The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-05-24
(Continued.)


soldier without thinking of my poor
brother, Jack, who, you know. ran
away and enlisted while / was quite a
little girl, and how miserably he died
in Africa. Oh, what pet used to be
of poor Jacks! II we had heard Of any
one who had been good to him at last.
how we should have blessed him! Do
tell me all about this poor fellow, and
ut us see if we can devise any way of
helping him"
Il am afraid he is pretty well past
help" SAID Richard. II left him I'M
conscious, and / should not be in the
least surprised IL he should never come
to himself again."
But surely he can't be left to him
self in an empty house, Richard! 1t
would be a sin and shame to leave
anybody so. He must be got to the in
firmary."
He won't go. have tried my best
to make him, but he is obstinate"
"Then we must bring him here. We
have more than one empty room, for
the house is far too big for us. Do let
me get bed put up in one of them"
why. Mary. you know we'll enough
we can't even keep ourselves! How
are We to keep and feed a stranger as
well?"
ooh. we must, Richard!" she cried
impulsively, her tender eyes filing
with tears. Think how forsaken and
wretched he is! Suppose it were your
brother-and he is your brother, even
IL he be what you call stranger. We
mustn't shut our door on him was
a stranger, and we took me not in
how could you bear to hear thas?"
She ran lightly out of the room to
give her orders and see them carried
out, leaving Richard sitting conscience
stricken in his chair. all his subtle ar
guments scattered to the winds by
single word
Took him not In" he echoed with a
bitter laugh "No, Lord | didn't take
him in! / knew trick worth two of
that: so I robbed and murdered him
inatead. and then swore lies about it at
the inquest. And the best of 1t was
that did 1t all from the most exalted
motives-to promote the greatest hap
piness of the greatest number. at no
expense except of the life of wretched
miser of whom the world would be we'll
aid. who was only burden to himself
and nuisance to everybody else!
How clear it all was! but / dare not
say 1t to Mary, and should hate her If
she could listen to 1t for second"
He lay back In his chair for mo-
ment with closed eyes, thousand old
world dreams and half-forgotten ideals
and aspirations crowding back upon
his memory and eircling round the
Image of his wife as he had first seen
and loved her. There were unaccus-
toned tears in his eyes as he opened
them to see her standing before him in
hat and cloak.
Come, Richard" she cried, you
must take me to the place at once.
There was some wine left, and have 1t
in this basket. have told Alice to
make up bed in the back room and
TO have some hot soup ready in an
hour Now get your coat on and take
me to the house. We shall need fly
to bring him here; but we can order
ahat on the way"
Her bright, quick eagerness carried
were passing through the streets and
had hailed a crawling cab, Richard
regarded his wife with kind of dazed
surprise. All the wan depression of
her face, which had weighed upon his
spirits for weeks, was gone, and
bright and almost joyous energy
seemed to possess her that reminded
him OF the Mary Of brighter days. He
seemed awakened from nightmare
as he looked after her, and sprang
lightly down to help her as the fly
drew up in the wretched street before
the empty house. Already the early
evening was clccing in, and 1t looked
;loubly desolate and forbidding in the
twilight. why, surely there is no one
living here!" she exclaimed; .'he must
indeed be in wretched plight, poor
fellow!"
Richard tried the door. but found it
locked. He had no recollection OF his
departure from the house in the morn
ing but on putting his hand in his
pocket he found the key which he
must have slipped into 1t on leaving.
They entered the bare outer room, and
nc could hardly hear his wife's ex-
clamation Of pity and diamay, his own
heart was humping so loudly with ter
yror and suspense Should they find
MIN still alive? His hard chook as he
Haid It on the handle Of the inner door
the lock ratified, and for moment he