The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-21


reach Q shelter she knew of-namely,
an ancient tomb half hidden among
Jungle and creepers In thicket near the
river, and which. though once often
used ~ sleeping place by trampe, "a
kris and smugglers. had by some acct.
dent, mystertously Significant 10 the ma
tives, become unclean and had been
Stunned henceforth a. an accursed and
polluted spot by Mohammedan and
Brahman alike--they might safely hide
there till the return of the regiment
from Susf
And she did. Al the eastern sky flush.
cd into . delicate rose color, tinting
earth and cloud with m ineffable opa-
line glory, her sore and weary feet
stumbled heavily into the thicket of
which she had been In search, and drop
ped upon tho damp earth within, with
Q CRY Of thsnkfulness. half inaudible
from fatigue
They were safe
And MIRA Glare, rising to her knees
took the brown hands, TO which she
owed her life. in her little fingers, COW
ering them with her tears and kisses as
again and again she poured thanks and
blessings On her preserver. Mary check
cd her.
"whisi Not word above yer brcathl
Shure, it's scarce hundred yards we
are from the road, an I'm hearin some
thing passin the now"
Mems voices were indeed audible,
laughing and talking loudly along the
road There might have been half a
dozen by the noise, but whether they
were deserters or only coolies ON their
way TO labor the women could not tell
a. they covered In the inmost recesses
Of their sanctuary, not even venturing
for the next half hour to creep out to
drink at little muddy pool among the
reeds, though their lips and throats were
10 parched and swollen by this time
that during the period Of waiting they
had hardly been able even to whisper
word to one another.
MIRA Clare, with great discretion,
drank sparinsly and would fain have
coaxed Mary to do the same, but the lat
ter plunged her hot face deep into the
water, swallowing II in gulps and only
replying when shs had slaked her thirst
TO the full
"Lave me alone IT'S got to last me
till I get back. :"
"Backl wheres' Mrs. Glare asked,
but was abashed by the reply.
"Shure. an is it lave me child for
good I'd be doinr'
Gertrude burst into tears Her long
fainting at had confused her, and she
now reproached herself bitterly.
"Ah, how could I let you'll And you
whom I've often looked down onl Why
didn't you leave me instead?''
"Ye're . woman yersel', 4" said Mary
gently. "An could ye be afther lawn
feller woman now to the marcy o.
thin black divils? AS to the boy, acush-
Ia, " her plain features working unre.
strainedly with the sorrow she tried not
to express in words, wasn't IL betther
to lave him awhile, an he slaping like
an angel in me ould cloak, that's for
ahll the world tho color o. the groun?
Shure, / TUX him to the font meself
afore liver we left Calcutta, as is more
than liver ye've been afther doin fer
yours, I'll be bound, the purity wee
craythuri So I'd the clane right to say
to our blessed Lord, It's We he belongs
to now, 80 take care Of him till I'm
comm back, for it's meself is takin care
of poor unbelavin sowl for we, said,
an where would that be ef didn't?"
"But Mary, Mary dear" cried Mrs.
Glare, weeping more freely for the girl q
simplicity and confidence, don't &c
now. It will be only throwing away
your own life, and il they have discov-
cred him--oh, please God, they have
notl--it will be too late. too late to save
Don't Mnryi The Sixth will be here a
few hours hence, and then we will GO
back together under good guard and
search for him, and he shall never want
for anything again IL Gun help IT, or
you either. Only stayp'
But Mary shook her rough head dog
gedly.
''I could thrust him above TO help me
when I was thryin to help him" she
said, "but ef twas carin for meself
was--an shure anyhow is IL could sit
here an me purity. bright eyed boy,
Jim's one bairn, tugging at me heart
strings a. the while?"
And yet It was with stern, beauti'
ful patience that she delayed another
10 minutes to feed MIRA Clare's tiny in.
FAINT, which had Weakened, crying with 8
hunger which was no longer warded of
by rapid movement. and which its poor
young mother had no power to relieve.
Then, her work Of charity completed,
the private's wife gave the babe back te
its mother, and cautioning the latter tC
keep we'll within shelter till she saw
relief ct hand and undaunted by the
growing heat Of the sun, her terrible
fatigue and bleeding feet, untroublet
even by the almost certain prospect ol
discovery, she sailed forth on the return
search for her child
Left alone the hours passed wearily
with the Officers wife She was worr
ont with fatigue and agitation. Sh'
was faint with hunger. and do what sh'
would her child walled and fretted.