The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-06-17

n held him-he seemed to realize what
was up. The little kid woke up m be-
gan to cry. .--
Flush, Nance Dan says, to keep it
still; there, there, Nance"
The woman throwed up her hands.
''Nancei" she screamed, "Nance! That's
my name-thats what Dan used to call
me fore left him for another man
say, do you know Damp
'She seemed to forgit the child mint
m peered into Dams face.
Dan he looked round to us. His face
was as pale as the ashes in our pipes m
his voice was husky. "Boys," he says,
'this ERE poor woman is my old sweet
heart, m the little kids mother"
Then we saw how much the little thing
looked like the crazy woman, the same
big black eyes m all.
Dan made her set down on the bunk
m put the little kid in her arms; but he
watched her all the time as close as cat
does mouse.
1t was pitiful to see her. She cried m
LATED m rocked the little Teller in her
arms m sung to him m patted him m
kissed him a hundred times. But the
child seemed afraid; he kept turnin' up
his big eyes to Dan m stretchin' out his
lllllG dIlllS lGI Dtl W JthC llluls
After while the poor woman fell over
on the bunk m went to sleep; sheer
played out. She'd ben a-wanderin' like
that ever since the flood prob'ly, search
in fer her baby n he'd been drenched to
the skin time m again with rain, m
slep' out of doors eff she slep',at all.
Dan, he made her as conf able as he
could, m let her sleep. Then he set
there by the bunk m leaned his grizzly
head on his hand, lookin' at her. Lord
knows what was passin' in the mans
thoughts as he set there a'lookin' at the
face of his old sweetheart.
The rest of us turned in after while,
but Dan he set there by the bunk m
watched the sleeping woman. There
was only one taller candle in the room
m that made a dim light; but once or
twice when 1 turned over in the night
l could see him a-settin' there, m her
asleepin' with the child on her arm.
Long toward mornin' woke up m laid
there in my bunk watchin' that strange
couple-there want nobody else awake
in the shanty.
All at once the woman opened her
eyes m looked up at Dan with the pur-
test smile on her poor face ever see.
She began to talk in a quiet tone-not a
a mite crazy,
DAN" she says, reel womanlike m
tender, as eff she loved him, sits you,
Dan, amt it? 1 knowed it was-'n' you
have got my baby m you can keep
him; he's your'n now, fer I'm a'goin', l
can't live long; Pm a-dyin'. I've been
a-dyin' fer weeks an weeks, but 1
couldn't lay down till knowed the boy
was safe"
Dan he bent over her N cried like a
woman.
Nance" he says, Nance, don't say
that. You amt a-dyin'; you mustn't
die! you must live now fer the little
chap" says he. I'll give him back to ye
m never set eyes on him ag'in, much as
think of him-never, eff you'll pull
through this time!"
The woman smiled again m reached
up her poor weak hands to pull his
shaggy head down to her'n.
DAN" she says, very low but plain,
"Dan, loved We all the time! What a
fool was was to leave the best m
truest man that ever lived fer husband
that want never good to me-"
Dan raised up his head m looked mad.
want he good to ye, Nance?" he
says, fierce-like.
mo, he want, Dan," says she, "but
that's all past now-he's dead-'n' I'm
most through, too, m Pm thankful fer
tive he'd sech a hard life-I needn't
ask We to be good to my baby" says
she; you will be-you couldn't help it,.
Dan was cryin' like gal. Il will,
Nance" he says-''I will be good to the
chap fer your sake an fer his'n too. l
allus will, honest"
The woman seemed satisfied and laid
still spell, restin'.
Dan laid his head down on the piller
side O. her'n; they was still long time,
then heerd a kissin' sound, an kind
o sob an sithe, an then Dan raised up
his head an see she was dead.
We dug grave fer her in the woods
an give her decent funeral; there want
no flowers or music or even parson m
no mourners 'cept Dan N the kid, but
there never was a woman buried with
more respec' m honor than poor Nance,
after ALTER each m every one of us
lumberman-yes amt ashamed to own
it-wiped away an honest tear when we
laid her in the ground, m mebby faint
so, but it seems to me that's about as
good funeral as any one need ito ask
fer: That's her grave yonder through
the trees. Dan, he whitfield out a pine
head board and carved her name onto it.
m he'll keep that grave neat m trim
now, tell ye!
No, Dan Fletcher never was, an never
will be a married man, but that amt
a-goin' to hender him, from bein' the
best kind of father fer that there little
kid.