The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-11-21

anu run, Wnlcn the DraVest, they say,
viii have in moment of supreme dan
ger.
"The Lord help us!" groaned Dough-
erty again, with a piety that was new
to him. "Sthand stiddy, bhoysl Yen
not see poor human critters in much
wuss throubie. I'll do the exphlainin'."
Connolly seized Dougherty by the arm
and jerked him backward. Lock
a-therel" he whispered, excitedly. do
We 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; Klamath" 1t was the first
time he had spoken since the accident.
In pitiful attempt rot TO understand
hewoman glared wildly from one grief
stricken face to another. all the youth
ad happy good humor CT her own locks
blotted out. Finally her glance met
her husbands and rested there. The
terror of apprehension faded from her
face, giving way before a compassion
that was divine in its self-forgetfulness,
that transformed her from the plain
wife of common workingnan into the
very embodiment Of tender, womanIy
pity. To Willet she seemed by u 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 its torture. "You had to
see him de-" was what she said. "Oh,
my poor man! my poor mani Little Jim
was drownded, and you couldn't save
himI"
"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 a slip Of a
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
~, or it might do him hurt; his mother
wouldn't never let him stay cold like
thatl No. she wouldn't never. Poor
Jim, poor Jiml" she went on, still keep
! ing up that instructive, motherly chat
ing Of the child in her arms. poor
Jim! You had the hardest, Jimi 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'i"
| Her voice was less unnatural now; it
had cropped to a note of human dis
tress that was fast brin ging 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 rot have taken the slightest
precaution in the manner Of their 60
ing; neither WilIet nor his wife re-
membered they had come, nor knew
when or how they left. Timidly Jim
drew near and laid reverent fingers upon
Hannah's sleeve. 1t was good to touch
her ard feel that she was there. Under
! her all-comprehending pity he was able
/ to speak and think once more. She
humanized him into himself.
LAY little Jim on his bed, Hannah,
darliu'," he said, gently. There
can't come no harm 10 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 its so
shaller an safe, an he a-splashin' an
a-laughin'! Then he called; student,
sharp. He drownded afore I got TO
him. Oh, my Godl afore got TO
him."
The woman shook herself free of his
hand and stepped back.
'Afore you got to him?" she re-
peate6. in a voice that was hushed in
very wonder. "He 6Fownded afore
you got to him, an'-an' little Jim
cailed-little Jim called" She paused
/ for breath. then went on with al effort,
as if the breathing hurt her: 81 thought
first that you had TO see him die while
YOU was tryiu' TO save him; but it wasn't
true. lie was there in the water. an
/ he called, an you couldn't set 10 HIM"
4 She dropped her face a moment over
the dead child. When she raised it, it
was set. hard, pitiless. - mothers
4 feet would ha' carried her" she whis-
pered only just above her breath; San
he was mine the same as yours. You
let my boy die. 1 never gave you no
right TO let my boy die"
Slowly. deliberately, she turned and
entered the house. Willet stood where
she left him, motionless, staring straight
ahead. From the bridge at the foot Of
the hill the men Fszed upward, watch
ing. They saw Hannah move, and.
Dougherty drew long breath Of salts
faction. Its well wild EN- now, poor
/ things" he announced, sagely. "The
wust is over. They bore it bravely, an
they stood by each ether. Did We see
/ how Hannah took to comfortin' Jim
from the first? You've got to leave
throubles to time, anyways; but praise
be to all the saints an the angels of
glory! the wust is over whin folks is
lovin' an symrathizin' enough to keep
each other up."-N. Y. Independent.