The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-24

1 A middle-aged woman with a pleasant,
comedy face. who lay back in her chair
tanning herself and rocking gently TO and
fro in the shadow of the veranda. AS the
eyes Of the Silent Man met hers, in
vacant, Withholding stare. she ceased
rocking and smiled, but not unkindly.
well. you're a pretty figure, anyhow"
she said
There was a pause. The Silent Man
Still looked at her. His hand still FUN
bled beneath his coat.
Seems to me as you've been dom a
bit of walking" continued the woman.
still smiling. And by 'pearance it's
been pretty rough. Are We hungry" she
inquired suddenly with a jerk.
The Silent Man said nothing. The
woman recommended her rocking, and
went on talking in her quiet. even voice:
IF so be, 1 s'pose / could give We
bite and a drop of ice water, and not
hurt myself
The man wetted his lips with his tongue
and spoke all at once, hoarsely, in
curious, gabbHng whisper.
rs there man living here-Spencer?'
he said.
The woman looked at him keenly.
''What has that got 10 do with you,
| anyhow? Are We a friend of Mr.. Spen-
! cer's?"
He started, and a sudden light came in
TO his fi.my, bloodshot eyes.
Then he does live here? ana
! friend or his.
What is that hand doing that works
nervous,y TO and fro beneath his coat?
That seems to be clutching something in
its grasp, yet never comes from his
breast?
The woman does not see it. She is
looking across the road at a patch Of
golden sunfiowers that grow il a hedge
opposite. When she turns again TO the
Silent Man the hand Is still.
well, Mr.. Spencer don't live here now
so you're just wrong" she answered with
some asperity, rocking herself a trifie
more energetically. and not much loss
either And If you're a friend of his,
don't envy YOU. not much. A man who
could go and leave his wife-or who was
a wife TO him, anyway, whatever she was
with a sick child and nary dollar in
the house, leave her and go clean off. he's
what I'd call a skunk See therer'
The man had TO moisten his lips again
before he could speak.
And she?" he muttered.
she? Dye mean Mrs. Spencer? Well,
she's dead, poor soul.
'Deadr'
He would have fallen but for the stem
! Of the eucalyptus tree. He leaned against
! it,. shivering. His eyes gaZed dreamily at
| the sunshine in the r1ad-at the sun
| shine and the clump OF nodding sun
| flowers, and the white pinafore Of little
girl who was playing round their tall
| stalks. He even followed with his eyes
| the flight OF a scarlet butterfly, as IT
| fluttered quiveringly from flower to flow
/ er. 1t seemed as if his brain was numbed
| and unable TO think. Try as ne would,
| he could not think.
The woman looked at him compassion
ately.
I'm sorry If I've skeered YOU" she
/ said more gently. II just didn't know
as You were acquainted with Mrs. Spen-
| Ger. or I wouldn't have bluffed il out Ike
hot TpffH he any
| nd have had to come out all the same,
/ one word or one thousand. Maybe ye'd
| like a drink OF ice water" she added
| quickly. as she rose from her chair.
The man motioned TO her with his hand.
! II had fallen from his breast now.
mo. no." he whispered. Tell me
! how il was"
The thoughts were coming back to him
now-bleck evil thoughts. that he shud-
| dered vaguely 20 remember; thoughts Of
| what he had come there for: thoughts of
| how it had all ended with that woman's
word, "Deadr
You'd best have something for You
| do look real bad" the woman persisted.
! But there, if you won't, 1 s'poss you
| won't Well" she continued settling her
| her ample arms, i've said this yer Mr.
| Spencer was a skunk. and a, skunk he WAS
| TO herl And she was frlt Of him, down.
| right frit-couldn't abear Of him. far's
| hardly. she was that frit. We'll Sir, I
| told you that they had a child"-she was
getting loquaciOuS now, in her placid,
| droning manner and rocking herself with
a steady swing that seemed to stimulate
her cOnversatiOl-'any there was &
! child with them. though / never could
understand exactly whose twas and he
| was more Of q skunk to that child than
it's in the natur' Of man to be % his
| own, and the child was took sick with the
NfHnNn e hon INN4H 4
| Sick as sick the child was. poor little
| mortal! And then Mrs. Spencer conc out
| come out pretty strong, too. L hadn't
| had much of notion of her while the
man was with her-I don't mind confcssin'
with her dolly face and fool ways and
! no more spirit than chipmuck: but when
| she come out as she did come out L kinder
| changed my ideas of her. Yes, Sir The
| way she nursed that child. and sat up
with her. day and night and Sundays and
workdays and neN err took no food SOS she
! could buy medicines for the child and got
| sick herself and didn't care. but went on
nuTSin' just the same-well, il was pretty
| strong! And I--yOu'd just rs well change
| your mind and have something" the
woman interposed earnestly, you're
| loolSin' that skeered."
The man shook his head irritably.
eco on"
"WeE. there amt much more to tell.
| She took the diphthery then, as / said,
| nurse her-cept what / did. and that
wasn't much-and she'd sorter taken the
| grit out Of herself with all the nursn' and
watchin and starvin' herself, and she
couldn't seem ter stand out against It.
| And so-she died. That's all
There was long pause. The woman
was very quiet. There was a CLEAN in her
| eyes. as she looked away across the sunny
| fields. as though tears We're standing there.
! The man still leaned against the stem OF
| the eucalyptus tree. twisting in his hands
| a fallen leaf that he had caught as it
| futtered down.
And the child?" he said at last Ibid
| she die?"
NO sir!' the woman answered, still
! very quietly, "she didn't die. | guess the
| nursln' saved her. When she come round"
| she continued presently, there was no one
/ left to take care Of her. If you understand;
| so me and my husban'. cOnsderln' the
/ lo1essOmaness of the poor little critter,
| kindly 'dOpted her, not having any Chi
dren OF our own. And she's settled down
/ with US just wonderful. It's real good to
have her. GOldie," she cried, come here,
| dearie,"
The man turned quickly. shaking with
| a strange spasmodic tremor.
Colder she called again softly
| Colder
The little girl who was playing in the
| hedge by the patch Of sunfiowers. rose
| and turned toward them. For an instant
she hesitated, shyly. wonderingiy; then
/ suddenly she stretched out her little
Il arms and fhefraO To RIM across the road