The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-02-10

swung back from the middle; it was
uUpretentious, but the most honey
looking place of the dozen or more
that faced the village street; both
front doors were wide open.
The doctor ascended the steps slow
ly, not with the eagerness of a strong
man in his middle 40s, who, after an
enforced absence. returns to his home.
Two large rooms connected with the
hall, the door leading to the left was
also open. The doctor stopped a mo
ment and listened to the sound of
heavy and regular breathing, which
showed that the occupants of this
room were fast asleep. He knew the
place where his children slept, and
did not need any candle; crossing the
large room he bent over the beds, and
satisfied himself that they were we'll.
Two little boys slept together in ono
bed, in the other (which was his bel)
a taxen haired girl scarcely out Of
heI baby years. He stood moment
in the space between the two beGs,
then, heaving a deep sigh, he turned,
and went out of the honse, closing the
doors carefully.
Travellers have told Us that the lion
in his native jungle will meet any
animal with head erect and bristleI
name, except man. That, unless he
is aggressively hungry. if alone and
unaided, he will drop his head and
stink away with a low growl of de
feat. when an unda unted man brave
ly stands mp. and with an eve that
never tiinches, boldly confronts him, +,
face to face.
Any one watcning the doctor pac
ing over that road from his lonely
home to the grave yard that night,
with bent head and hands clasped be
hind him. would have instinctivoly
felt that he was one who had met his
Waterloo. 1t was not an unusual
thing for him to go over that road
when he returned at night, It had rs +
come almost common practice, so
if the dusty street had been sen
tient it would have recognized his
passing step; if the stars in the sum-
mer sky had been all-seeing they
would have watched for his coming;
but never had he CARRIE more dis
couraged heart than on this night.
He was physically worn out, and he
had found himself batfied and thwart-
ed in the hiding places of his power
1t was not only that in summer
almost unprecedented for sickness on
the hills, his wife and darling baby
girl had been among the earliest vic
tins; the pale horse and his rider
had been lying in ambush at every
turn. A schoolboy, bright little fel-
low. had fallen in his play on the
| scEool-house common, had hit his
head on a stone and fractured his
skull; another whom he had especial
ly loved-and the doctor loved all
children. and was loved by them
had strolled into the field, had picked
and eaten red berries which looked
so tempting. and which also held such
subtle and swift death. All these had
gone down, and no earthly power
| could have saved them; but none the
, less did the doctor rebel in bitterness
of soul For tne past As hours be
| had been in such a hand-to-hand
fight against fearful odds, as, thank
God. comes to very few, and he had
been defeated forced to stand by and
watch the going out of two lives that
he was powerless to save! And there
was poor Mrs. Gowing, whose life
might almost be counted by minutes
from the coming up of tomorrow s
| sun.
The white fog along the river with
its deadly miasma was only one of
the hidden forces all around which
seemed like strong men armed
against him. He dropped his head
within his hands, and groaned aloud
| IL am like a man beating the air. OF
treading water ! give of my best
for that which profiteth not | spend
my strength for naught."
Meantime. in the little brown house
under the hill, poor Mrs. Gowing,
worn ont with the unusual unrest OF
the day, had responded to the doctors
medicine and was sleeping out one OF
the last nights of her life Mary, in
her chamber, tired with her hot day
Journey from Millville, also rested
John, on the kitchen floor. occasion
| ally wakened, listened, tnrned over
ana slept again. Aud the moon wan
ed and went down, and the stars. anC
the short summer night dropped it
SELF in the deeper darkness which pre-
cedes the dawn.
Susan. still hanging over the kitch
Ell table. stirred, moved her arms
which had become numb from tn,
weight of her head, opened her eyes
rubbed them and sat up. She hear,
Johns regular breathing outside th'
door. She rose and tip-toed to he
mothers room. listened and claspeo
her hands in JOY. She remembers,
the doctors parting command, t.
put out her light, and go to bed
Il must have pnt out my light, an,
, gone to sleep; will go right up t
bed, as l promised him
r The stairs went up from the kitch
en-, and fearing lest she would stumbl
3 over something and disturb her motto
} er, she found match and lighte
: the candle. The wind blew in throug
l the open window. and she leaned owe
the table to close it, The flame c
3 the candle flared, blew against th
!. thin sleeve of her cotton dress, al