Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-04-19


dreadful thing"
"Ah. I'VE Thought of it and thought
of it many's the long night through
I've worked II all out. SO natural that
sometimes think it's fate and must
come true
but whyY"
"Listcn, suppose Jim was over 10
find ont who his father Is. He's alive
vet and lives in this town | know,
because seen him myself not a month
ago. He's the same beast no always
was. too. cause | seen him look about
slylkc. and when he thought nobody
was watching he kicked II little child
that was lying on the pavement. an!
when IT screamed he laughed and
walked away. Now. suppose my Jim
had seen that and had known the
man for his father. DO YOU know
what? Jim would have hccu at his
throat like n tiger and would nave
Strangled him to death. Wouldn't it
I've awful for my linn to hang for kill
ing beast like his father"
"Ah. but he docs not know who his
father is. does hc:"
Now we come to it. Now you'll SEQ
why I've told you all this yarn Jim
don't know now: lcastwayS I've never
told him. But there's papers "a would
tell him if he found them after I'm
gone. papers ought 80 have burnt
long ago. but | never had the heart.
I've lit fire special to do ii. Then
would think I'd Just read them over
once more. and in the end l'd tic them
up and put them away again
And where are these papers,
"l'll tell YOU want You to take
| them. TO keep them away from Jim
and yet to keep them for Jim too.
How do You mean for .Ihnt"
"WhI. don't YOU sec. if the worst
come 10 worst. why, you could maybe
show them papers to the judge aud tell
/ him rs how Jim couldn't help il: that
/ he was a born criminal and that the
/ very man he killed brought him into
| the world with the brand of cain on
him. That would count. wouldn't it,?
1t ought to. don't YOU thinks! No iudg"
would hay" the heart To hang my Jim
after that. would hct no. The papers
II sa>r him. The papers II save him,
You take the papers. there in that old
box on the shelf there. Jim thinks it's
my WorkhOX. 'callSc there's needles and
thread on top. But til" papers is on TN"
bottom all right. You find them. don't
YOU: You've got them all right You'll
keep them to save Jim with. wont
YOU? I'm dying. aud You wouldn't he
tray an old woman like mo. would you%
Youth look uul for .limt'
Mr. Mitchell had gone to the shelf
and opened he box. and a. She heard
him rummaging through the miScella-
ncous lot of trash her anxiety had
grown 50 that Sh" had raised herself
up in he'd and. furg"tful of her blind
ness. was gain" toward him. while her
words flowed fast and frvcri>hly until
/ nj last she was forced to stop because
of another cuSh of blood from her
mouth. Mr. Mitchell had Just found the
papers when he heard hcr groan aS Sh"
sank back on the cot. One glance show
ed him thar she WAS now in desperate
condition. and. thruStinC the packet in
to his breast pocket. he FASTENED to her
assistance
/ At this opporiunc moment the door
/ burst open. and Preacher lin rushed
/ ill., followed 10y the doctor.
/ is she alive?" cried Preacher Jim.
rushing w and falling TO his knees
beside his mother. My God where
docs all that blood come FROM"
"Shc has boon doing very we'll until
! Just moment ago" sad Mr.. Mitchell.
"whon this hcmolrhagc came on"
/ Thon. rising. he addressed the doctor.
"She tells mo. doctor. that she hccamc
suddenly blind and fell OH tho stairs.
She thinks she has injured herself in
tcrnalv and stated that she had flow
Of blood from the mouth before her
son and myself came in. fear this is
Il serious case"
Il will examine and see" said tho
doctor. But first we must stop This
blood"
lilo pronorcd some medicine. which
he DnureI INTO the wnn1an's mouth.
and in n few minutes she was com
pnratiyply AT ease auaiu. the hcmor-
rhacr having been controlled. Then
the doctor proceeded to make n thor
ou,-h oyoIuinu,iou
II am afraid that a rib is broken. -
said mo "ond ,ho, if imniurcs on tho
lunr or else that thcro il i r,pturcd
vessel Nv advice is that She be re