Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-01-18


Daisy sprang to the ground, and,
timidly approaching 1.-THE spot where
Dumb Dick stood. She laid her hand
upon his wounded whist. It was as
cool and white as 1sno wAake upon
the hot, hairy hand; and he at once
surrendered to her will. Showing no
sign of fear or disgust, but with only
tender pity in her glance, Daisy exam.
ined the great hand, knotted and
clawed like the paw of wild beast.
She saw that, light though the wheel
OF the dogcart was, its iron tire had
cut the flesh nearly to the bone, and,
taking the white silk scarf from her
neck, she deity bound it round the
wounded wrist and stopped the bleed
ing.
By this time Frank was standing by
her eide.
"This isn't work for you. my dar.
ling" he said; 'Iet him 60 to the
nearest doctor. Here, Dick. he added.
'see how soon this will heal your cnt. :"
As he spoke he tossed half sovereign
on the ground ut Dumb Dicks feet,
slipped his hand through Daisy's arm
and dexterously lifted her back into
her seat. In another moment the cart
had been driven away.
Dumb Dick watched it until it was
hidden from view, and then he stopped
and picked up Franks half sovereign.
There was sudden fash of light
and tiny disc of gold went singing
through the air in the direction of the
wood.
Dumb Dicks next act WAS to tear
Daisy's white scarf from his wrist, and
then he walked away along the road,
marking his track with blood.
The fiery finger marks of autumn
no longer lit up the faded foliage of
the little wood; only a few brown
leaves chung to the skeleton branches
of the tree, the rest lay in rotting
heaps around the roots, fitting grave.
clothes for the dying ferns, till the
chills blasts should arise again and
scatter them abroad.
Approaching the same spot along
widely diverging paths came two
figures. the one tripping lightly and
the other sloughing along with slow,
limping strides. Though the method
of their advance was so different, the
rate of their progress was about equal,
and they met just at the point where
the two paths formed junction with
the main road.
Daisy, who had all along had her
eyes fixed upon the last visible point
of the steeply sloping main road,
looked up when she heard the shutting
footsteps, and, with start, recognized
Dumb Dick.
Dumb Dick, who had seen and
known the first Autter Of Daisy's dress
in the distance, now halted; and his
red eyes peered out strangely from
the tangled masses of hair which hung
over his face.
Daisy knew that Dumb Dick WAS
feared and Stunned by everybody,
and she was not a little startled at
finding herself alone with him. She
wished he would pass her; but ne
stood quite still, and seemed waiting
for her to speak.
'Is your hand better, Dick?" she
asked, touching her own wrist"
He seemed to understand. for he
thrust his hand clumsily forward. An
ugly. deformed md much knotted
hand it was, but, to her surprise,
Daisy noticed that it was now quite
clean, and its great clawlike nails had
been closely cut. Dumb Dick pointed
to a purple scar on his wrist with the
finger of his other hand, and Daisy
saw that this other finger was both
dirty and clawed.
She looked back at Dumb Dicks
blinking red eyes and smiled. Asingle
glance at that one clean hand, mis-.
shapen and ugly though it was, had
driven all fear from her heart. 1t was
as if the wing OF Ariel had suddenly
sprouted from the shoulder of Caliban,
and Miranda felt q strange throb OF
joy. for her woman's instinct told her
that she had some mysterious part in
bringing the first sign Of order into
this human chaos.
But bark the sound of q wildly gal.
Looping horse and the swift roll OF
wheels!
Daisy looked up the steep incline OF
the road, and saw that Frank and his
dogcart were in sight. But no smile
of joyful welcome appeared on her
face; she turned as pale as death,
clasped her hands in an involuntary
Of prayer, and cried out
sharply in her deadly fear. For her
first glimpse of Frank had shown her
that he was standing up in his cart,
swaying to and fro, and that although
he still held the tightly gathered reins,
be had lost all control of the bay,
which seemed to be rushing to newt.
able destruction.
Dumb Dick saw Franks peril, and
understood in an instant the catas.
trophe which must occur at the bot.
tom of the hill; and, Ainging his long
arms wildly above his head, he brote
forth into hideous cackle of laugh.
ter.
A new terror seized upon Daisy's
heart at the sound, but, with it new
thought entered her mind, and, with.
,ut hesitation, she laid her hands
upon Dumb Dicks arm and shook it
iercely.
''Save him, Dick! Save him !" she
,ried.
No sooner did her hand touch his
nm than he turned to look at her,
md, at the sight OF her pale and
.gonized face, his laughter ceased.
Then Dumb Dick responded to her
,all; he obediently leaped into the
middle of the road, and awaited the
,nrush of the terrified horse.
Nearer and nearer came the horse,
md Frank swayed more and more in
he cart, till at last he was so near
hat Daisy could see the terror in his
eyes. Then, with mighty leap,