Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1901-10-09


| through a sight. but my time has come at
last. Such . pain In my head and stom-
ach. do believe I've got the scarlet
fever. and you must run for the doctor,
quick"
Scarlet feverr' repeated Billy, why,
, you've had IL once, and you can't have 1t
again, can your
oh. l don't know-I never was like
anybody else and can have anything a
dozen times. Now be spry and fetch tho
doctor; but before you go hand me my
SNUFF box and put the canister top heapin'
full Of tea into tho teapot"
Billy obeyed. and then, knowing that
the green tea would remove his mothers
ailment he hurried away toward Mrs.
Howard's. The sun was just rising.
Within the cottage there was no sound or
token Of life. and. thinking Its inmates
were asleep, Billy paused several min
utes upon the threshold. fearing that he
should disturb their slumbers At last.
with 4 vague pressntlment that all was
not right, he raised the latch and enter
ed, but instantly started back In aston
ishnent at the scene before him. On the
thundle bed lay Frank. cold and dead.
and near him, In the same long, dream
less sleep, was his mother, while between
them, with one arm thrown lovingly
across her brothers neck, and her cheek
pressed against his. lay Mary-her eye
| lids moist with tears which, though sleep
ing, she still shed. On the other side of
Frank, and nestled 30 closely to him that
her warm breath lifted the brown curls
from his brow, was Ella. But there were
no tear stains on her face. for she did not
| yet know how bereaved she was.
For a moment Billy stood irresolute.
and then, as Mary moved uneasily In her
slumbers, he advanced a step or two to-
ward her. The noise aroused her, and
instantly remembering and comprehend
| Ing the whole, she threw herself with a
! bitter cry into Billy's extended arms, as
If he aisne were all the protector she now
had In the wide, wide world. Ere long
Ella, too, awoke, and the noisy outburst
which followed the knowledge Of her loss
made Mary still the agony Of her own
heart In order to soothe the moro violent
grief of her excitable sister. Billy's
tears were flowing, too, but at length
rising up. he said to Mary, Something
must be DONE The villagers must know
/
while I tell them"
In half an hour from that time the
cottage was nearly filled with people,
| some Of whom came out Of Idle curiosity.
But there were others who went there
for the sake Of comforting the orphans
and attending to the dead, and by noon
the bodies were dscently arranged for
burial.
''There will be no trouble" said one, "in
finding a place for Ella, she Is so bright
and handsome; but as for Mary, I am
afraid she'll have to 90 to the poorhouse."
Were In condition to take either"
replied Mrs. johnson, II should prefer
Mary, for In my estimation she 10 much
the best girl but there !s the baby, who
must 20 wherever Mary does unless she
can be persuaded to leave her"
Before anyone could reply to this re-
mark Mary, who had overheard every
word, came forward, and, laying her
face on Mrs. Johnson's lap, sobbed out,
"Let me 20 with Alice; told mother I
would"
Billy Bender, who all this while had
been standing by the door, started for
home, never once thinking, until he
reached 1t, that his mother more than
six hours before, had sent him in great
haste for the physician. On entering the
house he found her, as he expected, rolled
up In bed, apparently In the last stage OF
scarlet fever; but before she could re-
proach him he said, Mother, have you
heard the newsT
Mrs. Bender had particular love fol
news, and nov forgetting how near ts
Il. ,tx. r
demanded, "What news? What has hap
penedT'
When Billy told her Of the sudder
deaths of Mrs. Howard and Frank, ri
expression of What? That all?" passef
over her face, and she said, Dear me
my snuff, Billy. Both died last night, die
they? Hain't you nothin' else to tell p
Yes, Mary Judson and Ella Campbell
too, are dead"
Mrs. Bender, who, like many others
courted the favor of the wealthy anC
tried to fancy herself on intimate terms
with them, NO sooner heard of Mrs
Campbell's affiction than her own dan
gerous symptoms were forgotten, and
sprnging up, she exclaimed. ELLA Camp
bell dead! What'll her mother do?
must go to her right away. Hand me m,
double gown there In the closet, and Civ,
} me my lace cap in the lower drawer. anC
mind you have the teakettle billed agin
get back"
Before you so anywhere. suppose yo,
stop at Mrs. Howard's and comfort pooi
, Mary, who cries all the time because sh,
and Alice have got to go to the poor
! house."
|, "Of course they'll go there, and they
ort to be thankful they've got SO good d
place."
, II want to ask you," said Billy, can
we-couldn't you take them for few
days, and perhaps something may turn
upT
: "William Bender" said the highly as
tonlshed lady, what can you mean? A
: poor, sick woman like me, with one foot
In the grave, take the charge of three
pauper children! sha'n't do 1t, and you
needn't think Of It."