Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-03-06

rect them prevented trouble. Her vel
drilled sight and muscles stood guarG
while she dreamed.
| In the middle Of the afternoon q com
motion arose at the farther end Of the
great room. People ran about, and
there were excited shouts and one
shrill, clear, frightened cry like a
child's. Jess eyes and ears were un-
trained to such sounds. They failed to
reach her. She worked on dreamily
Some one beside her shook her arm
and shrieked at her.
"Jess! Quick, Jess! Somebody's
caught in the shaftin. Let's go-oh
hear 'em shoutin! Hurry, can't you"
But Jess woke slowly from hel
dreams. She was the last one to mix
In the excited little crowd. The girls
and men were waiting for her with
solemn faces. They made straight
path for her to the motionless form Oh
the floor. The little un. with torn
clothes. stumbled out Of somebody's
arms and met her half way.
"I'm killed! Oh, Jess. I'm killed" he
sobbed tumultuously. His poor little
twisted body was quivering like little
shriveled leaf in the wind. I'm killed
all to pieces-lt kept goin round und
round. 1t wouldn't stop-Jess, Jess
| listen"
But the girl had thrust him aside and
darted ahead to Johnny. on the floor
He lay In crushed heap. and even the
men covered their eyes. One or two
were sobbing like the little un.
"Where we goin to carry him to-?
muttered Tim Bradlee huskily. John.
ny didn't have no home nor no folks"
He used the past tense unconscious.
ly. This was not Johnny now-it had
been. The girls stood about, wiring
ing their hands Historically.
HE warn't worth it-such q. little
humpbacked thing" somebody said
shrilly.
"Sh. can't you? Do you want Jess
to hear?' cried some one else. But
there was no danger. Jess was wiping
the blood from Johnny's face. She
had only heard Tim Rradlee. With a
sudden movement she stood before him
Garry Johnny to my house, Tim"
she said quietly. "He belongs to me.
I'm goin to marry him."
The girls voice rang out distinctly.
There was no culver Of doubt or of
shame in it. She faced them all splen-
dldly. One of the girls uttered a ner-
vous sound that might have been sob
or a laugh. Jess caught the look on
her face.
81 am goin to marry Johnny" she
repeated sharply. "Oh, you needn't
look that way, Moll Dixey! Johnny
amt dead. He belongs to me, and
tell you I'm goin to marry him. Won't
somebody carry him to my house? Has
anybody gone for q doctorT'
Eyes, yes, two Of the boys" volun-
teered many voices. "He'd ought to be
here inside O. the 'arf our. Stiddy,
boys--easy"
If Johnny had been baby instead
Of q brawny, crushed giant, they could
not have carried him more tenderly
down the straight road outlined In
crimson and gold. Relays followed,
and the poor. unconscious load was
shifted occasionally with the gentle
ness Of mothers handling their babies.
Jess and the little un went on ahead.
The child was sobbing still under bis
breath, and his little torn clothes trail
ed, unnoticed, behind him. The hor-
ror of the terrible minute before John
ny sprang to his rescue was overkeen
for his unbalanced little mind.
"I'm killed! I'm killed!' he moaned
with patient reiteration. you'd just
as lieves I'd be killed, Jess; yes, you
would too! You amt sorry"
And Jess was not even thinking Of
the little un. She had forgotten him
for once.
When Johnny woke out Of his stupor,
he thought he had gone to heaven and
one of the angels was bending over
him. She was very sweet and gentle.
Why. it Is Jess! Then Jess had gone
to heaven too? Johnny experienced a
sense of relief at the thought. It
wouldn't be real heaven without Jess.
"Jess. little girl" he whispered,
"when'd you Gomez"
Ssh! Johnny, don't talk. Yes, it's
M, 70 n
You've had kind 90 sickness. Sh!
And Johnny closed his eyes again,
with a great Joy mastering his pain.
Slowly. very slowly, his awful bruises
yielded to the gentle ministry of na-
ture-. and Jess. Very slowly Johnny
numbered back to life. The little settle.
ment Of Liberty had been under snow
IL month or more before he saw 1t
again.
At first Jess had staid away from
the works to nurse him; then she had
gradually trusted him more and more
to granny. She could not lose the mon
ey she earned at the looms.
One day Johnny sat up In bed and
demanded a looking glass. Jess was
at the factory. The little un sat on the
foot Of the bed playing with bit OF
bright string.
"Say. little un, you know what q
lookin glass Is. hey? Well, you run
and fetch me one" said Johnny.
81 knoww the little un cried delight
edly. "I've got one myself. 1t came
out O. winder, and you can look
through it and see the trees and the
snow
"No, no! Ask granny. Grannyll
know" the sick man said fretfully.
Granny came in with the looking
glass, as u last resort, behind her, for