Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-09-22


made his face attractive for second
before it settled again into the usual
ungracious quiet.
The horse went at crawling pace
over the hills and across swampy land.
and they talked of the work for the pa
per as if they were two men. No per-
sonalities were touched upon. There
was nothing to brighten the drive, and
after long distance covered in the face
! of mist that made Anne's cheeks like
pale, wet roses they stopped before the
house where Red Evans had lived.
/ The clamor following disgrace sur
rounded it. Women bowed by the NAL.
formations Of toll and years stood shout
der to shoulder with idle men, all talk
ing loudly, their eyes fastened upon the
sulphur hued cottage, whose under sto-
ry from the trembling of the tunneled
land had been shot out like hag's jaw.
! ''She's in there, said Donald. "They
say she's like crazy woman. I'll go in
with You. :"
He tied the horse to post and shield
ed Anne through the curious crowd,
After some imperative knocking and
! promises of help to the woman Shrek
ing abuse from within the door was
guardedly opened, and they stood before
Red Evans sister
| Anne shuddered at the face. The
| forces in soul that damn seemed to
have set fire to all the softness in the
woman and left their flames blazing in
! her hollow eyes. With lank gray hair
falling to her shoulders and veined
hands clinched at her sides she stood at
| bay in the desolate room, bitten through
with grief, an epitome of hatred, famine
and fear. Unnoticed Donald swiftly
made sketch of her and at sign from
Anne slipped out, leaving her to her
! difficult task.
In the warmth of her sympathy ard
gratitude for the visible help she brought
| the beast in the sufferer was conquered,
and with wild weeping she told the
story of her life. She had. been born on
a sheep farm in Scotland near river
winding through valley and had left
it to come to her brother when his wife
died. Anne saw the lost home plainly
as the homely sentences sketched it-a
place Of perfume, light and healthy
sleep. She realized the gloomy change
to this black valley with Red Evans
the morbid slave; his daughter pretty
and wild, ready to sell her soul for a
trinket and at length flying away in
shame, and the younger son, Joe,
picker boy, choked with miners asth-
ma.
"An veil write what tell ye, miss
Yell spek the truth. Yell belize mex
people bit sorry. Aye, aye" she said.
nodding at the dead ashes on the hearth,
"ye'll say our hearts are breakin, that
shame an hunger's emo to mex men
distraught, but, ah, miss, ye won't mex
'em feel it; ye can't mex 'em feel it
I'd ha' to TEX my heart out an put it in
side ye before ye could know what do
an what Gamma tell ye. miss.
Anne could not utter one of the COM
forting, philosophical things she had
fancied at her command. She let her
hand rest for an instant ON the forehead
where care had set skein of tangled
lines, gave circular glance in the
hopeless room and went out, her heart
affrighted.
Donald was not among the crowd,
but she went on, expecting him to join
her. He did not appear, and soon she
! found herself close to the mine around
which the struggling village was built.
Before her stood the high, coal black
ened building similar to wooden
lighthouse which miners cali breaker.
She knew when the mines were work
ing big cars We're impelled up to this
height from the Businesses of the earth.
that there the coal was broken, sorted
and sent down through iron grooves to
waiting cars. A feeling of curiosity i'm
PEELED her to 60 up. 1t would be strange
to stand in high breaker, look out on
level with the hills, fancy the riven
coal leaping down the rafters, and there
write her notes of the morning.
Passing the silent engine houses and
empty furnaces, she went up the steep
ladders to the top. On the last step she
paused, made suddenly aware the break
er was tenanted. Donald was sketching
some one. Moving to one side, unseen,
she saw the model was little Joe Evans,
the murderer's son. He had assumed
his working position beside an empty
shoot, his head lowered, his hand ex-
tended, as if picking the refuse from
the sliding coal. He had evidently di-
gested the fact that his picture was be-
ing made for a newspaper, for there
was exaltation in his face. Hidden in
the shadow, Anne leaned against one of
the posts and watched.
1.-THE air must be filled with dust
when the coal comes tumbling down be-
fore you" Donald was saying, and be
whistled softly as he waited for reply.
ats that what gives US the asthma
said Joe, backing up his words by
most awful cough.
"Got anything on under that rag of
| coat?" asked Donald cheerfully.
"Let's see. -
| The child's blue pallor went crimson,
but in half fearful way he opened the
jacket and barred his puny chest.
"All right" Donald nodded 81
wanted to know; that's ALL. And he
commenced yybictlipo softly xyhiIa