The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-03-31
There was nothing for the men now

will have in moment of supreme dan
ger.
1.-THE Lord help us!" groa ned Dough-
.rty again, with piety that was new
TO him. "Sthand stiddy. bhoys! Yell
not see poor human critters in much
wuss throuble. I'll do the exphlainin'."
Connolly seized Dougherty by the arm
and jerked him backward. "Look
a-there!" he whispered, excitedly. "Do
ye mind that, now! See him.
With the others Willet had paused ir-
resolutely. Then he duly raised his
head and saw his wife. A quick sob, and
he strobe forward. erect, both hands
outstretched. "Hannah!" he cried,
brokenly; Hannah" It was the first
time he had spoken since the accident.
In pitiful attempt not to understand
the woman glared wildly from one grief
stricken face to another, all the youth
ad happy good humor of her own looks
blotted out. Finally her glance met
her husbands and rested there. The
terror of apprehension faded from her
face, giving way before compassion
that was divine in its sself-forgetfulness,
that transformed her from the plain
wife of a common workingman into the
very embodiment of tender, womanly
pity. To Willet she seemed by super
human intuition to have understood
everything. The only words that could
warm through the numbness around his
heart she spoke. The one phrase that
was ticking clock-wise in his brain she
repeated aloud for him, and so took
away half of it's torture. "You had to
see him die" was what she said. "Oh,
my poor man! my poor man! Little Jim
was drownded, and you couldn't save
him!"
"Give him to me-" she commanded
Connolly, holding out her arms for her
child "Let him lay here on my
breast. like he did whin slip of
baby. It'll make his fathers heart
easier to see him so."
She gathered the body to her bosom
and she folded Connolly's coat more
tightly around it and began softly to
rub the shock of damp hair on the cold
little head. 1t should be dry, dry entire
| ly, or it might dc him hurt; his mother
wouldn't never let him stay cold like
that! No, she wouldn't never. Poor
Jim, poor Jim!" she went on, stin keep
ing up that instructive, motherly chat
| ing of the child in her arms. Poor
| Jim! You had the hardest, Jim! 1
| couldn't ha' been there an not killed
myself, forgetful of you. 1t was you as
brought him home. You came all that
cruel way to bring him to me. Oh, Jim.
Jim darlin'!"
Her voice was less unnatural now: 1t
had dropped to note of human dis
tress that was fast bringing her to full
realization of her pain. Tears, which
Willet was as yet unable to shed. rained
down her cheeks; but she was not con-
scious that she wept. The men began
to shuttle awkwardly away, muttering
their clumsy words of consolation.
They need not have taken the slightest
precaution in the manner of their 60
ing; neither Willet nor his wife re-
membered they had come. nor knew
when or how they left. Timidly Jim
drew e. ar and laid reverent fingers upon
Hannah's sleeve. It was good to touch
her and feel that she was there. Under
her allcomprehending pity he was able
to speak and think once more. She
humanized him into himself.
"Lay little Jim on his bed, Hannah,
darlin'," he said, gently. There
can't come no harm to him no more.
The rest of my days I'll have his call
a-ringin' in my ears. He was down by
the bridge, you know. where it's so
shaller an safe, an he a-splashin' an
s-laughin'! Then he called; suddent,
sharp. He drownded afore I got to
him. Oh, my God! afore I got to
him!"
The woman shook herself free Of his
hand and stepped back.
"Afore you got to him?" she re-
peated, in voice that was hushed IN
very wonder. "He drownded afore
you got to him, an'-an' little Jim
called-little Jim called" She paused
for breath. then went on with an effort
as if the breathing hurt her: 81 thought
first that you had to see him die while
YOU was tryin' to save him: but it wasn''
} true. He was there in the water, an
he called, an you couldn't get to him
She dropped her face moment ovel
the dead child. When she raised it. i
was set, hard. pitiless. "a mothers
feet would ha' carried her" she whis
pered only just above her breath; ian
he was mine the same as yours. YOU
let my boy die. I never gave you NJ
right to let my boy die
Slowly, deliberately. she turned ant
entered the house. Willet stood wher'
she left him. motionless. staring straigh
ahead From the bridge at the foot o
the hill the men gazed upward. watch
ing. They saw Hannah move. ant
Dougherty drew a long breath of salts
faction. Its well wild 'em now. poo
: things" he announced. sagely. 9Th
wust is over. They bore it bravely. an
they stood by each other. Did ye Sc
, how Hannah took to comfortin' Jir
from the first? You've got to leav
. throubles to time, anyways; but prais
be to all the saints an the angels o