Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-15

hugged 1t to her hearb Kill my baby? the
TR 3e thing ng,t that ,6o holds this farce called
precious and let .youl5 Betty eyes tell her
that you don't believeis the foul SANDER
Louie! Oh, my darling, Just one little look
or mammals heart will hteak"
The tender, agonized : tones seemed to
pierce the deadened hsafing, for the heavy
white lids swept up from the big brown
eyes SO like his motf9rt A smile of inef-
features. then, with q long. Nuttering sigh
and an almost imperceptible thrill. the little
form form stsaightsned outnl her arms and the
Instead of the outbarsf of frenzied grief
naturally expected. the mother stood gazing
at the lifeless form, and the doctor saw
steal over her countehance an expression of
peaceful RESIGNATION that he could not com
prehend. Without sob or moan the great
tears that gathered in her eyes dropped on
the dead baby's face Alarmed at last he
touched her, and she responded instantly
You may take him now, doctor; he will
never need mamma again. Where his little
feet row wander she cannot guide them
Hunger and cold cannot reach him, and
there shall be no more pain-except for me-"
she murmured drearily, as she pressed a
long kiss on the still smiling mouth; then
she laid the child in the doctors arms.
He Strengthened the little form out upon
the piano. and turning to Mrs. White, the
landlady who had just come in, followed
by two or three women. he babe them array
the child for burial LAS the month was
June and the weather oppressively hot, he
felt the necessity for haste. Before leaving,
however. he drew the landlady to one side
and asked her what she knew Of the wo-
man. She replied that she had asked her
70 questions.
She was a woman and in trouble, and I
didn't heed to know nothing more" was her
sturdy response. 1t was enough. Western
etiquette never questioned the unfortunate
never attempted to analyze grief. They
were drafts honored on sight. Fraud was
,.afi r,pC vro hut u-ac tor
hospitality argued that 1t was better to lend
the helping hand to ten impostors than to
risk passing, like the Levite on the other
side of one deserving of succor. Blasting
winds and consuming drouth often devas-
tate and destroy the result of whole year s
labor, Texas fever kills the cattle and the
scab lays low the sheep profits, but the milk
of human kindness instead of souring seems
to raiSe purer and richer cream than ever
for the viciSsitudeS through which the tried
hearts pass. The doctor knew that in Mrs.
Whites house the desolate stranger would
find shelter and telling her that he would
make all the burial arrangements, he left
the Long Horn on his errand. Being him
self the coroner and law to himself. he
felt that an inquest was unnecessary.
Just across the street from the Long
Horn was the one saloon in the town, kept
by an Irishman, Dennis O'Brian. OBrian
was one of those characters peculiar to the
west, between whom and his former life
everybody knew a stone wall had been
dropped The whyfor nobody questioned.
Nobody really cared to know. And then
safety lay ON the side Of silence because
OBrian was quick and true at the trigger.
Nobody knew that he had any notches on
his gun barrel, and certainly he had never
evinced any bloodthirsty designs In his few
n onthc' residence in the obscure frontier
COW town; but on the few occasions when
he was matched with the crack shots his
steady hand and unerring aim had dis
played skill beyond the best Of them. He
was a saloon keeper, but so far as correct
ne IS of habits was concerned ne might nave
been Sunday school superintendent. he
was strictly temperate and never played
any Of the games Of chance that were on
night and day In the Round Up. He never
had been known to touch tobacco IN any
form. and his language was absolutely free
of profane or slang embellishments. He
was a big handsome fellow, with the face
of man not yet in middle age. and his
mouth expressive as ESma an str,n shaded can
trast with the masses Of waving snow
white hair above dark eyes, in which a sor-
row seemed ever present Children adored
him. and theirs was the only companionship
he ever sought With men and women he
was generally reserved, though always gen.
ial and companionable To a certain limit.
1t was in the bar room of the saloon own
ed by O'Brian, which was always tuil OF
loafers, that the doctor made his way. He
was overwhelmed with questions.
HAS the kid shores enough gone over the
range. doc? ?" asked Vaauero Jack.
Yes; the child is out Of its misery"
"Dye reckon 1t Were maverick" called
glass and ordered more IN the same"
IT don't know. Dave and I know you
loved the child whether born In or out of
wedlock. 1t is dead. its mother pennies
Who will help her in her hour OF trouble?"
Poker Dave lowered his half emptied glass
and dashing the remainder of the beer on
the floor dropped a gold dollar in the drip
ping receptacle.
II amt very flush, pards. This here's
'relict of other days as poets stacks 1t up.
but the perceedin's been somewhat sudden.
1 amt no chance to draw on my bank ac-
count. Here you sots. chip in!' and he
pa ssed the beer mug around the room.
They "chipped in" right royalty. Gold. sill
yer and greenbacks. not one In the crowd
failed to add his mite. The last piece laid
on the heaped up pile was silver dollar,
old. denied and black. and had a big hole In
1t.
ITS shore all 1 got. pards." said BIO.
flushing. strangely, as Poker Dave held 1t
up gingerly between his fingers. and the
boys set up the laugh.
At reckon 1t amt much good. but 1t he'ps
all the same. live he'd 1t a mighty long
SPELLS what makes it SO black. 1 don't
spose you all'll believe me. but had a wife
cnce, back on earth, IA real good woman,
an a kid got big mum to call me daddy. It's
a fact pards," he said earnestly. as he saw
the incredulous looks about him, "an' tibet
lid cut his teeth on this here cart wheel
Him an his ma is planted in the same grave
long Of the fever. 1 kinder keep the tin
long of the kid. I wouldn't never stake 1t
ner change 1t fer iikker. cause ever time I'd
tech 1t I'd see the little kids purity face,
and 1t seems like a part of him. Butch.
well, faint no Use to go on keepin 1t, and
BIO dashed out doors, where nobody would
gee his tears.
Nobody said anything, but Cactus Bill
took the bent, blackened coin from Dawes
fingers and a shining yellow half eagle took
Its place in the glass. A day or two later
the doctor stumbled over BIO in a drunken
stupor in the shade Of the saloon, and hang
ing over his heart from a leather string was
a silver dollar full of dents. as though made
by chld's first teeth
When the glass would hold no more, Dave
poured the princely collection into the doc
tors hat. and cabinet worker, who was
deep in the mysteries Of game Of draw"
flung his cards aside and offered to make a
coffin O'Brian stood in his billiard room
door looking up at the parlor windows of
the Long Horn. and mechanically added
gold double eagle to the pile in the doctors
hat. He could see the little form stretched
out on the piano, and he could see, too, the
bowed head of the mother, as she sat mo-
tionless beside her dead. The utter desola-
ton of the mourner touched him.
Come, boys, vamoose' he said, perempto-
rily, turning on the crowd
"Beln' as this air onreg'la an permiscus
sudden appints myself investigator COM
mittee to enquire Why for Won eyicts this