The Dickinson press., 1894-09-08
CHAPTER III.
Dicks ~COnfensiOn.

~ AOVC avn ASA ! W SLlIttUVT
this dangerous passion, knowing it
could lead to nothing, for was it possi.
bic she would care to link her life
to that of a poor curate?
The danger was becoming greater ev-
cry day to my peace of mind. when
something occurred that changed the
aspect Of my calculations.
l had formed the friendship Of IL Mr..
Freeman. Il dissenting minister. We
We're both in sympathy with the trou-
bles of the w%orkingmen ut Timperley,
and l consented to preside at Il meeting
~ protest against the way they were
treated by the factory owners.
Steinhaldt of curse. heard of 1t, and
demonstrated. There We're hot words
between us, which ended in my resign.
ing the curacy. At the end Of the week
ION Friday night, l think) IL message
came to me when l was in bed, request
ing me to visit ut once Il man who was
dying-one of the sons of this interest
ing family. l dressed and went.
l heard sounds Of wailing and lamen-
tatiOn from the house before l entered,
l passed into the kitchen Il clean bright
room in which the mel of the family
sat smoking in various absorbed atti-
tudes, oppressed with silence and sleep.
One Of the women stopped over Il pan
on the fire, while the old mother in q
firm, clear voice directed the operations.
She turned to me. saying merely:
Hes up stairs. He wants bad to see
yo', but ut present he's leet i til ycd'
Digit in the hcad.)
Upstairs l found the dying man in
the smaller Of the two bedrooms-for
warmth. That sick-room. as it then aI-
pcared to me, will not easily be forgot
ten. At that dead hour of Eight, when
the very houses seemed asleep" and
eve the tall chimney Of the chemical
works had ceased to emit it's tinted Val
pors, the gas tlarcd full in the little
room. and six persons. men and women
were round the bed where the poor fell
low lay in the last extremity of delir-
iOus llelpleSSness. soaked in prespirl-
ton. Near him stood my fricn" Free
man. At the head Of the bed hung two
watches: oil the w~hitewasle,l wall tick
ed q loud Dutch clock. Over the bot
tom rail of the bed leaned the wife in
despair, moaning ut intervals in Il low
voice her husbands name. Behind her
was the mans sister preparing IL poul-
tice over the fire.
l learned in IL few fords from Free
man that the poor fellow had been
employed for years at the chemical
works. where he had contracted ulcera-
had stood in the doorway Of the crowd
ed church. and caught cold, and had
come home to the bed from which he
would never rise again.
While we spoke lie was seized with
4 fit Of violent delirium, in which he
had to be restrained from getting out
of bed. The women began to weep and
wall, and the old mother assembled from
the kitchen and adjured him pray,
Dick, pray" and then turned to us
with will noe O yo' parsons pray for
my lad? Soon he Gained down again
into Il more lucid interval. While he
lay speechless, and Il neighbor by the
bed kept moistening his dry, cracked
lips with a rag soaked in brandy and
water, he gazed around him, and ut last
fixed his eyes on me, and essayed to
speak-but no words came. This pros
tration and silence continued for some
time. Now and again the head Of the
family would ascend from the kitchen
lin his stockings. lest lie should make
a noise,) and stand in solemn silence
with inquiring eyes on his SON.; he
would stand SO still and retired that his
presence was forgotten till the gulp of
a big sob was heard, and the loose
back of his waistcoat was seen disap'
pearing round the door. At length the
son found speech.
Father" he said, when the old man
was about again to withdraw, "bide.'
He then signified that all the others
should leave the DON except Freeman
and myself. When they were gone he
motioned his father to his pillow. The
old man went.
"Ha'e you summat to say, Dick?"
He nodded. Mum 1 raise you upT"
He was raised and propped up with
pillows. He asked for q drink, and
was given some whisky and milk.
I'm a dying mon,' he began; So
know I am" His eyes glazed will
disease and want of sleep, turned wild
" about; his head dropped, and hi
damp, thin fingers (still discolored witt
dye) clawed the bedclothes. He re
sumed fixing his eyes on me-; II mus
confess summat; I hope God'll forgiv,
me. I had nought to do wi it; wha TO
should 1? He was aye good to me.
had nought to do wi it, 1 tell you.
mo, lad" said the father, to sooth'
him; ''thoo hadna."
"NNeel," said he, "dunnot say I had
because I had IN. Wasna I on the nigh
shift. That was all. l took JIM
place; he wanted to so whoam to wifi
i'm bed wi babby. That was it." H
muttercd on some other phrases, Will
he turned his eyes about as If lost
his recollection was. wandering. H
resumed with energy "They com
right in, speaking loud and angry. H
walks up to thing and lifts lid.
knowed it! says he. But yo' neddn
let a tn world know 1T! says TIL ithel
This shannot be-" says he"
l.. The poor fellow was growing terri
bly, excited; every word was uttere,
with fierce emphasis and wild gesture
his eyes were fixed or vacancy, and II
my reflex excitement, I fancied I say
the interior Of the colOr-shed, with 1t
vague tinted vapors. through whicl
doomed the figures Of two quarrelin
men, whom I tremblingly watched l
Imagination by the side of this dye
demon of the vat. The man grew q
excited and we were so engrossed wit
his revelation, that lie had risen to hi
knees in bed before we could proven
him. He continued his fierce disjoin'
ed u%tterances.
.Wemun ha' no more of it!' say
he. He leans over! All, Lord! i
wants to spill it! A-h-h!'
With a wild leap he was standing II
in bed and ficrcely Initiating the II
ton Of q man STOPPING and tipping G
throwing some heavy body. We wel
so transixed with surprise and hol
ror that we could not stir Il hand to r,
strain him. He looked like Il weir
corpse suddenly raised from the dea
to a grotesque galvanic life. VIVA
chiefly seized my attention was til
black shadow on the wall of this deli
ious figure thus stopping with hea
and hands outstretched. The incideI
lasted but a moment. and then til
poor man fell back on his pillows wit
distracted cries.
Murder! Oh. my God! murder! Al
I couldna speak! Nay, I couldna! Blu
I'd nought to do wi it;-nought"
Again Re lay exhausted. and his rel:
nves ana nelgnpors came back hui