Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-02-24
WELL TOLD TALES.

"FOr God'; sake, fellefs-lcoi hsfer..
Joe Colson stood at the bottom Of the
shaft. bending over little, quivering hear
Of humanity. The faint glimmer Of Igh,
that came down from far above u.s. only
seemed to make the surroundings .of. thai
ecene more hideous and ghastly. tghgt
/, TITS Christie, boys" said Joe, huskily,
STOPPING down and looking into the bruised,
childish face; "she's deadr' ~
Dead! What Q thrill Of horror cren,
through the darkness Of the mine and
wrapped every heart in chill and unspeaka-
BILE awes
Christie was old Dick Grahan's grand.
daughter. and Dick worked in the Prince
Regent for years. until n stroke of paralysis
had incapaGtated him for manual labor.
The old man had buried his son, then his
sons wife, and all that had been left TO his
declining years was Chrisue-Christie, who
now lay dead before usi
And old Dick loved Christie-aye, loved
ner with love SO simple and touching that
one was in doubt whether to cry or laug
when seeing them together
But now she was dead and we must take
her home 10 him. There was not q man
among us who did not shrink from the duty.
Joo Colson took the limp form in his
strong arms and stepped into the car. On.
mp we rose from the blackness and silence
beneath us and found the earth green and
blossominR in the smile Of May sun. But
the glare blinded our eyes when wc thought
bow the light bad gone out Of old Dick
Graham's life forever. Slowly, sadly, we
moved along the road to Graham's cottage.
There's soma things can't understand,
boys, an this Is one Of en-" said Joe Col.
son, who carried Christie; there's lots of
old folks all round US, jest hanRin' on 10
the edge Of life an are anxious 70 die: hut
no, they live. an this little one is the frst 70
Old Graham wss Sc, to be Ssen af5u nd
nus cottage as we drew near 1t and We
Boys" said Joe Mdly, "f allow ia
fsther cut off my right hand than take poor
little Christie TO the old man. Many and
many time I've heard Dick say that he
wondered what would become of her when
he was gone, an it worried hir1a-af' now
she's gone frst! Go In ahead of us, Tom.
an break IL to the old man. You know how
better than any of the rest of u.s.
.>With faltering steps I approached the
cottage door. -5No answer came 70 nv
knock, so pushed my way softly into the
cottage. A little clock licked away on the
mantel and the sound seemed only to
make more hideouS the death-like silence
that filled tho ROOM A nameless fear came
over me.
Old Graham was not 10 be seen and
called his name. There was no answer. A
sheet of paper on the table attracted my at.
tsntion and started to examine it-but
drew back In horror, for there, upon the
hoor. lay Dick Graham, moronless and
rgid-he was dead.
When the boys came in with little Chris
tie. we discovered that old Dick must have
been dead for some time. On the table he
had scrnwled the feeble words: Take care
Of Christie" and then had fallen to the
6oor.
IT'S Gods hand" said Joe reverently,
by side.
There Rre times in q mans career when
some dread event awskens every sense to
the awful responsibility that underlies all
life. And not one of US who took Christie
home that afternoon but felt a still. small
voice whisper in our hearts and urge us on
% better and nobler thinss.-Deso2 Free
Press.