The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-03-03

- '4'7t- NflIaut HhF HISo'''f 49,
me in out of the storm. See how wet
am, aud | cannot walk in the darkness.
II can't let you in said Miss Dolby.
You are all muddy, and | have just finish
ed cleaning house ~
So Mary Mother turned away, a. as
she turned, the pickering light of Tire
wiud-tossed halo fell on her face, and 10,
II was the face OF the beggar girl.
Then in her dream Mss Deboy ran out
after her in o the d r6 night, but the Nir
sin was gone. Nevertheless. Miss Debby
ran on. Night black as ink was like
wall around her, and the midnight sky
was every now and then cleft with forks
Of blue lightning. Suddenly wild voice
out of the gloom cried that the Las, Day
was at hand Then a great silence fell,
and while Miss Deborah stood tremb-
ling, one close by her side spoke. On,
the infinite sadness of those words, II
was stranger and ye took me not in.
Miss Debby turned to look, and there
stood the "Man of Sorrows" and the
face $50 marred more than any mans"
aas as the face of the homeless beggsr
girl.
Then came great sound which Miss
d bOrah tho ugHt was the List Trump,
aud III au agony she awoke to a binding
flash Of lighting and deafening crack OF
thunder, that told her scattered wits that
tempest was raging round the little cot.
lag.
"Oh. massy!' cried the trembling We
man, spriuging out of bed. 80 Lord;
spare me till morning, and l'll hunt her
up If have to go ten miles"
'Three o'clock" she exclaimed. Il
sha'nt go back to bed to dream that
dream over again. and she began to
dress herself with trembling, awkward
ting rs. Soon as it's light, I'll put out,
ram or no rain. She must be 10 Sal Hlg
gins. I'll 20 there first, anyway BY
daylight the storm had spent its fury and
Miss Debby could sally forth. A scene
of devastation met her eye as she opened
the porch door. The grape arbJr was II
wreck. The stable door hung by one
hinge. The great elm before the front
gate had been struck by lightning. Half
of 1t lay across the flower bed, where
broken lilies bowed their shiverng heads.
Miss Deborah hardly glsnced at the
havoc wrought in her tidy domain She
'limbed over the front fence the elm
blocked the gate , and buried along the
rain washed roau.
i Is to be feared that any ore meeting
Miss Deborah would have thought sue
was tramp; for her dress WAS hooked
all awry and torn where she had caught
1t on the picket fence. Moreover she had
| forgotten her calico sunbonnet, and he
false front, and black lace cap that usual
ly covered her scant gray locks were re-
posing on the stand at the head of her
bed. However, she met no living thing
out belated cat, which fled prtCipitately
over a stone wall.
No trace of the wanderer could be seen
There's Sails house at last - she said,
land do believe that's Sal herself COM
in up the hill"
Sal came slowly up the long, steep hill,
at the foot of which could he deserted
her disreputable, disorderly abode. She
came slowly, because she was enormously
fat, and was also much hindered by pair
Of old rubber boots minus the legs, which
were much too large for her.
Presently she caught sight Of Miss Deb
orah, stopped for a moment 10 assure
herself who il was, and then retonhled
her speed, leaving the boots behind her III
her eagerness.
"Mss Parker, Miss Parker is that
your
Yes, it's me- qusvered Ms. Debhy,
as Sal rolled up to her. "Nhere be You
agoing so early
Il was reckonin' to stop to your house
pulled Sal, wiping her crimson fsce In her
overskirt. I'm goin' for coroner AMI
amt certain whether Ahner DAVIS wss
elected this year or jim ketcham. a
lowed you'd know"
"A coroner shreked Miss Deborah.
"Who for? o Sal, is she deAdE'
nj % h,. st
to your house by what she said Why,
Miss Parkerm for Miss Deborah sat down
in mud puddle and began wringing her
poor old hands in despair,
"Miss Debby, you git up out Of that
mud. BE- you crazSY'
81 shan't STIR said Ms, Dolby, It'll
you tell me the hull"
There amt much to tell said Sal.
Il don't see why You should csrry on Ike
this. She came to my house while it was
stormiug the hardest. | b, ard n gruntin'
and grOanin' outside, and | opened the
door and there she lay wet as rat. l
ketched on to her and drug her in. After
while she come to, and III She BE you
d Christian
Lor, no, SEE I, I'm old Sal Higg MS.
Christian wouldn't touch me with a
ten-foot pole.
" Then you'll let me say, SCI she.
You bet will, SCI |. / reckon old
Sal never turned crtter out Tain't a.
if | had character TO keep up. Kin do
as like, end I'll tend you right up to the
handle.
$50 l got her clothes of, and SET
what the matter was, very quick. Law
I'm as good hand as there is around
out 'twarut no use. She WAS too far gone
and she's dcad two hours ago and the
baby, too. I'm goin' to get help, GU
20 along down and set with the corpse,
and III be back by noon If | can"
Away toiltd Sal in her quest for the
coroner, leaving Miss Deborah to make
her way to the little hut where the poor
relics of humanity lay. Sal had made
some abortive attempts at tldyiug her
wretched premises. The dirt had been
swept into corner, and ragged apron
hung on the broken window.
In a corner, quite apart, lay something
covered with ii tattcred sheet. Noiseless-
" Miss Debhy crossed the room and lift
ed it.
O Death, Thou sauctiher. Is his the
bold eyed tramp The girl lay as II
asleep and the wsxen baby fsce ON her
bosom was not more innocent than her
own.
Miss Dehhy fell on her knees. 80 yen
poor child oh, how young she looks !,
. God be merciful to me, sinner. Lord,
I'll let in every heggsr that comes along,
aud they shall have the spare room snd
the rutiled pillow-csses too and, Lord,
| aust pray for her. Lord, have mercy on
1er poor soul. for Christs sake"
Not an eloquent prayer, truly, nor an
orthodox, yet it was the first time Miss
Deborah had really prayed in her whole
life.
When Sal came back with the coroner
and undertaken, Miss Debby set weeping
IN the floor Il murdered her." she said
70 the coroner. who stared bewildered
Il turned her of to die like dog. Give
,our report killed by Deborah Parker,
| s'ncse they can't harg me, but they
ought to-"
Nov Miss Parker, don't take on so,
said Sal II explained 1t all out to her
SEE l. These Christians has got charact
ers. They can't 'sociate with folks like
us, faint likely. She see 1t. i was s
fool to expect it, SEE she. or course yor
couldn't have her in your nice house."
"Of course not" briskly put in the cor
oner. miss Deborah shows much feel
ing, and it's highly creditable to her. but