Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-21

Hc had setzed the pidl In ono hand and |
his tctfc's chin In the other.
wood and threw himself down on the
steep brink Of the river, where quick
motion, slipping foot, would end ALL
and she hurried again to sink down
gently in the long grass and the nod.
ding daisies beside him and lay her
hand on his arm and wonder in blind
way at the indifference of sky and wa
ter to her trouble. Then it was up
again and tramp away. She had no JOY
of the soft waning afternoon, whose
light she had many time before
thought like that which might shine
across the hills of heaven. She had not
seen the blaze of the sunset. She did
not feel tho coming of the purple, dewy
dark nor hear the wild lamenting Of
the whippoorwills, and when near mid
night, III the hard, cold shining moon,
they reached their own door she had no
other sensation than that she must walk
ON forever.
She lighted the lamp mechanically.
The fire in the stovo was not all gone,
and the broth she had left in the oven
was still warm. The doctor had said
she repeated to herself again, that he
must be made to eat. She poured him
out bowlful, and he took it ravenous.
ly, while she drank cupful herself
And he ate tho custard pie she put be-
fore him with no idea what it was he
ate, his wide and burning eyes red, it
seemed, with the fire in his brain. II
only she could make him sleep! The
doctor had said sleep would be his sal
walton, but when she had offered him
any of tho onodynos it had simply
aroused his fury. She had hated TO dc.
ceive him, but there was no help for
it. She slipped dose into the cocoa,
whose own slightly bitter taste DISCUS.
ed it. But just as he had taken the last
of the cocoa he saw her putting the vial
out of sight. Don't You come near me
with that poison stuffp' he shouted.
"I'll pour it down your own throat eft
you do. Here! BY king! l will any
way" And with a stride he had seized
the vial in enc hand and his wife s chin
bottleful and death with it would
have been her portion, for she could not
escape the terrific grasp, she could only
lift her hand and lay it Oh his shoulder
in the way Of an old caress. a shiver
ran through him. He trembled at the
touch. The vial slipped to the floor.
Here" he cried. "Ain't you the wo-
man l sold to Tom Brer once? What in
nation you here for anyhow? Git out
Of this, neck and CROP" And he lifted
her as IL she had been leaf and sent
her flying through the door. Then he
shot the bolt home and stalled into the
bedroom and tumbled as he was upon
the bed.
Sally Lavender lay on the grass where
she had fallen, too tired to pick herself
up, too wretched to know that she was
tired. 1t was under the thick leaved
shade of the apple tree where no dew
fell. Before she could gather what had
happened she was asleep.
She woke with a start when she had
slept perhaps an hour, full of terror of
something unknown, which resolved it.
self almost instantly into something toe
well known. She was icy cold for half
moment, and then she was burning
in glow Of Indignation from head to
foot But as she wrung her hands the
touch of her wedding ring controlled
her like talisman. at isn't him; il
lsut him!" she sobbed. He'd never
do it in the world. It's tn, ST. ings al
jangling whichways. And oh, it does
seem 20 cruel But mustn t, l mustn' T.
and ho SO good and gentle aud lovin " EN-
he's all there. And I've said it-though
no Stay me yet will trust in him-and
perhaps it's my trial-oh, dear Lord,
help mo to bear the burden, and Lord
Lord, be merciful to him"
She rose after awhile and went tip
toeing round the house. Tho lampliRh
streamed from the bedroom window
and, climbing on the trellis, she looked
in. Her heart gave great plunge o.
: joy-thero he was on the bed in dceI
: sleep. She longed to get in, to looser
I his necktie, to get his clothes off ant
e make him comfortable. But the win
y. dow was fast, and even il she could i
y would waken him, and the sloep wa
/, too precious. He might wake at last
Q as he had done before, all right even i
s weak to extremity. Her heart yearne'
9 over him as q mothers heart yearn
over a suffering child. Sic crcpt roun
, to the doorstep and sat there keeping
:, guard. Ponto had gone off on shee
raid with Prince Mather. The cat cam
;. and ourled upon corner of her gown.
g While she sat there the moon wen
y down, red as burning brand quenche
i in tho river. Tho shadow folded abou
her like garment. All the little hous
q was still us death. The cool and dew
e air was soft with tho fragrance of tn
;. flowers that came to her in faint an
d honeyed watts. A drowsy mist of star
|, hardly disturbed the darkness of til
q night. There was no sound but th
" tapping Of the river and now and the
/. the village clock that tolled the hou
:. or the quick wrangle of some neighhor
d clock through tho open windows Ever
u once In awhile she went round an
,e looked in and saw Humphrey sti
,e sleeping. A light wind came futterin
!. about her-the dawn had stirred in til
~ night. As she sat upon the low stel
d not conscious Of being tired or sleepy
10 only conscious Of listening, 1t was o
le SO sweet and still and solemn, it SCENE
10 as II the night itself were commune
,r with unknown force. Its peace entere
10 into her soul, She felt as though 81
!. leaned her head on the breast Of h'
Heavenly Fatho,, A little bird pipe
" beside bis nest. Atrili answered 1t. A
|. kha nm saen vvnrId WAS axvaka with xuil