Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-05-11

SChIiClilcH CttIIy lIS tle Dous VI Il hIlIc
boy about 10 years of age, Of the same
height, and the same clothes as George.
His head and face were red, his hands
were red, and by his side walked 4 po-
| fceman carrying Il little boys cap
which looked like the one her son Wore.
Then it was she understood that her
boy had just been run over and crushed
in the street, and she bagn to follow
the crowd-her head swimming, her
eyes starting out of her head and her
heart beating as if it must sureyl break.
As she moved forward almost uncon-
sciously, she was saying absently to
! herself:
Il am his mother. I only have him
on the 9Th. And on this very day
my day
| 1t was whispered from ear to ear
that the accident had sent her crazy
At the drug store she gave her address
as 1919 Boulevard Sainte-Germaine, but
in vain they tried TO get her name.
She had forgotten it!
So they sent for an ambulance and
took to the address she indicated the
few more hours to live.
A victoria, going at full swing, had
passed over his back and his neck.
=
Only when the lugubrious cOrtege
had reached the hotel did Mime. de Nor
ancey, as she stood outside upon the
sidewalk, realize fully what had just
occurred.
A terrible anguish swept over her
Overcame her She nearly fell to the
pavement.
Her husband had that morning in
trusted to her care a bright, happy
child, healthy and well, and she had
just returned him a torn and bleeding
One-almOSt a corpse. What would he
say? What would he do? Would he
kill her?
He would only do right, she thought,
if he did kill her She had deserved
death. She would not have been sur
prised to see the count rush out of the
hotel with knife in his hand, and had
he done so she felt that she would
run forward to meet him and invite
her doom.
The door opened. There he comes"
she thought. But, alas. it was only the
empty shutter on which the body had
been placed. Four pOrters carried it,
and they went across the rold to the
saloon, where they would discuss the
latest sensation with coarse jests over
! their abSinthe She lOnged to hear the
latest news of his condition, yet she
dared not approach and ask them.
She was afraid to move-to make a
single step in advance.
Some mysterious force nailed her to
the ground in front of the house where
her darling was dying-and it was she
who had killed him.
Through his own mothers careless
ness had he met with the accident.
She remained standing in front of the
hotel until the night came down over
the great city. She watched the light
in the windows and the shadows of
I moving persons that from time to
time passed in front of the yellow
blinds.
The hours passed.
The man came down the street and
lit the gas lamps, and still she stood
there, her head as heavy as lead, with
the one thought running in it:
George is dying up there. 1t is up
there behind those windows that my
George lies dying
Meanwhile the air was growing chill
ly, and she looked around her for some
place of shelter. She found that she
was landing opposite q livery stable
where sevreal cabs and carriages were
standing about unoccupied. For 5
crouch down on the seat of a closed
cab, where she would be sheltered
from the wind and cold
She crept in and lay there three
hours
! At midnight priest presented him
self at the door if the hotel, rang the
bell and diappeared behind the door
Then he must be dying, if a priest
was necessary.
! At all costs she determined at last
to find out, for she was no longer able
to bear the suspense of uncertainty.
She would go up and see for herself
even if her husband was to have her
thrown out Of the window for it. Call
| ing all her courage to her aid, she ap-
preached the door, and trembling at the
noise of her bell pull she entered the
clerks office.
He knew her, and when he saw the
pale, suffering face under the thick veil
he acquiesced to her request to go up
| and see how the child was.
= will wait here" she said. You go
up and see for me.
A minute later the clerk came down
again silent.
''Well?" she asked eagerly and trem-
bling all over.
answer the clerk raised his arms
slowly, let them fall again slowly and
in Il low voice said:
Five minutes ago without any pain -
Then he added hurridly, The count
gives you permission to stay with the
body"
Forgetting her own blame in the mat
ter, she burst into a flood of tears,
which seemed to choke her, and muir
INJURED between the sObs:
He gives me leave-now that the boy
is dead, Oh mon Dieur' Then she ans
wered the clerk, NO, no. of use We're
it,"
And leaving the hotel she passed out
into the night, where the rain was fall
, ing in fine, cold drops and the wind
was mou1nfully singing its night songs