The morning call., 1895-01-06

bly, broken off by some hunter as he
.crawled through yOnder dividing fence be-
tween the two ranches. Harold always
carried a length OF balerope on his tramps,
and it would only take few moments,
Just then be espied IA bbit hopping along
a freshly plowed furrow, and ali thought
of fixing the drain was driven from his
mind.
Pm tell Mr.. Graham about it," he said
as be ran. Hes blowing just over the
Hill now. I'4l see him on nv way back. :"
The cottODtail doubled on his tracks,
and. not seeing Harold. dashed into the
tangle along the canyons edge. Harold
fired hastily, but-aD unusual thing for
him-fRiled to hit his intended victim,
WIN disappeared in the der0rush,
while the boy went on up the canyon.
He did not dream (hOw could he? that a
large proportion of his scattering charge
of hirdshot had found lOdgment in the
head and shoulder of a mnskrat that an
important engagement had brought un-
wOntedly out by daylight. The little fell
low was hurrying hOmeward as fast as he
could travel, when his progress was thus
rudaly checked. and from a happy. home
going sleek muskTat he was changed TO
kicking, struggling, agOnlZed mass OF
blood stained fur.
He was not killed outright, only awfully
wounded, and. plunging blindly about for
a few minutes, found himself opposite the
upper end of the broken dTaln-plpe. 1t
looked cool and dark and inviting. so be
crawled into the opening, dragging his
wounded body a short distance up its
moist length, and then he died.
AS for Harold, going home by way of
the canyon, he did not meet Mr.. Graham
plowing on the side hill, and in fact he
never again remembered the broken drain.
Little Bess seems feverish tonight"
(N-r
the wee one mp for the night. "Can the
child have taken cold when we have been
so careful?"
Little Bess was the only child this
mlddle-aged couple had left 10 them.
Four others lay asleep under the swirling
autumn leaves In a city cemetery "back
East" and 20 save this one from the dread
scourge OF consumption they had come to
California and builded them a house Oh
the sunny mOuntainside, Just IN sight of
Oakland. They only lived to care for Bess.
and it seemed as if their very lives were
knit up with this frail seven-year-0ld life
that they were watching so eagerly. en-
deavoring to anticipate It's every want and
10 surround it with every care that might
avert danger.
1t had been a rainy week, right after
Harnld's days hunting, and BesS had been
carefully kept indoors.
HAS she been out in the rain?" asked
their darlng's crib.
mo; she has been right in the kitchen
all day, helping Sing as she calls it, and
the kitchen has been warm. Sing was
ironing. Ard. by the way. john" Mrs.
Graham added. 'Sing says there is some
thing wrong with the sink. There really
comes a dreadful smell up the vent. We
kept water running from the faucet all
day to flush the pipes, but It doesn't seem
to do much good"
"I'll look after the drain in the morn
ing" Mr.. Graham said. Something may
have gone wrong with il. | don't exactly
like The idea of that exposed fume running
through the pasture, but it seems to be
she general method Of drainage out here"
aud the pair again fell to discussing
Bessie's symptoms and making plans,
almost against hope it seemed to them, for
the future.
The next day Bessie was no better, but
neither, on the other hand, did she seem
worse. The kitchen sink was. however.
in an Enthusiastically bad condition. Sing,
the Chinese kitchen-man, and Mr.. Graham
unscFewed the protector over the vent
pipe aud poured large quantities OF scad-
iDg-boi solution of chloride of lime down
the opening. Then Mr.. Graham followed
the line of the drain where 1t went, now
over now under ground, until he came to
the break and found big pool OF chloride
Of lime solution soaking into the ground.
ABR be caid: $50 here was the dill
Guilty." and be proceeded at once 10 repair
the breach, but be never thought OF look
log up the drain and the mnskrat was un-
disturbed. Still matters were better in the
mouse, although strong smell of chloride
OF lime pervaded the rooms for some tine.
But little Bessie did not get better. The
doctor came. listened at her little chest
WIN queer instrument that he called