The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-11-21

side was as stiff as a board, so stiff
that / softly and carefully raised my
arm and felt-not the sofa, but straw.
And then came a sickening con-
seriousness that I was back in the
prison house. 7 picked up a bit OF
straw, but it felt soft and would not
yield to my pulling, and looking down
I had like to have cried out when I
saw in my hand a white and spotless
counterpart. rs, E&L
Perfectly quiet 1 lay, my mind work.
ing so fast that 1t panied me sorely.
Over my head I saw a roof, and then,
quick and fast, came the knowledge
that I lay on a great bed. with four
posts supporting a roof hung with
silsen curtains. I tried to move and
found. though I had no pain, that thes
wound was too stiff to allow me- to
turn, and, putting my hand to my side,
it met tight cloth bandages that ran
around me from groin to armpits, and
then UP over either shoulder and
around my neck.
There I lay with eyes shut, and
thought and thought. What could it
be? Wa I-could it be-could I be
losing my mind, and should I begin to
ask If some one would cut my dauEh-
ter's throat? Then I babe myself be
quiet, and held myself tense to see
to 'think-to realize the reality. But it
would not do, I could not bear it, and
cried out: ..... t@
Where am II"
That instant the curtain was pulled
back and I saw a face looking at me.
Then on h moment twas gone And
I fancied I heard the soft rustic Of, O
gown as the figure flew out through
the room. Was it Atherton? I strained
my weak head to think, to decide. I
could not tell. 1t must be, n yet
and yet it did not seem to be SO. and
the face that it resembled-aye! my
mind was gone stark mad. Twas the
face it could never bel! - '''
So I lay, turning a bit to one side
that I-might see the door as 1t stood
open into a hall with the sunlight
playing across the floor and dancing
upon the polished furniture. Gradual
ly I was straining myself out Of a mist
Of thoughts, when there came a rustic,
and two little faces peeped in at me,
and I not moving, they came on
through the .door-tWo little faces hung
about with fair curis, of golden
brown and n Of black, and carried
on little shoulders and little bodies
dressed in white gowns. .... :
There could be no doubt Of it-angals
they might be, but they We're two little
girls Of some 4 or 5 m I waved
my hand weakly to them, and asked
them to come and talk to me. My voice
had a strange and pitifully jaded
sound, and the smile that ran yer my
face seemed to crack he skin by the
unaccustomed wrinkles it created.
Come here, children" mumbled I,
"and tell me who was here but now"
They sided UP, holding tight to n
another's hands, the chubby little
fairy hanging back, both looking at me
with great startled eyes through the
fringes of curls-startled, but filled
with curiosity, too.
"Who was here but now, little ones?"
I asked again.
"Tante. She sits here all day and
every night always" said the older,
opening her eyes wide.
And the Iieber Gott," said the
chubby one. w
And who ?" a&' 49, s T.
""The Lieber Colt. Tante says He Ia
here with you all the time, too"
"Yeth, all the time" said the club
by one. "But we can't catch him.
we've tried every day." said the
other, as they began to grow conf
Dental. ~ 800,
"Yeth," said Chubby. We've twied
envy day."
1--WE thought we had found him
once" FL
"Yeth, we thought we'd found him
once" repeated little Echo, "but twas
a wat scwatchin', Tante said"
I lay back thanking God for T knew
not what.
"And who is Tante?" I asked, softly.
They looked at one another and took
a new grip on their hands.
She's ust: Tante,' said the older,
standing on the other white-socked
foot. ~ 3: 81
"Yeth, juth Tante," said Echo.
"And who are your
Were mudder's, dears," said the
older, simply, as she came to my bed
side. D..
God knows you are!' cried I, weak
~, and the tears rolled out Of my eyes
because I had no power to stop them.
I had to wait a moment, and then:
will you lean over n give me a
Ikiss?" and she did, but Chubby could
not reach and had to forego.
&"Is He here?" h asked confidential
ly. -.
'eWho| (
"The Leiber Colt. Tante says He
will cure you" ..H5. f. &.'
IT think He must be. I hope"
But IEcould not go on. Weakness
absurd weakness without pain, simply
a lack Of power-stopped me, and just
lFhen, closing my eyes, I heard the
rustleiof a dress and an anxious, nay
terrified whisper, saying:
Children, children, what have you
done? Haven't I told you never to
come in here? Where is Tante?"
"Thhe wan away and the Lieber Gott
did, too" said Chubby. Il r.
Continued Next ,Week.)
" ----~--
"reminiscences of Clay and Webster.
Washington Post: Rarely does a
more interesting visitor come to Wash