The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

OF slow, fond, devoted nature He tovaa
his wife much as he had loved his home
He had never loved anybody else. He haa
CHOSEN her In the cradle. himself a stout
ielow nve years old. He could not con-
ceive OF life apart from her, vet in the
race OF this awful fear. he almost prayed
that she might never wake.
LORD Lord Take her rather m 10
send her mad" he duplicated. IL haven't
got home TO keep her In, I'd have 10
put her away, where folks might treat
her mean"
Suddenly the thought came. If he could
take her back among the old familiar
surroundings, she would awake. herself
lie looked out of the window His wagon
sun stood beside the yard gate. the mules
dropping their heads patiently and edging
away from the wind. He was alone with
hlien-tns Whartons had taken the baby
away to the back of the house He went
With hasty quiet through the door, out
to the wagon and threw on the upper load
Inen ne got blanket or two. went back,
muuied Ellen in them, bore her out dead
asleep and laid her gently on the billowy
feather beds. In a minute the wagon was
out on the road, headed for the old home,
the mules going at the swift, CHEEKY trot
or beasts chilled and eager for the COM
fort OF wonted stalls
Jimmy's mind was made up. He would
break In the door, make fire and leave
Ellen beside 1t. while he went to speak
with Abshire After all Abshire must be
human. When he heard what had hap
pened he would at least agree to let the
Dawsons stay the year through, working
the place on shares. Jimmy knew he could
be good tenant. Maybe by next Christ
mas Ellen would be strong again. 1t
might be. also, Abshire would relent so-
far as to keep them on until they them
selves chose to go. Lie must have some
body to work the land-.it was worthless
without And I'll work for him better'n
ever did for myself" Jimmy thought
II only he'll gimme leave to show"
The house stood around the shoulder OF
the hill. at the head of the valley through
which the millstream ran. II was the fall
In the stream that had tempted Jimmy
to his loss. II was In plain sight from
his house door, and he had thought ever
since he was a mill boy, going ten miles
with hts grist. what pity 1t was the
water power was not harnessed and made
TO serve its neighbors Abshires big new
house stood some hundred yards higher
up the valley. The Dawson homestead,
broad. low, rambling, did shut Il away
from at least half the prospect down
stream. The valley opened out In broad
smiling vtstas below the little rocky rise
on which 1t was built.
BY the road Jimmy was travelling you
came almost upon the house before you
saw It, The sun had left the valley. but
II was still full of drear winter daylight.
Jimmy shut hts eyes a moment. recalling
how II must look He knew every aspect
by heart. He had never been SO much as
nifty miles away from it. Hand in hand
OF H. bench and level and hill slope, or
sat In hts rough porch. watching Il grow
green In spring sunshine. or laugh into
summer ieafags, or rustic with fat har.
vests In the red and russell time. He had
watched through the rain. and the fine
weather In the snow, at dawn. at dark
There was no need to open his eyes
would Keep the road Of their own mo-
tion--besides, he could drive there II It
were black dark and himself stone blind.
now. The road made sharp turn there
The drew q little on the near rein, aud
smiled to feel the wagon swing without
Suddenly the mules snorted, stopping
IN their tracks. Jimmy was almost
pitched upon their backs As he scram-
ing noise-a hot red flare Sruck him
with the sting OF lash. He stared q
minute, MISUNDERSTANDING, then fell back.
leaped, licking, darling. from every win
dow OF his house. The roof was smoking
furiously. In another minute the fire
ding other fires in the outhouses. Alb
shire watched them, his hands In his
pockets, a faint gratified smile about his
The mules backed and trembled. and
even reared little. but Jimmy drove
them relentlessly forward. The road was
so narrow he must drive into the lot be-
fore he could turn. Abshire stood at the
gate of IL. He started ut sight Of Jim
my. Left anything" he asked. II hope
II was nothing of consequence. You see
I'm making clean sweep
Pillars OF nre shot up from the house.
painting all the dull valley with their
own scarlet glow. They were so fierce
the wind could scarce bend them even
at the tip and make of them flaming
banners In the sky. The house was tim
der-dry, and burned with roar like that
of hurricane II reused Eilens numb
ed senses She struggled up to her
knees. looking wildly about her, then
with loud scream leaped to the groaRh
and darted toward the door. shrieking,
My baby Ny little baby, Have you
left IL there to burnY'
Jimmy held her, struggling and pant
ing "The baby died-and she KENT out
OF her head he said TO Abshfre duly.
II fetched her back---I thought IL might
help her--and that maybe you
1T was foofiS.i, and perfectly useless"
Abshire said, irritably. See here. Daw-
son. cant you understand you~-this
house--was in my way. l determined to
buy and burn II as soon as I began bnild-
Ing You can easily find a better one.
YOU have still some money.
Excuse my comm. MIR Abshire,F Jim
my said, lifting his wife into the wagon