The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-26

and hurry back at the clang of the factory
bell There was no time for Jess to eat;
but it did not matter to her.
Weeks crept by until they were months,
and il was crisp, late fall. blaze Of
crimson and gold bordered the stretch of
road between the works" and liberty.
it was almost possible to forget ones
WEAKNESS. walking along in the glory of
the leaves. and the incessant whir and
rumble OF the looms almost died out of
ones ears under the spell of the cOlOrs.
But Jess never forgot; the whir of the
looms was always IN her ears. She paii
no heed to the wonderful beauty around
her. Since that hot. white day when John
ny overlook her and the Little Tn wait
ed, whimpering, Johnny had never walk
ed home with her. He had taken his an
swer stolidly and gone about among his
looms with the plodding step of an old
man. Jess had missed his sweet shrill
whistle above the muffied thunder of ma
chimes. Johnny had always whistled loud
" for Jess to hear; she had told him once
that it shortened the hours. Now he never
whistled al all. When he met Jess 1t was
just grave nod of his head he gave her.
She was forced to get along with that.
on one of the autumn days Jess took the
Little I'm to the works with her because
granny was aiing, and his noise fretted
her sadly. He had never been among the
looms times enough 10 get used to their
whirring. ceaseless activity. The novelty
of it amused him, and for a long time he
crouched contentedly by Jess. He was SO
still she forgot at last that ne was there,
and when he crept away on little trip of
discovery she did not notice. She was
minding her loom in a daze of broken
dreams, and only the mechanical training
of her eyes to detect imperfections and the
mt Of
them prevented trouble. Her well-drilled
sight and muscles stood guard while she
dreamed
In the middle Of the afternoon a commo-
ton arose at the further end of the great
room. People ran about. and there were
excited shouts and one shrill clear, fright
ened cry like a child's. Jess eyes and ears
were unframed 10 such sounds They failed
to reach her. She worked on, dreamily
Some one beside her shook her arm and
shrieked at her.
"Jessl Quick, Jessi Somebody's caught
in the shaftin. Let's goo hear 'em
shoutin'! Hurry, can't your"
But Jess woke slowly from her dreams
She was the last one to mix in the excited
little crowd. The girls and men were wait
ing for her with solemn faces. They made
a straight path for her to the motionfess
form on The floor. The Little I'm, with torn
clothes, stumbled out of somebody's arms
and met trer half way
I'm killed. O, Jess, I'm killed." he sob
bed tumultuously. His poor little twisted
body was quivering like a little shriveled
leaf in the wind. I'm killed all to pieces
Il kept coming round and roundIt wouldn't
stop-Jess, Jess, hstenw
But the girl had thrust him aside and
darted ahead to Johnny, on the floor He
lay in a crushed heap and even the men
covered their eyes. one or two were sobbing
like the Little Tn.
Where we goin' to carry him top NUT
tered Tim Bradlee, huskily. Johnny
didn't have no home nor no folks"
He used the past sense unconsciously.
This was not Johnny now-it had BEEN
The girls stood about, wringng their
hands Historically.
HE Warn't worth it-such a little hump-
backed thing" somebody said shriIly.
''Sh, can't you? Do you want Jess 10
hear?'' crieds some one else. But there
was no danger. Jess was wiping the
blood from Johnny's face. She had only
heard Tim Brad.ee. With a sudden move
ment she stood before him.
Garry Johnny to my house, Tim" she
said; quietly He belongs to me. I'm
going to marry him."
The girls voice rang out distinctly
There was no CULVER of doubt or of shame
in it. She faced them al. splendidly One
of the girls uttered nervous sound that
might have been a sob or laugh Jess
caught the look on her face
Il am going to marry johnny" she re-
peated sharply. 90 you needn't look that
way, Moll Dixey! Johnny aint dead He
belongs to me, and l tell you I'm going
TO marry him. Won't somebody carry him
to my house? Has anybody gone for a
doctor2''
Yes, yes. two of the boys" volunteer
ed many voices. He'd ought to be here
inside O. the arr our. Study, boys
easyr'
If Johnny had been a baby instead of a
brawny. crushed giant, they could not
have carried him more tender.y down the
straight road outlined, and the poor. I'M
conscious load was shifted occasionally
with the gentleness of mothers handling
their babies. Jess and the Little I'm went
on ahead. The child was sobbing stin I'M
der his breath, and his little torn clothes
trailed unnoticed, behind him. The hor-
ror of the terrible minute before Johnny
sprang to his rescue was over keen for
his Unbalanced little mind
I'm killed! I'm killedr he moaned
with patient reiteration. You'd tust as
lieves ia be killed. Jess; yes, you would.
too! You amt sorry"
And Jess was not even thinking of the
Little I'm. She had forgotten him for
once.
When Johnny. woke out of his stupor
he thought he had gone to heaven, and
one of the angels was bending over him.
She was very sweet and gentle-why. il
was Jess Then Jess had gone 10 heaven.
too? Johnny experienced a sense of re-
lief at the thought. 1t wouldn't be real
heaven without Jess.
"Jess-littl@ girl" he whispered, 'when'd
you Gomez"
Ssh, Johnny, don't talk. Yes, it's me
It's Jess. Pm taking care o you. You've
bad a kind of-of sickness. Shr'
And Johnny closed his eyes again with
great joy mastering his pain. Slowly
very slowly, his awful bruises yielded to
the gentle ministry of nature-and less
Very slowly, Johnny numbered back to
life. The little settlement of Liberty had
been under snow a month or more before
he saw it again.
Al first, Jess had stayed away from the
works to nurse him; then she had grad
uahy trusted him more and more 10 gran