The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-08-25

| stopping abruptly. she burst inte
tears. "Oh, lad, lad" she sobbed
you bain't looking, you bain.t look
Ing" e f& "a
| He let go the branch Of the tree
took her In his arms and drew her
close up against his breast. He put
back her head with gentle force and
kissed her mouth and eyes, her throat
and bosom. As they stood, molten in
one mould, there came down the wind
the sound of children's laughter; hear
ing 1t, the man and woman fell trem-
bling, then apart.
They stood staring at each other like
two people guilty Of crime.
There ba them that might ba born
arter u.s." he said, hoarsely.
She watched the sudden hardening
Of his mouth. Must US mind on emp
she pleaded; must US mind on EN- ?"
" II cud niver fo'ce no chile o. ours
to bear wat I've been fo'ced to bear"
he answered; "'twad ba DEVILS wark-
l cudn't do It."
Her face grew white and hopeless.
Il can't feel for the childer; 1 Amt no
mother yet" she said, brokenly.
Desire shook him; he looked at her
slight form that seemed to tremble into
wolnanhood before his eyes, then, with
an abrupt cry, he turned and left her.
She flung herself down and wept-
thronUh %hA hou 81
lowed him, yet his heart cried out so
loudly that he knew not II the wailing
came from her lips or his own. Long
he wandered In the wood, but when
night fell, returned again to his cot
tage. Pushing open the door, the
moonlight streaming in after him, he
entered the small kitchen. On the ta-
BILE, the cork withdrawn, was a bottle
of spirits-the air reeled with the
smell of 1t. He did not know whose
hand had placed the bottle there, but
his harsh thirst demanded shaking,
and forced him forward. Clutching at
his throat, striving to tear the thirst
from it, he advanced, the bottle glisten-
ing in the moonlight, looking as II It /
were alive. He cast an agonized
glance around the walls, seeking help
from familiar things, and his eyes fell
on his gun. A sob of relief broke from
him; he took down the gun, loaded It
hurriedly, the smell of the spirits drip.
ping on to his lips, he licking 1t down.
He snatched the bottle from the ta-
Bile, shonldered his gun, and went out
up through the woods, past the brok-
en- stile, where the coarse grass lay
pressed close to the earth, and Phoebe
had flung herself down and wept. With
averted face he passed the spot, and
entered deep into the heart Of the
wood. At last he stopped; about him
the trees grew close and thick; no eye
but Gods could see his shame. He
leaned his gun up against branch;
he moonlight edged itself between the
,rees, and he held the bottle up.
$50 yer have got the best O. me at
asst" he said; yer have got the best
! me at last"
The bottle gltstened; he brought it
learer his lips, his thirst pressed for
the thirst that he would
lake before he shot himself.
Eyer smiling DEVIL" he burst out,
With sudden fierceness, yer reckon to
atch me, do zee. No, by hell yer
ont; I'll die wiout tasting 'ee," and
e dashed the bottle into fragments at
is feet. A moment later he had
ung himself upon the ground, striving
} lick up the spirits with his tongue.
Dog that ba, dog that ba," he
obbed. mo better than a dog-no
etter than dog" = @.-.
Sick with shame and horror, he re.
aimed his feet; he took piece of cord
ON his pocket. made loop In 1t, at
ching one end to the trigger of the
In. He pressed the cold steel barrel
, against his hot beating heart, and
aced his foot in the loop. "A dogs
'ath for dog" he muttered. ,
The moonlight shone on him, on the I
IN, and on the broken bottle at his
ct; the glistening glass attracted him
ID he stared at 1t, fresh thoughts )
o wding his brain. A tremor ran :.
rough him; raising his eyes, he
ed them on the moonlit heavens and O
ny wisdspun clouds. "Ther ba zom-
1t in me ABIDE the dog" he said, =
'wly. "Ay, begore, I'll live game,
zee 1t droo," and drawing himself .
sether, he turned his face once more l
life.-(Zack, in Blackwood's Mag
Ine.) lie