People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-03-30
BLIND JUSTICE.
BY HELEN Is. MATHERS.

'Ao1t iO4S III ldCiU me war
Tn bottle o sleepin' stuff as nd
stood all them seven year; Id KEEP it
mind me O. tn hell Id lived in W
Deth, an side o the stuff war the
milk, az the cup out o which Steve
had drunk that day.
"Th' devil ses Pit some O. TIL stuff
/ his drink. an he'll niver knaw. an
git him out o. tn way afore Steve
be coined in Thar war ma taste to
t. nor more nor waiter, nor IA color.
tn gipsies knawed thar work too
we'll TO that, an wi my back t. Seth,
jest poured tn stuff into tn cup.
an tn milk to top O un, an | ups an
gies t to 'un d'reckly."
There was no water in the cup.
board?" I said.
Water" said Judith. staring at
me- what for should keep waiter
there? Wa-al. him tossed t off to
vance, an afore ee could count ten,
him war asleep an snorin. and out
he slips fro tn chair to tn gronn'
an u box falls out O his bosom, an |
picks I up (listenin' the whites
To- Steve's step an puts it i my
pocket, an thin, knawin' he war
safe nav for twenty-four hour, looks
at un and ses, Where liver mum |
hide unf'
There war tn secret bit room.
ony Steve allus went thar, when he
coined in, an daurna pit him on
tn Gig. Just thin my eve catched
tn ring on tn trapdOOr, an tn devil
flashed it up t. NE, Put I'm down i
tn cellar! Fell be gone in twelve
hour, an nuthin' 'ull waken he fur
twcntg-iOur, put un down i tn
cellar
III I'll devil war quick, war
quicker. ! catched up a coil O. rope
near by, an | had Seth Treloar roun'
the shoulders i a second. an tied a
knot ahind him. an then | dragged
IN along tn floor till I'd got I'm to tn
trap-dOOr. an opened un. but t'warnt
80 easy to let down. an when Id
pushed his feet over, knewed I'd
got so difficult job as air woman
had.
Il was boun' to take time, il I'd
pushed IN too quick, him I'D ha' bin
killed to vance (an' a tn time |
war llstenin' fer Steve's step so
civ I'm bit push. then rinned back
au jest dug my feet i TIL floor an
thrawed myself till ] war slantin'
like tree i a storm, but tn dead
weight o. un's body as him slipped
'hro tn trap door nigh pulled me
AFTER an. but jest held on, an let
tin IN down inch at time, bimeby
felt IN touch tn groun', thin /
1asheS tn rope in arter I'm and
bangs down tn door Jest at tn very
moment as Steve lifts tn latch. an
coined in.
81 thrawed my apron over nv
aead so as un couldna see my face,
IN thinkin' war frettin anent leav.
n, he let's me alone, an bimoby rs
has supper the either an so tn
eyeuin' passed"
And you could eat, drink and
sleep with that dragged man living
near in the vault at your feet?" |
.ried.
''lss, " said Judith, whose homely
words aud accent afforded the
strongest contrast to the grandeur
of her looks aud gestures, "what
narm had done 'un' Him I'D ha' |
woke up none tn wurse for what I'd |
gived 'un. as him had niver been tn
Nurse afOre (often as he'd looked t
dnbeknown t. hisself), an thar war
40 ras below an tn place war dry
an sandy. an knawed he'd come to |
"a harm Yet | seemed feared like |
to rejoice too much, to git safe away |
wi Steve nd be too much Joy, an as
things coined out" she added bit
teriy, 1T war well didna count nv !
chickens too soon; warnt to knaw
rs there war fulo wanderin' about !
10 warid meddlin' wi things as God !
Almighty dldna mean to meddle in
He'd Jest heV let EN- ravel themseles |
out but you be wiser nor he. tho
nav you'd like t undo the piece O. /
wark you'm made"
She paused moment. and o rush |
of pain swept over her face as If some |
physical agony pressed her hard.
Eth, my lad (she put her hand on |
>teve's). an us waited so lang, and !
o our bit o. happiness wi wan
anither, we luv'd fu' money a year. |
afOre us liver spoke but wi our eyes, I
ay, ZEE luv'd me when war the snort
o that ne er-dO-well, Seth Treloar. ]
an ] war liver comparin' the twa o. /
zee i my mind Ant see ZEE war |
like blink o heaven. us niver got
no nearer. but US war heartened I'D
walk tn stony road apart, an zee !
fassed a tn lasses by. but when th' |
seven year war up, ZEE jest sed t. me, |
Youm mine nav. Judith, an | went |
to 'eelike bird"
The helpless love, the profound de-
pendence on him that spoke in her /
voice, mo"ed me deeply.
She left her arm on Stephens !
neck. then pulled herself together,
and went on with her story.
When mornin' coined, Steve an !
me war stirrin' early. an whiles l !
got tn breakfast, him put up our
bits o. things, an 'un couldua guess !
Theriger tn coil O rope war got |