The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, AUGUST S, 1897.

bye. however You've got to stay where
yo:. are"
Poor John. poor i'm. and Barbara the
poorest Of all, l thought. WHAT has God
In store for the three of you this Christ
mas day in the way of peace and good
WiI2
When Barbara's turn to rest came
took her place. John told me that his
ears ached with listening and his eyes
with watching.
Shows, too, what fool I was he add
ed "as if Jim Wouldnt time he coming
of that machine when Barbara should be
asleep. 1t will come in your watch, Of
course"
We waited for an hour, for two for
three, but there was no sign. John took
my hand in his clammy. trembling fingers
and l could hear his painfully-held breath
and the low gurglng in his throat. could
see his fearful eyes peering out into the
night. ] turned to say a little prayer, but
by brain reeled. I could think Of no words,
or feel as if there were any God to hear
them even if l could. Then, just as the
day was breaking, we heard a rumbing,
a slow distant rumblng as of a heavy
body over the sun-cracked earth. 1t had
not the steady advancing sound it should
have had. There was an uncertain vacil-
lat.ng tone in it.
Margaret. run out" cried John, eX-
citesly, there's something queer"
/ plunged down the short cut through
the garden out into the track. The wag-
on was coming on in a sleepy, swaying,
drunken fashion, and ] couldn't see sign
of a man driving ii. 1 flew on. AS soon
as the horse saw me he gave a whine of
relief, and put his nose into my hand.
Nothing was to be seen but the top of the
coffin. with the great brass nails shining
out through the gray of the dawn. There
eyifr
token.
/ climbed up by the shafts in abject tex
ror of the great black thing. When l got
into the wagon I stepped on some Shiny
cold thing and fell, and when picked
myself up my white dress and my fingers
were Shiny and stained purple In that
gray light. l leaned against the coffin to
gather my senses. Then 1 CROPPED round
it, and at the head, huddled up Imply, but
still clinging to one rein, lay Jim. / stoop-
ed and felt him. He was warm still and
breathing.
I'm alive" he whispered. THAT bridge
has broken down: there was no other
crossing no time to go back, and the fell
low took my horse to go for help. Couldn't
wait-accident-blood's from the lungs
got home somehow-anyway can't ex-
plain. Prepare John. Get her safe, out
of the way, and bring me to him" He
could tell us no more than that he brought
the comm across IQdL ydWnll2 river DeQ
alone and unaided with two horses. How
he got hurt, or kept himself alive after
the hurt, or even got into the wagon, in
his mortal pain, and drove, no one but
God will ever know, for II all happened
after the man had ridden off for help. 1t
would need two more men and a couple
of bullocks to get the traps across such
a place, he said, but Jim, 1 found after
wards from himself, knew that unless he
did get across at once he would be too
late, so as soon as the man was out of
sight he attempted the passage alone
There was an upset after that. He could
tell us nothing more, coherently.
He was right as to time, however When
the man did come at last, distracted at
finding neither wagon nor its contents
both Jim and John had been buried more
than half day-John in the place of hon
or in the coffin.
We put Jim on a high, long, straight
wooden seat, a form they called it, and
placed it beside Johns bed. The others
went out; 1 stayed because they asked me
to stay.
John" said Jim, 81 want to tell YOU
that | never wronged you, even in
thought. She was as sacred to me as if
she had been a carved saint"
But l knew that" said John. in sim
pie surprise.
DO you know that all our trouble was
for nothing" went on Jim. "The devil
sevenfold strong came back to me on
Thursday night, and only for Margaret
there, I'd have gone under to the rascal"
Somehow John HAD not seemed TO realize
that Jim was a doomed man, but this
aroused him from his own dying He
started forward with awful eyes
My God, Jim! l thought we'd cured
you. My God in hea--'' He fell back with
dropped jaw. thought-but he came
back to US.
You wouldn't have married her" he
said, after rest. looking wistfuly at
Jim.
God knows" said Jim family, what
wouldn't have done"
Il had looked forward to this day." said
John, with an odd womanish look at Jim.
Il made sure somehow it would bring us
all peace and goodwill. Has God forgot
ten us here in the Back Blocks?"
Good God, mani" said Jim, in his fad
ing voice. have we-the three of us
ever been nearer peace and good will in
our lives than we are this minute? God
fulfils Himself in many ways" he added,
with an echo of his own boysh laugh.
She" began John, but he broke off.
well, two men having failed her. per-
haps she'll think to ask God to stand by
her now. l have notion somehow she
will"
Il wonder" said John, could the great
thirst in her have had anything to do with
pCN VI NcNiSNf hiihAiOWh " herself
Il believe" said Jim, painfully, that
modern womens thirst have a darn sight
more TO do with God than they have a no.
ton Of Lord wouldn't they swear If you
told them So" His voice was growing
very slow and thick and his ewes were
glazing. Get me away" he said. IT'S
near her time for coming out"
(The Enid
FOUNTAINS OF GOLD.