The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-02

narrow iron bed in the accident ward,
where Sammie lay with "a white band
age around the head. from which had
been shorn all the tow-colored locks an
hour ago. "And then" the nurse pur-
sued, demurely." he said:
AS spring approaches.
Ants and reaches
From their holes comes out,
They both smiled a little, and then
the doctor moved away. He knew when
he came tomorrow the bed would be
empty, and he would not find there the
atom OF suffering humanity who lay 80
quietly this evening. And Sammie was
glad 10 see him go. He wished the
nurse would go, too, for he wanted 10
be let alone. He was homesick, and
that was why he had mumbled those
lines TO himself. He didn't know any
poems about spring" and scarcely
knew where he had learned "As spring
approaches" But he had been saying
IL TO himself that evening as he crossed
the street, and a runaway horse had
Knocked him down and trampled on
him. Something I'm the perfume OF flow
ers in the air and the golden sunshine
had made him want his home on Red
River, and made him long TO take Liz
zie and the kid in his arms and tell
them he was a free man.
He could see IL all so plainly as he
lay there with lightly-shut eyes, be-
cause he was trying not 10 look at the
cold, bare room with the suffering oc-
cupants.
Just up the muddy bank stood a shan
ty with gourd vine clambering over
II, and In the door stood tall woman
with red cheeks and bright black eyes
at whose feet rolled a small fat child
Al -.
colored hair Hike his own. He could al
most fancy he smelt the cabbages and
meat cooking for supper and hear his
dogs bark OF welcome. At this thought
a single tear rolled from the corner OF
his eye and made him screw IL up tight
er than ever.
He had been so comfortable and hap
py in his humble way-why had he
bothered about the past? IL he had new
er raked that up Lizzie wouldn't have
found the letter which he had foolishly
left in the pocket of hie only coat. She
hadn't been much OF a hand 20 clean
and mend his clothes and he had
thought IL safe there: but he should
have torn 1t up. How. angry she had
been.
"I don't know as my folks are bet
tern ther rest" she said, although ma
did raise me perticaller; but / never
hurd tell OF any of them marryin'
runaway convict. I surtinly didn't
know what low-down thing I was
choosin' for ther daddy OF my kid when
L tuck up with you."
Sammie had sunk weakly down on the
log by the door, and let his string Of
fish drop in the dirt. He had never
dreamed that Lizzie would take IL like
that--the disgrace OF II had never
troubled him much, only the fear or
being captured and taken back had
-, -. lxr< .x,1 1..x s1x.st
want Lizzie TO IVORY with him.
1t had all been so long ago; he had
been q kind of a porter in country
store and the clerk, man older than
himself. had befuddled him with liquor
and got him To assist in stealing some
cash and provisions. They had been
found out and he had run away. Yeas
ago. he told Lizzie. when he was a lit
tie boy and sick with pneumonia, the
fisherman who had him had turned
him out because he wasn't able to work,
and a planter in the front had taken
him in and been kind TO him until he
was well again.
HE was good 10 me-" Sammie said,
"and once when / heard some men
plotting to rob his store, told him. and
30 when I got In that other trouble and
ran away / went TO him again. He
took me in, just "a he done before, and
when he heard the man l had robbed
was on my track he came to my room
and told me there was only one square
and honest thing for me to do. and
that was TO go and give myself up and
stand my trial. So i went
II Thought he knowed best: but
am sorry now done II. II don't pay TO
be good just once in while. They give
me five years IN the 'pen,' and
couldn't stand IL. So, one day, two
years before my time was out. when
-. i&.< Y xxtx
them the slip. i never was sorry for IL.
I was Hest so glad to be out again. I
felt like singing day and night.
II worked hard, and then / met you,
Lizzie. and you know the rest; how
happy we've been in this little home,
and how fond OF the kid. But last year
I saw that man again, and when was
talkin' to him II come over me how aw-
full It would be to be tuck back, and he
promised me that he would try and git
me a pardon, so / needn't be all the
time skulxing and hiding back here.
but could look around and maybe better
myself when the kid was older and
needed schooling. So he wrote. but II
wasn't.no use. You've spelled this out"
touching the letter. 80 you know what
he says. No pardon can be con-s-i-d-
cred while the prisoner Is at large. SO
I must jest live on as have-that Amt
80 bad. Il Il, Nzzie?"
The mans eyes were mistful but the
woman's glistened with a fierce hope.
Down the river, half a mile away,
was Jack Boykins. with his new fish,
boat and bold black eyes. IL was dull
work being respectable and having one
husband always. No one else did In her
circle OF acquaintances and why should
she? Only yesterday Jack had asked
her to take up with him. Once rid of
Sammie she could be wife TO Jack, and
this child would not be In the way
rather a help, perhaps, In few years,
to pick up chips and scale flsh. Sam
N.Y." she said. there amt but one way
to make IL right and TO keep the kid
and me from being ashamed OF you. Go
back and work IL out. like a man. Two
years amt so long; IL don't seem but
er little while sence last spring-not
hardly emmy time sence we WIS mar
ried. I'll manage TO work hard them
two years and keep things together.
know the gentleman would say IL wuz
right fer you to 60 back"
The man trembled. Nature had made
him n moral coward-that was why he
had found his mistress I'm the bold. un-
scrupulous woman he had married and