Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-04-05
eve must 90 for the police" he sotd.

Eve must 90 tor. the police, )" he sotd.
"Davi>" be said, II fear something
has happened. Don't blub." as clutch
ed him by the arm and turned a ter
rified face up to his. 1T may be moth
ing much. We shall see. Are. you
afraid to go in through that window
and open the back door for me?'
was. but had some pride. SO |
gasped out. NO"
Good lad" and he patted me en-,
coNragingly on the back. "Come he:'
and will help you. There's nothing
to be afraid Of" he added consolingly
"Your mother and the girl have evil
IDENTIFY gone out together. We will get
in and wait until they return. Now,
then, one, two and up"
The window was some five feet from
! the ground. but with his aid quickly
scrambled across the sill and peered
into the room. Reassured by what
saw, which was the scullery in its
usual state of perfect tidiness, got
through the window with little diff.
Guilty and let myself down upon the
table which stood beneath. Then. with
nothing more than a hurried glance
about me. ! dashed through the kitch.
en-. out into the passage and opened
the back door. My Uncle Jim imme.
diately entered. y
For a moment he seemed to hesitate
looking about him for some sign OF
token. Then he went along the pas.
sage to the front Of the house calling
loudly, but receiving no reply sprans
to the stairs and without word
mounted to my mothers room. Ar.
irving there. he stopped for momen,
Or two and contemplated the closed
aoor: then he knocked gently thereon
No reply coming he knocked louder
! louder, and then he turned the handle
Peeping behind him, / saw that the
room was still shrouded in gloom, the
blinds being closely drawn. He called
her by name. but his voice sounded
hollow and ghostly as it circled round
! and round the oppressive chamber. Nc
sound came from the bed, no move
! ment. He turned and drew up the
blind and let food Of light into the
dark room, and as it lit up the bed !
saw it fall upon tress of my mothers
hair. which dropped back over the Pill
low. She was lying there enveloped in
the counterpart. her form clearly out
lined beneath the clothes; but she was
so still, so dreadfully still.
Uttering an involuntary cry sprane
across to her, and before my uncle
| could prevent it I had snatched the GOV,
! ering from her head. A CHASTITY white
face met me, two vague. distorted eyes
stared up into mineeyes in which
| glared too plainly the hideous placidity
! Of DEATH
''She is Dead" walled, "she is
dead" and. unable to look death in the
face. fell upon my knees by the bed
and buried my face in my hands.
| Presently my uncle touched me or
the shoulder AS ! looked up at him
with blurred eyes it seemed to me that
his erstwhile jovial face was CHASTITY
with pain or rage.
do you know what has happened?' p
he said. his voice cold and cutting as
death itself. And not waiting for an
! answer he at once replied to his own
query. Your mother has been muir.
dered!'
"Murdered!" gasped.
"Yes. murdered:"' be repeated. Look
Don't be afraid. she cannot hurt you
Look-and remember
! He drew me close to the head of the
bed. and once more | gazed upon the
deathly pale face. the distorted eyes
which. seen through mist of tears.
were awful in the extreme. AS | stared
down at the pale face could not quite
| realize that this was death or what
death really was. but vague, sicken-
| ing sense of loss numbed all my ener-
gies and filed the world with a vague
desolation. 1t was the first time l had
gazed upon death, and tried to learn
it's meaning. She was there. my moth
er, the sweet soul had known so long.
had loved so dearly. Save for that un-
wonted pallor. those fixed eyes, there
was no difference in her. Yst she
knew me not: she would know me no
more. | might weep, l might pray, but
she would heed me not. And though
in life was her all in all had passed
from her. as it were; was that Of
| which she knew not. This was death
J. See" said my uncle. whose voice
vas low and charged with deep emo