Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-21
TEE INCONSISTENCIES DREAM.
By MATT GRIM,
AUTHOR OF THE ADVENTURES OF FAIR
REBEL.

run down to the 'stil'ry an tell Eph.'
Samantha rubbed her sleepy eyes
open, staring up at her sister-in-lax
quite vacantly for a moment.
'Whatd you say. Lizzy?'
''Eddy's sick, an can't leave him.
He has high fever, an is calm for his
pa. Run, S'manthy. quick as you can.
Here's your clothes, an wrap my shawl
round you"
Samantha sat up on the side of the
bed still half dazed, but reaching me-
chemically for her dress. She occupied
little shed room opening out of the
main room of the cabin, and the cold
/ wind crept up through the cracks in
{ the bare board floor.
81 wants my pa, where's my pa?"
fretted child's voice
There, there, honey, he'll come in
minute" soothed his mother.
/ Samantha was about in an instant,
the last vapor of sleep blown away by
the breath of that childish treble. Her
/ teeth chartered little as she dressed,
/ CROPPING around with no other light to
aid her than the one shining through
/ the doorway from the fireplace in the
/ outer room.
Put ON anuther light God knot,
/ Lizzy," she called.
why don't you come out here where
it's warmer?" was Lizzy's reply, but
she thrust the rich pine under the logs
! and stirred up Il brilliant blaze. She
was q tall. sallowfaccd young woman,
with STOPPING shoulders and mclan-
| choly eyes, IL direct contrast to her sis
| ter-in-law, who was short and rosy
and laughter-loving.
"Now don't you be pestcred, Lizzy.
| Eddy amt goin' to be bad sick. know"
| said Samantha, hopefully, as she came
out of her little room fiinging a shawl
over her head. Hes just a little
crampy an feverish. He al'ays is when
he takes cold. Eph'l come right up,
and then Eddy'n be all right. Won't
you, honey?' CHANGING over her Shout
! der to the bed.
The little boy turned restlessly on
! his pillow, moaning softly.
II tell you. S'manthy, he amt TUX
like he usually is whispered Lizzy.
st pears to me we orter have doctor
right now l know I'm alays scared
plum to death nearly when anything
| gets the matter with Eddy; but you'd
be. too, if he was the only one you
had" She turned away, wiping her
| eyes on her dress sleeve.
Il amt blamin' you, Lizzy."
She went to the bed and bent over
the sleeping child for an instant, listen
| ing to his breathing and laying light
| ginger on his pulse. The doctor lived
| i've miles away down in the town, SO it
behoovcd the people of the mountains
/ 20 know something about sickness and
| to exercise Judgment. Samantha
stepped out into the icy stiffness of the
| night, with 4 feeling Of anxiety tug
/ cling at her own heart. She debated
! whether it would not be wiser to sad
! die the mule and ride down to the dis
I tillery, as Eph could then go direct to
/ the doctor; but she decided to let her
brother see the child himself first.
! we air all plum fools bout Eddy,
| an reckon git slldered at mighty nigh
nothin'. I'll let Eph judge for hissclf."
She stepped out brislsly and fearlessly,
| gathering the shawl closely about her
/ head and shoulders, for the night was
/ bitter cold with a light powdcring of
/ snow upon the ground. Icicles snapped
noisily under her feet, her breath
/ made frosty cloud about her face.
/ The wind had risen, for high above
/ that frozen silence of the earth the
| ragged clouds flew stormily. Now and
a.. Il, Il
rent, illuminating mountain peak and
ravine with its cold white light, but
only momcntarily.
The little cabin was perchcd away
up on the side OF Brandreth's peak
| in sheltcring cove, and Saman-
/ tha's way led her across the clearing
where the naked corn stalks of last
years crop yet stood in blacliened
rows, and half down ravine half
chol1ed with laurel. Half way down
/ the side of the declivity well defined
path had been beaten out, and to this
the girl kept, treading carefully along
/ its slippery surface for fear of falling.
The tricl1ling murmur of little stream
came up from the depths of the hol-
| low, now and then bird scared from
| it's roost flew through the naked
! branches of the trees, or some small
/ four-footed beast ran across the path
way. OF these sights or sounds Sa-
mantha had no fear. 1t was not the first
/ time she had been to the distillery
after nightfall. But her ears were
keen to distinguish sound, and the ele-
ment Of danger always lurking in the
air for the moonshiner and all those
connected with him had sharpcned
Samantha's wits beyond the ordinary.
Still, she did not fear danger that
night until she came to turn in the
path where it shelved down very rap
idly toward the bottom of the ravine,
and found herself, without warning,
within few feet of a group of men.
They were standing as motionless and
noiseless as the trees, and after draw
ing one sharp breath of surprise and
/ tremor, she also came to q standstill.
trying to shield herself behind shrub
of laurel. The moon was hidden by
the clouds. and she couldn't tell