The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-09

getically to the Whartons. 'It's-its
the most we have got left of him. AL
ways, when he fell asleep on the floor
his Dullet would so and perch on his
shoulder, and stay quiet till he walked"
Jim took his wife in his arms, heed
less of other eyes. "Elleni" he said;
"Elleni Wife, You-you better stay
here with Mrs Wharton I'll go on
and see about things"
You must St6y." DR.. Wharton said.
He sac that the poor creature was
quite out of mind. Rest and quiet
might bring her reason. With
| infinite sympathy ic pains she was
coaxed to swallow a sleeping draft,
and sit easily in the chimney corner,
hugging the dead child close to her
J breast. To humOr and soothe her the
hen was brought In and set where she
could touch the basket with her foot.
Jimmy stood back of her, his big hands
fOndling her hair with clumsy tender
ness Presently her head fell. back,
I her arms relaxed, the little white face
/ dropped so the waning daylight touch
ed it.
Ellen did not stir as Mrs Wharton
/ took it away. you'll let US bury it
beside our little one" she said to Jim
my. in a hushed whisper. He nodded
alphabetically. His one thought now
was Ellen. He was of a slow. fond de-
voted nature. He loved his wife much
as he had loved his home. He had
never loved anybody else. He had
chosen her in the cradle. himself a
stout fellow ; years old. He could not
conceive of life apart from her, vet
in the face of this awful fear he al
most prayed that she might never
wake.
Lord! Lordl Take her rather n to
send her mad!' he duplicated. ct
hain't got home to keep her I'M I'd
have to put her away, where folks
might treat her mean"
i l.,
could take her back among the old,
familiar surroundings, she would
awake. herself. lie looked out of the
window. His wagon still stood beside
the yard gate, the mules dropping
their heads patiently and edging away
from the wind. He was alone with
EIlen-the 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 off
the upper load. Then he got a blanket
or two. went back, muff1ed 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 Tor the old home,
the mules going at the swift, CHEEKY
trot of beasts chilled and eager for
the comfort of wOnted stalls.
Jimmy's mind was made up. He
would break in the door, make a
fire and leave Ellen beside it, 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 in shares Jimmy
knew he could be good tenant May
De by next Christmas Ellen would be
strong again. It might be, also, Abb
shire would relent so far as to keep
them on until they themselves chose to
CO. He must have somebody to work
the land-it was worthless without.
"And I'll work for him better'n ever l
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 mill stream ran. II
was the fall in the stream that mad
tempted Jimmy to his loss. 1t was IN
plain sight from his house door, and he
had thought ever since he was a mill
boy. going ten miles with his grist,
what a pity It was the water power
was not harnessed and made to serve
its neighbors. AD5hire's big new house
stood some hundred yards higher up the
valley. The Dawson homestead, broad,
low, rambling, did shut it away from
aft least half the PROJECT down stream.
The valley opened out in broad, Sm1l-
ing vistas below the little rocky rise
on which il was built.
By the road Jimmy was travelling
You came almost upon the house be-
fore you saw-it. The sun had left the
valley. but it was still full of drear win
ter daylight Jimmy shut his eyes a
rooonent recalling how it must look.
re knew every aspect By heart He
had never been so much as nifty miles
away from it. Hand in hand with FL
len, he had roamedt over eVeay foot OF
n. bench and level and hill slope, or
Saf in mis- rough porch. watching it
grow green in spring sunshine. or
laugh into summer LEAKAGE, or rustic
win fat harTests in the red and rus
set time. He mad watched through the