The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-07

We shall be murdered IN our beds.
Then Josef drew down his mouth,
dropped his eyes and skunk away.
Things went from bad to worse; II
was rumored he often went hungry TO bed.
His old companions We're shy of the house.
AS he passed by on the street, the men
gave each other sly winks, and, with a
grin, pointed their thumbs behind his
back. The children took the cue from the
parents, Knocked him with fre-eater,' and
made wiry faces at him Some
times he would pass a+oneT whole en- DAYS iys
ground, face downward, like man
who had lost all heart. The Illusion was
went. 1t was cruel TO banter him so; but
to see this brave soldier so easily beaten
by woman was too much for the humor
of the village. Some, indeed, had pity for
him; the good wives called him, and gave
his choice bits on the sly. He deVoured
them like hungry beggar, shed tears of
gratitude and crept away.
1.-TWO years passed; Josef was quite sub
dued. That spring, an election took place
for town mayor, and the whole village was
at the town meeting. There were two can
didates and the support was equally divi-
ded. There was great excitement, high
words and bitter feeling. Trouble seemed
inevitable Finally a wag arose and pro-
posed the way out of the difficulty.
Gentlemen said he, the contest be-
tween the two nominees is so close that
neither can be elected without much ill
feeling on the part Of the friends of the
defeated candidate. We must preserve
the village peace. In this moment of su-
friend, when brother is against brother,
and when families are threatened with dis
ruption, to whom should we look but to
our old and faithful protector? l nomi-
nate, Mr.. Chairman, for the Office of may
or, no other than our esteemed and illus
trious fellow citizen, the Turk Fighter
zone shout of laughter broke out like a
crash of thunder. Everyone looked toward
the corner where poor Josef covered
Where is hep Whispered one. up there
by the door The word went buzzing
from mouth to mouth. The men half rails
ed themselves from the benches; the wO-
men stood up craned their necks into the
air; the children cried to be held aloft The
chairman raped for order, tried to look
grave, and gave it up. Poor Josef all
and fled from the hall. The crowd, left
alone, sobered up and, upon after thought
felt guilty in their consciences.
"A few days later, when the women
were busted in the kitchens and the men
were waiting for supper from the direc-
ton of the river suddenly there came a
womau's scream. In moment the whole
village IS in the street. It's the bandits
cried a terrified old woman. The women
shrieked, the men ran for their muskets
Someone led the way to the river bank
and the rest followed. Out upon the rock
with clenched fists, with gestures of fren-
~, raging like one of the furies was
Josefs wife Josef himself needless of
the cries, with folded arms and a grim
determination set in his face, was slowly
Some started for the boats near by.
The man is as mad as seven devils
they exclaimed. u
Back shouted Josef, with the au-
Why, man they burst out. have
you clean gone out of your wits?'
HE stopped; then he pointed to the wo-
man and said in a quiet, resolute voice:
She stays there until she is tanned
Then all at once it broke upon them.
II W3S JoserS long-expected stand against
the Turk. Some few applauded, others
gave the sympathy of silence and the
whole village stood watching to see how
il would end
After a time the woman's passion burn
ed itself out and she grew weak The peo-
was IN no danger and so they wasted TO
pity upon her. The birds circled overhead
in the air with faint twitterings; the light
began to fall. Yet her husband walked
up and down the shore, speechless, Al
last the woman grew quite still.
Moment after moment passed. The
impressiVenesg deepened; evervbodv
watched silent. as before a tragedy I'm
relenting, Josef still paced his watch. !
Slowly and unconsciously the woman
crouCled upon the rock as if TO hide her
self What did 1t all mean to her? These
gurgling waters around her that fnex0r9-
BE husband that inhuman crowd wafeb
ing her like some tormented beast A sud
den shudder passed over her; She looked
out into the distance, and all a once the
meaning broke upon her like a sudden
beam of light. She burst into tears nut
her face in her hands and sank down upon
the rock.
Someone now made a motion toward
the rescue. A woman's tears are irresis
tible eloquence
Stop cried Josef, angrily, or TIL
brain you as would a sheep They ali
shrank back before him. He stood alone
courageous, manly, and sane This was
the day OF his triumph
AT last the woman raised her face Il
was as piteous as a childs in distress
Josef she called falteringly across
the water, take me home
Had she been drowning he could not
have been quicker. They came back with |
out a word. She stepped out of the boat
took her husbands arm and hung her fac
from the crowd. Josef. before them ali
home. ~
They lived happily after that Josef
again grew industrious, left his cronies
and drink. and talked no more of tbe
Turks His wife became gentle and obe-
dent as good wife should be. and she !
filled her husband with ambition few
years after that he became the town
mayor.
That's the rock. out there. sir" said
the host ITS town ordinance thai |
shrews shall be put there. But our wives
are al good wives here; the mere threat is |
shrews In your country?"
A. E. Hancock