The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-28

threshold. She staggered across the
room. bent and trembling under the
blow. There was no need of the pity
I in the mems faces, and the. sudden
hushing of their excited shrill voices
no need of their turning away from her
the big black headlines of their pa
pers. She knew at once. Uncle Purdy
came down the dim little room to meet
her. but she brushed past him and got
her own paper and went away.
"Somebody'd ought ito tell her-she
hadn't ought to read it all alone" NUT
tered the old man. shed ought to read
it with somebody. Judith, Judith Tai
bot,'' He went to the door and sent his
thin. kind old voice out into the quiet
evening. Judith Talbot heard and
waited.
"Wen?'' and her own voice sounded
harsh and strange to her. 1t choked
her.
'well?"
You goin' up Achsa HAYES way?'
stammered Uncle Purdy, eagerly. IL
| kind of thought maybe you'd stop in
an'-an' read the paper TO Achsa. There
there's news of the Twentieth in it
tonight-Achsa'd want to hear"
! Uncle Purdy went back into the post
Office with beads of perspiration on his
| bald forehead. His mild, pleasant face
was troubled.
II don't know but I've put my foot
in 1t, he said, gloomily, Il don't know
but l have. It's turrible hard work to
break things to folks. But I thought
she'd ought TO read it with somebody,
and 1 thought it had ought TO be a
woman. l didn't know but 'twould kill
her alone"
You selected the wrong woman,
that's ALL the joker remarked Il
calculate you forgot Judith Talbot
hadn't spoke to Achsa Halves since the
year l. The joker's jovial face was
drawn out into solemn, unaccustomed
length. He fingered his paper nervous
ly.
Yes" Uncle Purdy groaned, 81 for
got it. 1 jest remembered that Achsa
was woman, then"
Down the quiet street Judith Talbot
was hurrying. A great relief and 9
great pity were struggling in her plain,
strong face. She was trying not to
be glad that,it was Achsa boy instead
of hers. She was trying honestly-but
she was glad How glad she was.
There WAS so little room at first for
anything but the blessed relief-for
anything but little Jerome. Then she
remembered Achsa. She thought of
little Ivory then, and strangely enough
the picture in her mind was of the
Surly little fellow walking hand-in-
hand with little Jerome. oh, no. Oh,
no! He could not be wounded or-dead
He was so little to be hurti Ivory was
Achsa's baby-pOOr Achsal
Uncle Purdy wanted me to break it
to her-he forgot. He thought Achsa d
take It easier with me. L knew that
was what he meant the minute he
spoke. He forgot about AchSa and
dead! He had such proud, Independent
ways, little Ivory had He and Jerome!
Oh, no! Oh, poor Achsa!"
An overwhelming sorrow for little
IvOry's mother took possession of Ju-
dith Talbot. The pain stifled her and
made her pant for breath as if she had
been running. She clutched the terri
bic paper in her hand until it tore un-
der her fingers: she had not -oDened it
at all. It had not occurred to her to
do it after the first heart leap of relief
that came with Uncle Purdy'S words.
Poor Achsa. Oh, poor Achsa,"
murmured Judith Talbot over and over
again in little gasDs of horror. The
bitterness, the long estrangement-ev-
erything was sweet away on the tide
of her pity. She longed unutterably TO
go and comfort little dead Ivory's
mother.
TN 60" she said aloud Lord in
heaven. help me comfort Achsa!"
Achsa met her at the door. Bewilder- !
ment and joy struggled for precedence |
in her thin. sweet face.
Judith. Judith" she cried, softly, |
holding out her hands. Had it come at |
last-at last? Judith come to her!
Dear Lord be thanked" prayed /
AchSa's heart.
I've come. Achsa," Judith said sim
ply. She was holding out the crumpled |
paper and the pain in her face, and /
the whiteness OF it told the sad story !
as plainly as words. The joy in the |
face of Ivory's mother gave way 10
anguish.
There's news from the Twentieth, |
they said. 1 came to read it with you.
Achsa. Ivory
lis dead. My boy is dead!"
mo, no-Oh. 1 don't know. I've come
to read it with you-he's only hurt. |
dear, maybe. Wen read it together
me and you. Achsa. We've borne so
many things together Maybe little
Ivory's Just wounded" But in her
heart she knew it was death she had
read in the solemn faces OF the men.
She knew it was death she had heard in
Uncle Purdy's compassionate Old voice
Proud, independent little Ivory was
dead.
We'll set down out here in the sun
set, Achsa. It's easier to bear things
out of doors. under the Lords sky Set
up here clost to me-Tll read it easy as
l can. You needn't to look at all-shut
your eyes, dear, and you'll be all ready
to bray"
The first cool breath of the evening
buffeted their faces gently. Above
them. between the trees, a dim star
limmered-faintly, as il through
tears. Shrill. CHEEKY little insect voices
called to each other. A calm world
shut them in comfortingIy