
graves"
My brother, whom I had left three
weeks before happy, romping, talka-
tive child, did not reply, but kept on
staring at the fire. I.placed my hand
on his curly blonde locks and said:
'My poor little brother, tell me-when
did our mother die?"
81 don't know" he replied, in the
same Indifferent tone of voice. 81 can't
keep the run of the days. 1t seems to
me that it was a long time ago."
'Why didn't you let me know in time
to come to the funeral?"
Funerals! who talks of funerals?
The coachman took the coffin on his
shoulder and carried it to the family
vault"
Tears rolled down my cheeks, and fell
upon the hot Goals and ashes.
Don't cry" said the child in gruff
voice "Let us act like men, come what
may" And this boy was only twelve
years of age.
What has become of our coachman,
Klapka? know that he did not run
away"
''He is in corner of the stable on
some straw, dying"
went into the stable, and there lay
the faithful old family servant. The
color OF his face was BLUSH black, and
he was shivering as if from cold. The
old man, who had formerly served as u
hussar, had fought manfully against
the scourge. Two weeks previously,
when he felt the cramps in his feet, he
tied cord tightly around his legs above
the knees, and thus stopped the circula-
ton of the dread disease. It seemed as
If he had carried the day, for the symp-
toms left him.
"Even the cholera can't down old
Klapka," he said, boastfully, but he
was mistaken. The cholera had got
him down at last. There he lay in q
semi-comatose condition.
'Klapkar' exclaimed, "brave, hon.
est, Mihala Klapka! wake up! I've
come to see you. Don't you know mep"
With great effort he opened his
eyes. A gray shadow fitted across his
face. Probably it was intended for
smile of recognition. He raised his
hand as If to make military salute.
He tried to stagger to his feet, but the
cramps seized him, and he fell back
again on the straw. took my bottle
OF cholera medicine from my pocket.
His eyes were closed, but he seemed to
know what | was doing, for he opened
his mouth. poured in few drops,
and itseemed to do him good. Then he
shivered all over, and heard hoarse,
growing sound. 1t was the death rat
tie. He fell back and died, dreaming
that he had drunk brandy. He finished
his dream on the other side of the dark
river
! could not repress my tears at the
death OF the faithful old servant.
Hector was right" said, returning
to the fire; "Klapka is dead"
Il told you the dog knew it," replied
the boy, with perfect composure.
The dreadful scenes through which
he had passed had destroyed all feeling.
He was an old man before he bad ceased
to be a child.
That very day took him to the head
quarters of the sanitary committee in
an adjacent village, and put him in
charge OF his relatives. They fumi-
gated the poor boy and put new clothes
on him. He resisted with all his might.
He fought like tiger, and hit every-.
body who came near him.
Twelve Years have passed since that
dreadful day, but nobody has ever seen
him smile The Indifferent, stolid ex-
preston, tinged with sadness, that was
on his face when I saw him at the fire