Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-08-06

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lie had seized the OiGl in one hand and
his lCite's chin tR the other.
band and keep him from doing himself
mischief. Sometimes he fingered a
moment over a brown sunlit pool, and
she hurried with all her poor strength.
Sometimes be wound his way out of the
wood and threw himself down ON the
steep brink of the river. where d 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 ia % 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 q time before
thought like that which might shine
across the hills of heaven. She bad not
seen the blaze of the sunset. She did
not feel the coming Of the purple, dewy
dark nor hear the wild lamenting Of
the whippoorwills, and when near mid
night, in 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 stove 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 be took it ravenous-
~, while she drank a cupful herself.
And he ate the 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. If
only she could make him sleepl The
doctor had said sleep would be his sal
walton, but when she had offered him
any of the anodynes it had simply
aroused his fury. She had hated to de-
ceive him, but there was no help for
it. She slipped dose into the cocoa,
whose own slightly bitter taste disguis-
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 stuff he shouted.
"In pour it down your own throat eff
you do. Herel By king L will any
wayi' And with stride he had seized
the vial in enc hand and his wife's chin
in the other, and in a minute the whole
bottieful 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 on 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 Brier once? What in
nation you here for anyhow Git out
of this, neck and crop" And he lifted
her as if she had been a leaf and sent
her flying through the door. Then he
shot the bolt home and stal6ed 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 too
well known. She was 10y cold for half
a moment, and then she was burning
I in glow of Indignation from head to
/ foot. But as she wruDg her hands the
touch of her wedding ring controlled
/ her like talisman. sit ism t him; it
: = ~,
do it in the world. It's the strings all
jangling whichways. And, oh, it does
seem so cruel. But mustn {, mustn't
and he so good and gentle and lovin wen
he's all there. And I've said it-though
he Stay me yet Will trust in him-and
perhaps it's my trial--oh, dear Lord,
help me to bear the burden, and Lord,
Lord, be merciful to himp'
She rose after awhile and went tip
toeing round the house. The lamplight
streamed from the bedroom window,
and, climbing on the trellis, she looked
in. Her heart gave great plunge OF
joy--there he was ON the bed in deep
1 sleep. She longed to get in, to loosen
his necktie, to get his clothes off and
make him comfortable. But the win.
dow was fast, and even If she could ii
would waken him, and the sleep was
too precious He might wake at last,
as he had done before, all right even il
weak to extremity. Her heart yearned
over him as mothers heart yearns
over suffering child. She crept round
TO the doorstep and sat there keeping
guard Ponto bad gone OFF on a sheer
raid with Prince Msther. The cat came
and curled upon corner Of her gown.
i Whila she sat there the mon, .rnni