Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-11-24

7 CA00tL Il y &C
49, - A,,NIEMSfl'1 ~I~H~s
o.. -. n, severity
i'-t."ll.,e,r lcforc ~;o'hrn to me like
t.. g. H. !.tr~!.,l,-~ frightened Elr and
''.4:. 81 l..g feeling II tr.GIu!,l to one of
Modification. II Lad GuIe wrong. it WAS
for his sake, not my own. hung my head
and made 40 reply.
What 90 You mean" he repeated. with
increased sternEe>s, turning me almost
roughly by the shoulder that the light
mic!.; fall on my face. "SpeaA."
What Do you think | mcau:" I asked
Iu.:o-c!y. We've h,>icd EN-. amt we?
d ITe S3t You right away flo.l On, amt Il
Isn't it me What ; done 'ein iur your
lie drew IA deep breath Of relief, and then
in Il tone Of wonderful tenderness said:
Forgive lac, !.t'le friend. Thought you
meant something; very different from that
| dor 1t understand English we'll But how
did ypu Ut - wet
Il co..i!u't drop out Of the hole into the
water down there without gcttin wet,
could l." said I. til with an mir of resent
neut, though had forgiven him in my
heart the moment he spoke again with
kindness
Come, YOU need dry clothes-rest. will
take lcu to Your friends"
Il amt got no friends. You leave me
herr I'm all right. Go quick past the
Luuse."
Not without you. If you have no friends.
Will take you TO mine"
l stopped-he had drawn me onward as
he spoke-aiid shook my head. The rank
smell of burning seemed to ill the air lie
Of the joy and learn what had done. l
would rather separate now than risk meet
ing his angry reproach.
Don't be afraid" said he, installing the
cause of my reluctance to pass the Joy.
mo one shall hurt You nor me either now
my hands are free. Come"
His str; az hand was on my arm. could
not resist his command. But as if l were
i'll terror Of Putty l ran that we might pass
the Joy quickly, giving him no time to
find out that had set the place on fire over
the heads Of his enemies.
stay" said he, checking me when we
were some distance down Sweet Apple lane,
you have run far enough. There is no
danger now, and we have still good way
to walk. There are no cabs in this part OF
| London"
We walked on toward the Minories. The
streets were quite empty. We passed but
one policeman, and he said nothing, seeing
| Tar.s with me. He eyed US curiously
though, thinking perhaps that Taras had
saved me from drowning, his clothes also
| being wet and caked with black mud. We
wall cd in silence for some time, but Taras
spoke at length in low, soft voice:
Il owe my life to you, little friend; more
than my life" he added. my liberty"
How did you let 'em come over you"
asked.
Il was deceived. thought the dark
man was n friend. He was an enemy-an
agent of police"
And the three others-was they slops
| too?"
''Slops-what is thatS"
"Policemans"
Eyes, they were police"
"Was they goin to kill your"
mo, worse than that. They were going
to take ME back to my country"
You amt done anything wrong, are
your"
Not wrong as we understand the word
you and l."
II thought it was only parties like me rs
was hunted about for being s'picious car.
ricters"
country; it is not like yours"
ut must be pretty bad If it's wus."
ut is pretty bad.'
What are you goin to do with the dark
man with the round shoulders?"
Keep him at arms length"
But s'posin," l persisted tentatively,
"s'posin you'd got him in q corner or in q
ole, wouldn't you drop something on him
and smash him?"
THAT would be murder"
"Garn aw'y! 1t amt murder: it's jus
tice. You only does for him what he'd do
for you if he got u chance"
THAT is the law of brutes, not Of men.
1t would be murder, and we should pray
for strength to resist the lust Of vengeance
that leads to it. For think, little friend, Of
the misery that follows, the degradation
and shame of being Stunned by innocent
women and good men, the feeling that one
is not fit to kiss child" He said more,
but could not follow him for thinking of
the men had left to die in the Mariners
Joy, whom had murdered for this-to be
Stunned forever by Taras. A sickness over
came me. i must have stumbled or reeled,
for Taras stopped suddenly and held me up.
you are faint Let us sit down ON this
STEP" he said.
mo. We will go on. l shan't be silly
again"
He drew my arm through his and babe
ME lean Oh him, telling ME that we had
now but a little way to CO. Leaning on his
arm, wished that we might go on forever
and ever and never reach our journeys end.
"Talk to me-" l said.
| He proposed brighter subject, but I
| would not hear of that and babe him tell
v1no al ho Iart nd no
| lice.
He Is nothing but an instrument" said
Taras. II bear him no ill will. He does
what he is paid to do, like soldier who
| lowers his rifle and kills another soldier at
| the command OF his officer. 1t isn't the
unreasoning man who executes an unjust
law, but the thinking man who makes the
law, who should die" And then he went
on to speak Of many things beyond the
reach of my reason, but that made no diff
ference to me. l heard his voice like a
| flowing strain of music that softened my
heart and lighted up my soul with an ex-
| quisite emotion such as had never before
felt. And l knew not why 1t seems
| strange, anomalous, unaccountable to me-
as l look back now, that these feelings
should suddenly spring up in my being,
which had hitherto been dull to all the in
fuences of nature. But surely it was not
more exceptional than the revelation Of
new world to the blind whose eyes after
years Of darkness are opened
We stopped before a small house in q by
| street of the Minories. and Taras rang bell
The door was opened instantly by fair
haired young woman and her husband.
They were friends Who expected the arrival
Of Taras with the three men whom he had
haay, 1aI 90, hnIs2 l.
looked ut me in mute establishment when
we entered the shop-a tobacconist's-as
Taras in his own tongue briefly explained
what had occurred. But when he had
spoken the man took my hands In his, and
pressing them told me In his broken Eng |
lish that should never want friend while
he and his wife lived. She could speak no |
English except yes" and no." but she
understood what her husband said, think, |
for she nodded a smiling agreement with |
his promise and kissed me heartily upon
both cheeks, despite the dirt upon them.
Then she led me quickly to a room up |
stairs where bright fire was burning,
and chatting merrily all the while, some ]
times to me, sometimes to her husband |
who followed, bringing big bath and |
can OF hot water. She laid out a conf lete !
change of clothes for me, and when they /
had made me understand that supper was |
waiting for me below they left me with
more cheerful smiles and expressions Of /
kindness.
To all their amiable overtures made no /
response-not once opening my lips to
thank them. Their sympathy and solicit
tude bewildered me, being as strange and
incomprehensible to me as the language
they spoke. had never had to thank any