The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1902-09-13


III fall and am killed. 50 much the
better!
He opened the door and went out
into the starlight.
He walked with his eyes bent upon
the ground, but overhead IL was one
OF those brilliant southern nights when
every space SO small that your hand
might cover Ii shows so cold white
points. and the Milky Way Is belt OF
sharp frosted silver. He passed the
door where Bonaparte lay dreaming
OF Trana and her wealth. and he
mounted the ladder steps. From those
he clambered with some difficulty on
10 the roof Of the house. it was OF old
/ rotton thatch with a ridge OF white
plaster. and IL crumbled away under
/ his feet at every step. He trod AZ heav-
! lly as he could So much the better IL
he fell.
4 He knelt down when he got 10 the
! far gable and began 10 fasten his
''riem" to the crumbling bricks. Be
/ low was the little window OF the loft.
| With one end OF the "riem" tied round
! the gable. the other end round his
waist. how easy 20 slide down 10 IL.
and 10 open IL through one OF the
broken panes. aud 90 20 in. and TO I'LL
1 his arms with books. and 10 Chamber
up again They had burned one book.
! He would have % Every mans hand
WINS against his. His should be against
every mans. No one would help him
\ lie would help himself
lie lifted the black. damp hnir from
his knit forehead and looked round to
I cool his hot face Then he saw what a
regal night Il was. lie knclt silently
and looked mp. 4 thousand eyes were
4 looking down az him, bright and so
cold There was laughing Irony in
them.
$50 hot. 50 bitter. so angry! Poor
little MORTAL
lie was ashamed lie folded his
arms md sat on the ridge of the roof
looking mp az them
80 hot. so bitter. 50 angryW
II was rs though n cold hand had
been laid upon his throbbing forehead,
ana slowly they began TO fade and
grow dim. Tnnt Snnnic and the burn
Ell book. Bonaparte and The broken
machine, the box in the loft he him
self sitting there-how small they all
became. even the grave over yonder.
Those stars that shouc on mp above so
quietly. they had seen thousand such
little existcnccs, 4 thousand such little
existcnces fight just SO tercely, fare
MP just so brightly and 80 out and
they. the old old stars. shone on for
ever.
$50 hot so angry. poor little soulr'
they said.
The "riem" slipped from his fingers.
lie sat with his arms folded looking
up.
We" said the stars. have seen the
earth when IL was young. We have
seen small things creep out upon It's
surface small things that prayed and
loved and cried very loudly and then
crept under II again. But we, said the
stars. "arc IA old NJ the unknown"
He leaned his chin against the palm
Of his hand and looked up ut them. So
long he sat there that bright stars so
and new ones rose. and yet he sat on
Then M last he stood up and began
10 loosen the "riem" from the gable.
What did Il matter about the books
The lust and the desire for them had
died out. III they pleased to keep them
from him. they might. What matter
II was very little thing Why hate
and struggle and fight? Let II bc AZ Il
would.
He twisted the "rlem" round his arm
and walked back along the ridge OF the
house.
by this time Bonaparte Blenkins ha,
finished his dream Of Trana, and as III
turned himself round for a fresh dos
he heard the steps descending the lad
der His first impulse was 10 draw
the blanket over his head and his leg
under him and 40 shout, hut, recolleet
ing that the door was locked ana th'
window carefully bolted, he Above,
his head slowly 10 crop out among TN
blankets ana listened inteutly Who
soever II might be- there was 40 DANCE
of their getting AZ him, 50 he clambcre,
ont OF bed and going on tipiOe 10 lh
door, applied his eye 60 the kcyhole
There was nothing 10 be seen; So
walking To the window, he brought mi
face rs close 10 the glass rs his nos
would allow. There was figure jus
disccrniblc The lad WAS not tryini
10 walk softly, and the heavy shuiilln
OF the well known 'velschocns" coul'
be clearly heard through the closc'
window rs they crossed the stones Il
the yard. Bonaparte listened till the
had died away round the corner OF til
wagon house, and, feeling that his bar
legs were getting cold, he jumped bac
into bed again.
"what do you keep mp in your loftF
inquired Bonaparte OF the Bocr woma
, the next morning, pointing upward an
elucldatlng his meaning 10y the add
tlon OF such Dutch words rs he knew
for the lean Hottentot was gone home