The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-28


: She tried eagerly enough now to
arouse him, but he slept heavily as If
fever had already drugged his veins
with its red poppy Juice. 1t ran its
course quickly. The last night she
watched by him the rain dripped slow
ly through the leaks in the roof. Now
and then came a gust of wind. Nathan
sat by the hearth and his wet coat and
hat, hung on a chair, dripped upon the
floor.
His eyes were fixed on the boy.
THAT mans dead" He spoke rough
ly. but he had not spoken to her before
for weeks. "Shot in battle"
Mandy started; her face quivered, as
If she were about to exp,ain-protest
But her husband was not looking at
her. Mandy understood the motive:
he was sorry for her-and for that. II
he had insulted her it would hare been
easier TO bear. Her face hardened
again, and she answered sullenly:
What do it matter? Nothing mat
ters. Hush, hush
For the child had begun to speak.
His mind wandered and he fancied
himself again on the ridge. His
mother, bending over him, could hear
him feebly initiate the guns ''boom,
boom" The land was so full of war
that even to this poor baby the wind
of death blew across old battlehelds.
Nathan's kin came to the funeral
Mandy's people lived further off
'cross the mounting"-and 1t was hard
to send a message through the federal
outposts. The men talked of crops and
of the late fights, of Hartman and
Bragg. They treated Nathan with
respect; William was the "best off, of
| the brothers, but Nathan was the old
| est 'Nathanrs wife" with her still
ness and reserve, impressed them with
| awe. William watched her closely and
took Nathan aside for talk as the
horses were being hitched to the big
wagon
Il don't like Mandy's looks, he said
'Taint natural fur a woman to be SO
still. She oughter hev change"
Nathan waited
Send her back with MS he urged,
''Morgan's men hev fairly tored up the
bridge, but there's a good ferry, and
Nancy'll be proper glad ter see her.
Let her stay a spell; it'll do her good,
an she'll come back spry ez ever"
Nathan turned away. ''She kin go
eff she pl,eases," he said, but when the
plan was preached to Mandy herself,
she woul d not hear OF it
The other women cried when they
left; Msrtdy's eyes were still dry and
hard.
PEARS like she couldn't forgive
providence, no how" said Aunt Jane
after they were out of sight
"Why. sister" seid William cheer
was inclined to shake off any further
responsibilities young enough
ter hey dozen mo- children"
Aunt Jane shook her head. Neither
she nor ary of the others had seen
signs of wl5t they would have called
falling out" but the whole atmos-
phere had been unnatural
It would have seemed still more so,
could she have seen Mandy after she
she cleaned the cabin, and mended
Nathan's Sunday coat and vest, and
various pairs of half-svorn socks. Then
she cooked supper, though it was an
hour or so before shutdown. Nathan,
coming in for an old bucket of tar
that stood in q corner of the shed, was
amazed. She took up her sunbopnet,
and as if by a flash, he OWNED her
meaning.
~ ina r0t COLL fAr 20
Once more she hesitated-
"''The child don't need me now" she
mur1nured. She was starving for
word of himself.
II dunno" he answered, slowly, "ef
he bnowed-it'd be kind o lonesome
fur the little feller'-he paused.
For the first time Mandy put her
hands before her face and wept.
! Things were not very different in
the next three or four years Nathan
did not talk; be had fallen into q
habit of silence, but he watched her;
he was restless If, by any chance. she
were away new thing; he even
tried to save her from rough work or
exposure to rough weather.
She needed care though she did not
say SO. a pain often came in her left
side, her breath was short, she had a
,cough- She was, however, not unhap-
lpy, for she began to suspect that Ma
than was fond Of her. Had he come
to think her innocent or-had he for
given her guilt? He gave no sign
either way.
One day she tried TO lift heavy log
lsrd tainted She was slowly regain
ing consciousness waen Nathan found
her, but her eyelids did not culver or
her lips move as he carried her in and
put her on the bed. He stopped down
and gave her a long kiss
Presently somebody was bathing
her forehead and rubbing her cold
hands. 1t stopped. for there was an
unfamiliar call outside.
Il can't rightly say she's noticed |
anything, doctor" said her husband |
Pears like she's too fur gone" The |
sentence broke abruptly as the speaker |
turned away.
The doctor found her weak and |
pale. but with dilated eyes ot |
ecstacy. Her faded lips wore a snil- |
ing rapture, for she stin felt her hus-
bands kiss. Il was Mandy's hour o. |
triumph-ouly-she was dyinF.-EIla /
T. Mosby, in Springfield GLASS BE
puhlca-
A Reason for His Pompesity-