The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-12

she knew at last that she was alone
with him. Could she be dying? Her
heart felt suddenly barred within her
bosom and thrust naked, throbbing
into bands of iron that crushed it till
it Famed no more AT became heavy
Ike thing that is lifeless. One
clinched hand WIS placed upon it as
her sight Travelled to the bed. His face,
crown thin and white, was turned ap-
peaIingly toward her. Appealingly?
Bah! Appeal to woman whose heart
was turned TO stone.
Mercy, may God forgive me for
bringing you here. I am dying, and /
could not go without telling you. SO
that you may rot blame, but pity" A
feverlsh eaaerness mark ed brow and
Oh eek
'Blame?" she questioned oddly. 81
loved you!''
Because you do, and always will, in
earnest of that feeling, Mercy, care for
the woman call wife when am gone.
| am SO poor
Love your wife. Heaven knows I
could sooner slay her beside your
couch for the sin of being yours
Hear Inc. Mercy" he gasped. But
she was gone.
The market-carrier's cart would not
start home for hours, but it stood with
empty shafts in the inn-yard. Mercy
crept in among few ,undlsposed
couples of live fowl, basket Of butter
and eggs. sack of early kidney pota-
toes and cronched there SO still that
the poultry dozed in the sun.
She did not count the time her own
eyes were closed, and looked up to find
the wagon slowly dragging homeward
ever the billy Salop roads. The red
painted supports of the viaduct bridge
glared out beyond Souser's tied-up
jaw. He-poor fellow!-nursed chron-
ic-face-ache in purple mufaer on
market days. On the brow of the hill
he got down at roadside public house
to relieve it, and when they logged on
ward again, cooed thick epithets to
the stout beasts in his charge.
The fields that smiled in the NOR n
ing CROPPED out il shadow towards the
dark horizon as they rumbled on.
Under tine same cherry trees she had
pluclzed at that morning they drove
now A bunch of white hearts still
lay in her pocket. Out they came in
her sudden grasp and were flung off
into the track of the horses. Souser
uttered heavy Shropshire oath as a
couple nipped his nose in their awk.
ward fight and then settled fancifully
on the forward harness of one of his
patient steeds for the rest of the jour
ney.
The last stop was made. There was
the general commotion of shifting
seats to drag out certain hamper.
The dairy woman who had climbed the
roadside bank that morning for green
dock leaves to lay across her yellow
pounds and half-pounds of butter came
out for the empty basket and higgled
with Souser's mother - that keen
market-woman-about the'price of but
ter, till the testy driver whipped up
and left the old woman to follow on
the trot and hang on like the bare
footed cottage urchins that Travelled in
their wake that early morning. Itwas
a custom that raised no more comment
on the account of the hard old Shrop-
shire woman who caught up from ne
cessity than on that of the youngsters
who found their pleasure in it. The
remainder of the journey was accom-
plished at Souser's highest trot, and
where they set her down Mercy had
still the lonely common to cross to
reach the distant road and her own
Gotta ge hearth.