The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-23

wheels would start up.
What a pretty spray of flowers you
are painting" he said, as he examined
her work.
do you think SOP" she answered,
and then smiling, Il am so glad you
like them. But they are not finished.
Here l will paint a spring of water
cool, pure water that comes out of the
rocks like our spring in the street."
1T will be beautiful" he said. And
then he kissed her and went back to
his work She started to paint again
The whistles were blowing and the men
and women were reluctantly leaving
the sidewalk spring.
AS he passed out of the courtyard
he stopped to take another drink from
the spring. 1t was as strangely out of
place there as was the old mansion in
which they lived. From a crevice be-
tween the great slabs of rock in the
curbing cool stream of water dashed
out. 1t had washed little basin in the
rock and then flowed rapidly down the
street until it was lost in the brownish
limpid stream that poured out of the
factories.
The days dragged along and she was
still painting by the window. He
worked away in the pottery and every
noon they ate their lunch at the little
WITH ldDIG WIlSIG lie IldQ DIOuSIll LIlc
water from the Sidewalk spring. She
was paler and the lines in her face had
grown deeper and her hand trembled
more than ever. Some days she was
forced to rest and when she did her
eyes would seek the green fields across
! the river where the children still romp-
ed among the flowers. Then she would
return to her work-painting the flow
ers she longed to be among.
One day while the men and women
were busy in the potteries a cart drove
down the street and stopped before
the old mansion. She stopped her work
and watched it. A man took out two
picks and some crow bars and then
dumped a pile of sand in the street and
| drove away. A little later more men
came and with the picks and bars be-
gan to prize away the stones where the
water gushed out. She saw them and a.
look of fear came into her face. The
water was still spouting from the rocks
but it was brown and dirty like that
which came from the stream below the
I factories. She saw it all now. They
were tearing the spring away. Tears
came into her eyes. 1t was the one
! thing that was so like the fields across
the river and now they were tearing
| it away
The whistles blew and the men and
| women and the boys and the girls
rushed out with their buckets. They
saw what was being done and there
was almost a riot Men stormed at the
workmen and women berated them.
Some of the boys and girls threw
| stones at the men in the center of the
crowd. One of the workmen told them
| that the street commissioner had or
| dered it cut off because it was making
! the bed of the street sink below the
/ level required by law. This did not sat
! 1sfy the crowd. Their voices grew
/ louder and the foreman came out to see
| what was the matter. Some one struck
che of the workmen. Then the police
came and the crowd was driven back
and the city's men continued theiI
work.
He entered the room to have his
lunch with her. She looked at him and
the tears were streaming down her
| face.
What will they do now; what will
they do now" she moaned.
He could not answer and they ate
their lunch in silence She had beer
painting and the vase was finished, The
work was very beautiful There was
the spray of forget-me-nots growing
in the green turf and beneath it the
water pure as crystal was dashing out
va WllllC pCUDlGS. ne LOOK IL away
with him to deliver to the head decora-
tor.
After he had gone she looked down
at the spring. The men had gone and
the two great rocks had been priced
together. The little basin the spring
had made was dry and gray like the
stones in the narrow street. She laid
her arms in the window and rested her
head upon them. For long time she
was very still. 1t was impossible to
work. After awhile she lifted her eyes
and looked across the river to the fields
The sun was sinking in the Redeemed
sky, leaving a long golden ray on the
meadow where the children romped. She
watched them intently. Three of the
little holiday makers climbed down the
cliff and knelt before a spring that
dubbed out of the rocks right at the
edge of the river. She saw them drink
ing it's cool waters and then returning
to the flowers. The sun was getting
lower and the sky was a deeper blue.
Long, slanting shadows came from the
sun as it drew up into the heavens the
water that it sent back to the earth
clear and pure.
Her eyes closed and her head. droop-
ing slowly, fell heavily on her arms.
The whistles blew and the men and
women and the children came out and
gathered about the ruined spring. They
were silent and sad. He came into
the courtyard and up the rickety stairs
into the room. He saw her at the win
dow, and leaning over her shoulders
kissed her forehead. 1t was cold. He
took her in his arms and laid her on
the couch. Then he knelt by her body
and laid his head on her breast.
The old man that looked after the
house came into the room. He saw
what had happened and shook his head
He, stroking her hair. looked up and
his face was white and wet with his
tears
poor girl, poor little girl" said the
old man.
"she is in the green fields beyond
the river" he said.
And then he looked out of the win
dow and saw only the dark outline OF
the shore beyond the river where the
ships bells were ringing out the hour
of the night.