The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08

Gods hand fresh on him. What did John
mean?
II he was possessed u was by some in
Nad overwhelming force of evil. some
outward thing not by any ekulking. de-
grading weakness, bred in the bone.
small wonder that poor Barbara : eX
/ ctent soul. sick with waiting, sprang
bl aless towards this man. and was
sWt up and absorbed in his enormous
Astounding fulness of life.
Even her Imagination DroOded restfully
on gently sweeping wings when jim was
near instead Of tearing for ever, madly at
her heart-strings. For finding its utter IN
capacity TO reach the rare nights, the
scaling of which would nave been mere
childs play to Jim Disney, it grew rea-
sonable for once, and meditated com1orta-
bly, on him from the valley
He was so simple and boyish in his ways
that we all grew young ANA buoyant even
in that house Of death. and his laugh was
better for US than old wine.
Johns pleasure in him was touching,
and the untiring way in which he worked
for John and waited on him was amazing.
He never seemed to be tired or depressed,
ana he had joke handy for every emer-
gency.
l wondered sometime if Barbara knew
that her prettiness was turning hourly, in
JIM Vivifying nearncss, to marvellous
thing of beauty. john did, and it was
one more little ranking arrow in his poor
loving heart.
Was Jim Disney never tired. could he,
being human. hear much longer the strain
of his watching and service, in the cruel,
terrible heat? John could not bear much
longer the strain of his watching and ser
vice, in the cruel, terrible heat? John
could not bear much more, that was very
PLAIN to be seen.
Whom fbfg lpovyla4ro s1i1 eilaptIt in IN
all Of us one swooniug afternoon Bar
bara looked suddenly from John to Jim,
and CHASTITY horror crept into her eyes
and stayed there, growing daily. 1t was
generally some detail or another that
touched the girl. but no detail of which
l had any mortal conception could fling
SUCH anguish into any wOman's eyes odd
ly enough, it increased her beauty four
fold Barbara was made for tragedy.
IN tell you what is is, said John one
day, with the fearful all-seeing acuteness
of the dying, its the thought Of Jim's
making my coffin"
What" l nearly screamed
You see in the great heat, and in the
Back Blocks" he explained. gently. I'VE
have 20 think and make provision for
these things. There is some embarrass-
ment attending them too. We can't or
der consignment of collins in case of
emergencies as we do Of other stores
Il
restlessness of her misery down into the
carpenters shop, where l was making its
little coffin you see ! wouldn't let any
one else touch it. Men are different from
women, l suppose, for it seemed so aw-
full to Barbara that it nearly finished her
She fell insensible among the shavings
and chips, and when l got her back l
thought she must have gone mad"
lie stopped short, and to my dying day
l will not forget his eyes; there was no
beauty in Johns pain, as there was in
Barbaras there was only naked for a
moment to human eyes a poor, patient
bleeding heart. 1 could say nothing NV
tongue Glove to the roof of my mouth, my
tears were all burnt up.
She's right he began again. ut
would be hideous thing for him to make
my coffin. The remembrances Of the hor-
ror of it would never leave her 1t would
haunt her. And yet l can't send off and
get one now, she would be sure to find
out.
1T is an annoying sort of perplexity,"
he said, tiredly. Il am too beastiy feath-
er-brained to tackle 1t just now. Just give
me those drops, dear. 1 must Nave a
sleep, whatever happens"
l came out to find Jim in the veranda
alone.
Lie down." he said, putting me into
a long chaif as Il were q child. where's
Barbara" / said. FsSg..7F
'Of on the warpath in the back
premises. flight of winged ants has
landed in the soup for dinner. Poor girl,
II she had just the merest glimmer of a
sense of humor,"
Good gracious! How could you expect
it of a girl with exactly two points of
view; from a pinnacle, through haze
of blue distance, and from two inches
above the table, with her eye screwed to
a microscope"
ut was a horrid joke of fate to bring
her into this crude muddle of beginnings
down to this bedrock of raw details"
In any quarter of the globe she would
have had to look at man anyway as a de-
tail, more or less, once she became his
owner"
Jim laughed and went on to bring me
back an armful of pillows. l watched him
up the veranda and back again, and let
him make me hissfully comfortable with
sleepy pleasure; he was so soothing and
steadying to the nerves, and never tired
That night when / got up 70 do my four
hours watchiDg-we arranged 1t now in
this way Jim was leaning with bowed
head against the wall near my door that
opened on the veranda. | ran to him and
caught his hands. terrified.
John" ! gasped.
No. he said in a harsh, strange voice,
tits me this time You're not wanted yet
Come here" He pulled me round the cor
ner and put me down on a seat He look
ed terrible cowed defeated, hunted, and
worse than all, humble.
How dared our Jim look humble how
dared he / thought, shaking with fear;
1t was a slight, a blow to us all, and We
so proud of him.
you know all about me-" he said. with
averted eyes. John told me, | thought
thought honestly l had got over every
thing-could trust myself anywhere-in
every way However. you'll have to help
me now. Barbara poor child, knows moth
ing You'll have to give me anything like
strong soup, with tons Of red pepper in it,
and Worcestershire sauce and any other
hot poison you can get hold Of, and you
must mako me take the stuff often into
the bargain. / am a beast. a fiend a ma
Mac when ] break loose, and John mustn't
know as long as he and all of you want
me-"
Poor Jim" / cried. I'VE have been
selfish. we have let you wear yourself out.
it's only that you're tired to death. ] feel
often inst like Won - 49, .,,tieous heat"
Thanks be Co God. Mrs. CRANKY" he
said, shuddering you haven't a notion
how feel. Come and get me some OF