The herald., 1896-12-13

"Wunst that same sound, an the very
thought NV it made us both feel happy
an contented on account Nv the paist
days 1t brung back. But then a time
come when it got to be reminder OF
somethin' 1 CANT nohow bear to think
about. Fust we wuz married when the
whipporwill wuz singin', but it's voice
has changed mighty sence them days.
When our Bess wuZ born'd it wuz the
same time NV the year. The grass wuz
gittin' fine an green, an the corn an
garden truck wuz all a-sproutin' as
promisin' fer good year as l ever seed.
I recollect mighty we'll how the moon
come UP a-peepin' over the big trees
back of the paister, kind O. skeered like,
as eff it wuz intrudin' on somethln
sakered; but drivin' the shadders back
furder an furder towards itself; an
how the stars twinkled as eff they wuz
proud to be a-shinin' when such brlgnt
little un wuz goin to hep EN- light up
the world. a ole Mhipporewill, too, wuz
gon' it fer all he wuZ worth down by the
creek, an the creek itself seemed to lalf
as it gurgled along under the foot-log,
paist the stable and milk house"
The speaker now seemed to be talking
to himself rather than to his audience.
"As all mater perdicted that night"
he went on, after brief pause, "Bess-.
we named her for her mother--growed
lovin' ways But when she wuz 19 or So
an ME n her maw-though / Wuz most
to blame--crossed the pore gal in love
match an put the fust pain in her
heart. We honestly thought the feller
wuz plum wutllless chap, though, an
didn't take the trouble we ought to
a-took to- find out about him, en- wuz
wrong Old folks is purity blind some
times an / reckon we couldn't see as
we ought a-seed then. Bess aloped ln
left me with a heart that wuz as hard an
onfeelin' as a rock. an her mother with
one that Wuz broke clean In two, guess,
the way she took on.
"I wouldn't listen to anything like for
givefiess er takin' Bess back agi'n,
though she begged awful, plead!n'
more n wunst in letters that | don't now
see how ]. could a-read 'thout havin' my
feelin's touched. Her mother cried an
prayed~to git me to give in, but l
wouldn't. An why the Lord didn't
strike me dead then ] can't make out,
onless he wanted to punish me harder
by lettin' me live an suffer.
"Jes' twelve months from the time
Bess went away she come back by her.
self the man she married havin' died in
a 'j'inin' county. But she wuzn't the
same Bess no more. Only pore, sick
critter a-seekin' forgiveness an shelter.
When l seed the white face an them big,
pleadin' eyes Nv hern. so full NV love an
goodness, my hard ole heart got power
full soft an, tender, and it come my turn
to cry an ak forgiveness fer the wrong
1 had done. 1t wuz too late, though, to
do me much good, but do hope it he'ped
Bess.
"That night, as the ole creek gurgled
on, another Bess wuz born'd, an our ba-
by NV twenty year afore, a-holdin' NV
our hans an a-lookin- at us with her
blessed sweet eyes, sendin' out a light
that made better man Nv me, I am In
hopes, aixed us to keep an love the new
little un fer its mothers sake, an
paissed to better lan's."
The low, husky voice of the speaker
ceased and the silence was unbroken,
save for low sob of anguish now and
then, the weird song of the whippoorwill,
and the distant groaning of the windmill.
Mr.. DeCoin glanced at his companion
as If he expected her to make some
remark that would break the oppressive
stiffness, but the lips of the widow were
firmly closed and her eyes stared
straight at a post in front Of her. She
had discovered a suggestion of sadness
In the monotone Of the NIGHT h'rd .