Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-11-05

Dark and dumb and cold a. death
itself lay the dry mesa IL WAS late AZ
night The coyotes had ceased 10
howl xhs osls No longer gave forth
their dismal hootA No breath stirred
the leaves Of the dry CROSSWORD aud
sage. The cold stars shone out as they
oaly shine through abe rare, clear air
of the desert The slim horn Of = cold
moon. dropping down over the far
away buttes, giinted the wheel worn
edzes Of two steel rails that ran away
into the blankness on either side Of
the spot Near the railroad track
stood = ghostly telegraph pole. and its
wires also ran away into the blank
ness- II there were any sounds AZ AL
ia the air. they came from these wires
But they must have been mere whis-
perings. for the man who lay awake
under them heard them not
The man was frightfully. STRANGELY
awake But by his side. and under the
same blanket. lay another man who
WAS sound asleep
IL Is best for a representative man to
sleep. and sleep soundly. il he must
needs lie ON the desert under the stars
IL is an awful thing for such one To
be cursed by sleeplessness a. such
time and In such place
The horrible stiffness. the dumbness
of nature weighed upon the wskeful
man. who lay there upon his back.
looking up at the myriad eyes that
peeped through the dark roof of the
world. He felt the tpressiveness of 1t
all as keenly as he felt the mum bling of
the chill night air.
He turned on his unyielding bed of
sand and heard the erackle of sage
twig under his body. pistol shot
would have sounded no louder to his
overweight ear Why did the sound
not awaken the sleeper at his side? IL
only ne would awake or even turn.
but poor, tired man, he had tramped
many a long mile over the burning
plain, through allali dust and by sage
aud catcus wastes Let him sleep.
The sieepless one raised his hand TO
his face. on which the skin was tightly
drawn How hot the unwinking eye
Of heaven had blazed upon him through
the day, 1t seemed to have scared his
cheek and forehead
God II had but one glass Of rum
--one glass; he groaned. half aloud.
And then he went over his life. and
made himself to see clearly why he had
become so dependent upon a fiery fluid
for bis peace Of mind 1t was the
thirst-she cursed thirst-that had
built itself mp within him out Of the
very elements with which he had
thought TO appease it And the conse-
qusnces Of that thirst! His mind ran
back To his home. How she must hate
him-that patient wife. who had borne
with him so longl Did she? Was it
hate that blaxed from her eyes when
they had had that final quarrel, and he
had left her. never To return? He
could not bring himself TO think thatit
was lie was so frightfully alone-so
much In need Of being in some ones
kindly thoughts that
The man at his side did turn at last
But he settled down at once to peace
full slumber. He had not awakened
II ne only would awake, his CHEEKY
Irish banter would make the night less
hideous for time. perhaps; but let
HIM sleep He should not trespass on
his good nature by arousing him AL
though only the acquaintance of q
day. he had. in his genial Celtic waN
been more than kind He had given q
most unworthy and undeserving man
food from his slim store. and now he
was sharing with him his poor, thin
blanket An unworthy man-yes,
most unworthy. Had he not left his
wife To shift for herself? Had he not
wholly deserted her? Yes. but she no
longer loved him He had been such a
drag upon her-such a burden. She was
better of without him-far better. Tho
immoving tide of this heavy thought
bore down upon him more than all the
oppressiveness Of the night silence on
the desert. more than the fearful thirst
IL was better that she should live with
out him-fa better He was unworthy
How cut OF he seemed from the whole
world The little warmth he felt from
the mans body. lying by his own. made
all his desire for Independence when
he had started of on that wild journey
with only a few coins in his pocket.
his hot assertion that he could go his
way without reference To others
seemed now 10 have been part of his
weakness Of character. Even the
strongest must lean upon some one.
None could 60 their way wholly alone.
How independent was the whole race
Of man.
And she had leaned on bin. Per
hays she did still in a WAY. For might
she not be looking FOR him 70 come
back IL was not lilteiy that she even
dreamed he was thousand miles
away What were q thousand miles.
after allF lie had not been long in
passing them over. II would not ta<s
long - retrsce them
with these thonghts tingiing In bis
brala he could 40 longer lie there. He
must BE ND ia motion.
- he arose and iamelv made his
way - the railroad track. leaving his
friend ~ day % sleep Il ont alone.
Ne stepped between the rails and
Matted there. facing the telegraph pole
To the right was the way 81 the free
mao. without w3fe or home. To NE
fsft ths way ed back - her
A..