The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-23
Our Daily Short Stories
THE SIDEWALK SPRING.
BY WELLS J. HAWKS.
Copyright. 1901. by Authors syndicate.)

stone steps, a typical relic of colonial
4 DAYS, the old residence seemed strange
4 " out of place in the heart of the man
4 ufaeturing section. Above it lowered
y 4he chimneys of the factories and
4 around it were the massive brick build
ings that shut out the sunlight and
made the courtyard as dark and dreary
as a rainy day.
Dilapidation and ruin had done their
work and decay was marked on every
side of the old structure. The shut
ters hung unsteadily on rusty hinges
and the windows were stuffed here and
there with rags. The courtyard was
Uttered with old wood and prints of
horses hoofs. for though the old house
was still used as a residence most of
the rooms were rented out for storage.
1t was sultry August day and the
cir was heavy and like the breath from
furnace. Above the housetops the
smoke from the chimneys hung mo-
tionless. as if waiting for some breeze
4 TO carry it to the river and the hills
\ beyond. Through the open doors of
the factories scores of men and wo-
men were at work at tables. Men hur.
ried about with great buckets of clay
and boys were seen in the aisles be-
tween the tables carrying to and fro
the gracefully shaped products of the
4 potter's handiwork. The whistles blew
for noon, the wheels came to a stand
still and all was quiet The workmen
hastened out of the doors for a breath
t. T. -
steps and in the doorways while they
ate their midday lunches.
On the pavement before the old
house a group of men sat on the curb
n ing eating their bread. Now and then
boys and girls would edge their way
into the group and scoop up water that
/ seemed to be almost in the gutter of
the narrow street. Then they would re-
/ turn to their places and continue the
lunch while they took deep draughts
from their buckets.
Presently a tall, thin young man,
whose face was pinched and bore the
scars of battles with poverty, came out
OF the factory and went into the court
yard and up the stone steps. Then he
came out with a tin bucket and, filing
ii at the sidewalk spring, returned to
the house. More men gathered about
the spring with their buckets and took
BY window in the second story of
the old house a woman sat at a table.
She was slight of figure and hard work
had coarsened the once delicately
drawn features. Her hair was brushed
straight back from her forehead, which
was white and smooth save for wrin-
kles that care had cut just above the
eyes One lock of her light hair hung
loosely over her face. Resting on the
K Ill IL.
baked in the ovens until it had a
strange yellowish tint. She held it by
81 the top, giving it a slight slant as she
" painted on the side a spray of forget
81 rae-nots She stopped her work, laid
the brush on the saucer and looked out
n of the window. An expression of sad
ness, one that carried with it unsatis-
fed longings and coveted hopes, came
across her face.
Through a vista by the dull walls of
the great factories and the steep CHM
neys she saw the river and beyond the
81 green fields. The inflowing tide threw
Il a long white line on the red banks as
it washed into the shore. The meadows
were filled with romping children, who
pulled the flowers and tossed them
carelessly in the air. The woman at
the window sighed and leaned forward
as if to get closer to the picture before
her.
Hearing a footstep she turned and
saw him come with the bucket of cool
water.
"Ah, john" she said, 'it has been a
hard day, hasn't it?"
Yes" he answered, there doesn't
seem to be breeze"
1T is so beautiful and cool across
/ the river" she said, pointing out OF
/ the window. Look. See how the chill
dren are playing in the flowers"
He did not look, but laid his hand
tenderly on hers. 1t was feverish and
trembled beneath his touch. He sighed
and she, turning, looked at him with q
I smile upon her face.
All it is wrong of me to worry you,'
she said. Dear, patient John, you are
so good to me. Come, we must have
I our lunch"
She arose and he took the chair al
the other side of her work table and
looked steadily at the vase. She put
her arms about him and kissed his
forehead, while he held her hands
Then she went across the room and
began to bring the little lunch TO tine
table.
And now he was looking at the fields
across the river. HIS tnougnls Meie
of her. Five wears and they had beer
working together. Finally she could no.
stand the close, sitting air OF the pot
terry. SO he had taken the room for heI
in the old house. Here he brought mel
the work and carried it back again. de
had taken a little room on the lower
floor to be near her. He had not tolo
her what the doctors had said. his
heart failed him every time he looked
into her pale face. And then he had
hope that they might be wrong. He
was working so hard for the day whef
he could take her away-to the greer
fields over the river-and where ne
could call her his for ever.
Il don't know what we would az
without the spring" she said as sh'
put the bread before him. "1ts water IL
as cool as ice"
II She took a drink from the bucket and
remarked: "Ah. il is so refreshing.
II The little meal was over and JONI
III arose to return to his work. The wills