The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-03-22

and run, which the DraVeSt, tney Say
will have in a moment of supreme dan
ger.
"The Lord help us!" groaned Dough
erty again, with a piety that was new
to him. "Sthand stiddy, bhoys! Vel
not see poor human critters in mucl
wuss throuble. I'll do the exphlainin'.'
Connolly seized Dougherty by the arm
and jerked him backward "Lool
a-therel" he whispered, excitedly. "Dc
We mind that, nowl See him!"
With the others Willet had paused ir
resolutely. Then he DULY raised his
head and saw his wife. A quick sob, and
he strobe forward, erect, both hands
outstretched. Klamath" he cried
brokenly; "Hannah!" 1t was the first
time he had spoken since the accident.
In pitiful attempt not TO understand
the woman glared wildly from one grief
stricken face to another, all the youth
ad happy good humor of her own looks
blotted out. Finally her glance met
her husbands and rested there. The
terror of apprehension faded from her
face, giving way before a compassion
that was divine in its self-forgetfulness,
that transformed her from the plain
wife of common workingman into the
very embodiment of tender, womanly
pity. To Willet she seemed by super
human intuition to have understood
everything. The only words that could
warm through the numbness around his
heart she spoke. The one phrase that
was ticking clocll-wise in his brain she
repeated aloud for him, and so took
away half of its torture "You had TO
see him die" was what she said. "Oh,
my poor man! my poor mani Little Jim
was drownded, and you couldn't save
him!"
"Give him to me-" she commanded
Connolly, holding out her arms for her
child. "Let him lay here on my
breast, like he did whin a slip of
baby. It'll make his fathers heart
easier to see him SOL
She gathered the body to her bosom
and she folded Connolly's coat more
tightly around it and began softly to
rub the shock of damp hair on the cold
little head. 1t should be dry. dry entire
ly, or it might do him hurt; his mother
wouldn't never let him stay cold like
that! No, she wouldn't never. poor
Jim, poor Jiml" she went on, still keep
ing up that instructive, motherly chat
ing of the child in her arms. "Poor
Jim! You had the hardest, Jiml 1
couldn't ha' been there an not killed
myself, forgetful of you. 1t was you as
brought him home. You came all that
cruel way TO bring him to me. Oh, Jim,
Jim darlin'!"
Her voice was less unnatural now; it
had dropped to a note of human dis
tress that was fast bringing her to full
of her pain. Tears, which
Willet was as yet unable to shed, rained
down her cheeks; but she was not con-
seious that she wept. The men began
to shuttle awkwardly away, muttering
their clumsy words of consolation.
They need not have taken the slightest
precaution in the manner of their GO
ing; neither Willet nor his wife re-
membered they had come, nor knew
when or how they left. Timidly Jim
drewnear and laid reverent fingers upon
sleeve. 1t was good to touch
her and feel that she was there. Under
her all-comprehending pity he was able
to speak and think once more. She
numanized him into himself.
Lay little Jim on his bed Hannah,
derlin'," he said, gently. "There
can't come no harm to him no more.
The rest of my days I'll have his call
l-ringin' in my ears. He was down by
he bridge, you know, where it's so
'haller an safe, an he a-splash:n' an
l-laughin'! Then he called; student.
harp. He drownded afore 1 got TO
lin. Oh, my God! afore I got TO
liml"
The woman shook herself free of. his
land and stepped back.
"Afore you got to him?" she re-
'eatedb in voice that was hushed in
cry wonder. Gle drownded afore
'ou got to him, an'-an' little Jim
alledt-little Jim called" She paused
or breath, then went on with an effort.
s If the breathing hurt her: ST thought
lrst that you had to see him die while
ou was tryin' to save him; but it wasn't
rue. He was there in the water. an
e called, an you couldn't get to Kim"
he dropped her face a moment over
he dead child. When she raised il. If
'as set, hard, pitiless. "a mothers
Get would ha' carried her." she whis-
cred onlyjust above her breath; "an'
e was mine the same as yours. You
t my boy die. never gave you no
ght to let my boy die"
Slowly, deliberately, she turned and
ltered the house. Willet stood where
le left him, motionless, staring straight
head. From the bridge at the foot of
ne hill the men gazed upward, watch
lg. They saw Hannah move, and
ougherty drew long breath of salts
Iction. TITS well wild 'em now, poor
lings," be announced, sagely. "The
ust is over. They bore it bravely, an,
icy stood by each other. Did We see
Nv Hannah took to comfortin' Jim
ON the first? You've got to leave
troubles to time, anyways; but praise
to all the saints an the angels of
DRY! the wust is over whin folks is
vim an sympathizin' enough to keen
Ich other up."-N. Y. Independent.