Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-31
CHAPTER VII.

CcopyrIght. 1872, by s. R. crockcttJ

The TOrchIight Funeral.
II was IL of the clock on the night OF the
Sabbath, the day OF the discovery Of the
murder, when, lying asleep in a little trundle-
bed in the house Of Umphray Spurway, l
awoke with a great commotion without
sounding in my ear. My mother was in the
great bed near me. She had come from the
lodge Yeti in the company OF Umphray
Spurway and his folk. For the English
man Judged it unsafe to leave her in that
lcncly and dcfenseless house at the mercy
of a wild beast run mad, like her husband,
Philip Stansheld. My mother would have
stayed on at the lodge. being, though a little
woman, still brave enough in spirit, in spite
of having been broken down in health with
her troubles. But both the minister and
Mr.. Spurway hceched and prayed upon her
TO come away for my sake, urging intently
that there was no saying of what iniqnity
her husband might not be guilty in his pres
ent state of anger and drunken fury.
So 1t was arranged that for a time she
should come to the millhouse, sitting so
pleasantly by the weir, whose water drives
the great water wheels. Umphray Spurway
slept in a little boX-like Office in the mill it
self. having given up his own chamber to the
minister. My mother and | lay, as ! have
said. in the guest chamber And | was
never better pleased than to exchange the
solemn smelling, emptily resounding great
house and the lonely, dark little lodge Yeti,
hidden among the trees, for such an abiding
place. 1t was cheerful beyond words. All
day long the hum and click Of the shuttles
never ceased. The c~reaking noise of many
beams, all moving in unison, was music in
my ears-gladsome as the sound of many
larks singing above a spring meadow.
Then at night there was the song OF the
-;,,- ,yor tho ur.ir onJ tho cnlnSh of tho
water tumbling from the wooden mill lade
or trough into the black pool beneath the
great wheel. | could never get enough of
these things and | shall always connect the
first perfect happiness of my life with the
humming weaving rooms and the splashing
waters about the Min house of Umphray
Spurway, the Englishman.
But at midnight a noise Of stirring about
the house woke me in the place which,
though already a great fellow, l lay very
well content in the little trundle, with my
mother above me in her own bed. l know
not very well why | awaked, if it were not
that my mother put an arm down to assure
herself of my presence. For a woman out
ragged and d~espised by the husband of her
youth may lie and see the morning come
in with unshut eye, or a high mystic Oike
Mr.. James Wildwood of Tindergarth) may
in like manner wander all night s%leepless
upon the banks of Ulai, p~lucking an apple
here and there. But a boys thoughts are
not thus absorbed in the hours of repose.
He will sleep through a cannonade or an
earthquake. That is for ordinary. But at
all events my mother awoke me, and a mo-
ment after | found myself on my feet look
ing out of the window. There was a dancing
o. lights shown in the valley beyond the
Esk water, and distant voices which came
irFpu1tlurlu nm to n hninu llrnngt Hrnuyna1
By the splash and roar Of the weir.
But nearer, indeed under my very window,
l saw that which made me pull on my
brooches with haste and diligence. Umphray
SUBWAY was ordering his little force OF
weavers once more into marching array, and
the minister. Mr.. Bell, was standing ready
as it were to accompany them.
| had not all my clothes rightly on when
] raI down stairs, crying to my mother that
] would not be long, and to my present
sorrow disobeying her command to come
quietly back to bed. For indeed | was never
used to minding my mother much nor she
to insisting upon strict obedience. But SO
soon as Mr.. Spurway saw me he ordered me
back, and even so | must perforce have gone.
For It is a different thing to disobey Umph-
ray Spurway, and one that l for one would
not have ventured upon. But, recollecting
himself, he said, speaking as If in a kind
of muse, 1T will do him good. His eye
may yet long after the Sodom apple. Let
him come and see how bitter it may be in
the belly"
And after that he took no more notice
of me, but divided his party into two. One
section he gave into the hand of William
Bowman, bidding him keep watch at the
Mia house and mount guard to keep both
my mother and the property Of his master
from harm during his absence,
And William Bowman obeyed, though
dare say he desired as greatly as | had done
TO accompany us. Then Umphray Spurway
waved Il hand toward the window where my
mother lay. For he was always by ordinary
taken up about her. and, If he had only to
conduct her across a muddy road. he took
care of her as If she had been so much
breakablc glass, that might fall asunder ere
he could bring her to the further side. Bu'
this at the time / set down as an English
custom and resolved never to practice, OBJ
serving that it drew the eyes of men, max