The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-02-15
A MIDNIGHT MIRAGE.


was done, and the clothes lay heaped on
the table in snowy piles still hot from
the iron. Ann Quinn drew chair up to
the little kitchen window that over
looked the river and sat down with
sigh Of pain, for her back ached. She
rested her chin in her hand and stared
through the faint tracery Of familiar OBJ
jects ON the glass to the water beyond,
lying dark and glossy under the stars.
81 wonder if Mis- Niles wants that
Clipped beef for breakfast" thought
Ann Quinn, for she was both cook and
laundress Guess I'll fry them cold
potatoes left from dinner, too" she con-
tinued. her eyes resting ON a farawsy
cluster Of electric lights that trembled
like diamond pendant.
Presently, as she sat there, the red
rim of the moon pushed itself up behind
some trees on the opposite shore. Ann
Quinn watched 1t rising, with a medita-
tive look. Its terrible red. Them lit
tie branches looks like they was drawn
ON it with pen. wonder what that
black thing in the water is IL she broke
off as feeler Of moonlight slipped
across the river to where something
black and long bobbed stiffly in the cur
rent. She shaded her eyes from the lamp
and pressed her face close to the glass.
"Looks like a man, she muttered. AS
she spoke the thing wheeled about and
began drifting in toward the stone
breakwater beneath the window. Slow
ly it drew near, the little moon sparks
dancing in its wake. 1t floated into the
shadow, and she strained her eyes in
vain to follow it.
"Guess I'll go to bed," she said, CIV
ing one more look into the darkness.
She did not go, though, for suddenly
she saw a lean hand thrust over the
breakwater, then another. and the next
moment the figure of man crawled out
ON the stone below her.
Ann Quinn started back, her heart
pumping like steam dredger, for she
heard the thick splash Of wet feet COM
ing up the steps, and she saw face
pressed against the window that she had
| Just quitted--a drawn face. yellow, pale
| as the handkerchief knotted about its
throat.
| "Let me in, Ann Quinn" said the
lips, though she heard no voice. LET
me i'll.
| She stood staring, her broad cheeks
| whittier than the plates ON the dresser be-
hind her, but shs did not move. The
man waited me ment; then he pushed
MP the sash and swung himself into the
room.
The lamp blinl ed and guttered in the
| draft, and door slammed. Ann Quinr
| uuiyered from head to foot. The mar
stood looking at iier with famished eyes
"a lifetime. whole lifetime" b'
whispered at last, and his voice sound
ed cold and empty as the echo in
vault
"Go awayr' cried Ann Quinn. "Ant
take your wet ha I'd off my ironing"
The man moved and stared at th'
piles of clothes on the table.
.'Did you do that?" he asked in low
voice "And are You tired"
"Yes, / did it, and am tired" sh
replied, stealing her way stealthily to
ward the door.
As she moved, her terror lent new
catlike grace to her awkward body. Sh
looked almost Ike another woman II
the swaying light-a woman with mar
row, wicked eyes and 1.-the motions
The man stepped quickly before the doc
and stood there, his clothes flooding tn
black river water ON her clean floor.
""And all this time you have worked
while 1 have had more, a thousan
times more, than could use. And W
have lived near each other here in tn
same city and never knew it," He Gov
cred his face with his hands and groan
ed. "Our sin--what was it that W
should reap such lonely years in punish
ment?" Then he moved toward her, hi
arms outstretched: my love, my los
Lowell Give me one kiss, my first sine
that other grave closed over us. T"
Ann Quinn gulped, and her hair ros
softly. "If you touch me, I'll kill you J
she said hoarsely, catching knife u
from the shelf behind her. The ma
seemed not to hear her; he grasped he
in his arms and crushed his mouth
hers, and his lips were wet and cold.
Ann Quinn leaped away from him an
buried the great knife in his heart. d
looked into her terrified eyes, and
shadow fell on his face.
"See," he said mournfully, "yo
have stabbed me-again; but this tim
it is to late"
She looked, and there was no bloc
gushing from that great slash-only I'll
drip, drip of the thick water. Then st
covered her face and prayed, for she sa'
that the man was dead.
There was long silence, broken b
the chime of clock in the house benin
them. The man shivered. IAN hor
more, dear God, only an hour more
he pleaded, and he wrung his hand
CRYING hurriedly: "How can l say it al
How can make her understand ID
seized Ann Quinil's arm and shook h'
fiercely.
"Remember, woman Try to remeiI
berl Have forgotten? Have 1 not live
alone-waiting-a and you never came!
She brushed her rough hand over h'
ewes. something stirred in her torpi
brain. As the summer lightning threa'
inc the sky, will show sudden pear
perspectiye Of unseen cloud mass the