Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-05-10

She raised her eyes from the ground and
looked in front of her to see whit her dar-
ling was doing among all the hurrying
passersby. She saw him noti Suddenly a
piercing voice-the voice of child-sounded
behind her:
"Oh, mamanw
She turned, frozen to her very marrow.
and at first saw nothing at all. Then she
saw the people running to the spot whence
the cry had proceeded and group forming
which rapidly grew to be crowd. And
then she saw two gentlemen carrying the
body Of little 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 a
policeman carrying 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 began TO follow the crowd
her head swimming, her eyes starting out
Of her head and her heart beating as if it
must surely break
As she moved forward almost uncon-
sclously, she was saying absently to her
self:
II am his mother. 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
Saint-Germaine, but in vain they tried to
get her name.
She had forgotten It'll
So they sent for an ambulance and took
70 the address she indicated the poor,
crushed little form that had but a 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 Nine. de Morancey,
as she stood outside upon the sidewalk,
realize fully what had Just occurred.
A terrible anguish swept over borrower
came her. She nearly fell to the pavement
| Her husband had that morning intrusted
to her care a bright, happy child, healthy
and well, and she had just returned him a
torn and bleeding one-almost corpse
What would he sayi What would he dor
| Would he kill herr
He would only do right, she thought, if
| he did kill her. She had deserved death
| She would not have been surprised 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 in
vite her DOOM
Thedo opened. There he comes" she
thought But, alasl it was only the empty
shutter or which the body had been placed.
Four porters carried it, and they went
across the road 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, vet
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 dar-
| ling was dying-and it was she who had
| killed him
Through his own mothers carelessness
/ had he met with the accident
| She remained standing in front Of the no
tel until the night came down over the
/ great city. She watched the light in the
windows and the shadows of moving per.
sons 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. It is up there
behind those windows that my George lies
dying
Meanwhile the air was growing chilly,
and she looked around her for some place
of shelter. She found that she was stand
ing opposite a livery stable where several
cabs and carriages were standing about un-
occupied. For cents the driver gave her
leave to 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 himself at
the door of the hotel, rang the bell and dis
appeared behind the door.
Then he must be dying, if 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 ont of the window for
il. Calling all her courage to her aid, she
approached 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 flee under the thick veil he acqui-
esced to her request TO go up and see how
the child was.
"I will wait here" she said. "You go up
and see for me-"
A minute later the clerk came down
again-silent.
"welly" she asked eagerly and trembling
all over.
In answer the clerk raised his arms slow.
", let them fall again slowly and in low
voice said:
"Five minutes ago without any pain. u
Then he added hurriedly, 1.-THE count gives
you permission to stay with the body"
Forgetting her own blame in the matter
she burst into a food Of tears, which seemed
to choke her, and murmured between the
sobs:
"He gives me leave-now that the boy is
deadl Oh, mon DieuP Then she answered
the clerk, mo, mol Of what use were it,"
And leaving the hotel she passed out into
the night, where the rain was falling in fine
cold drops and the wind was mournfully
singing its night songs.-From the French