The Saint Paul globe., 1902-06-03
The Globes Daily Short Story

-
ne Iald his hand upon the sheet to lift
1t from the dead cnu0 S face, a big sob
rlgldly suppressed, came up in his throat
He had forgotten his mother; he had for
gotten even that he had killed his broth
ef; ne was only remembering one fact
that, after this final leave-t taking, he
would be without friend or sympathizer
In the world; that, for the last time he
was going to hold Freddy's nesting. CON
hiding little hand in his
he raised the discreet sheet and reyRSI-
ea the peaceful little face. The suppressed
soD IN ms throat became a gasp The
cIllld Qld not look as he had expected 1t
HaS Z e, t9eGoy &c S lace, but it was not Fred
oy. StlIl, full of the impulse tnat had
Drought nm out of his bed in search of
the child, he sought, and for a moment
lald MS rough palm upon the tiny. waxen.
myers clasped rigidiy upon the little
Then he cried out like anv terrf6a5
enid and snatching back MS nand turn
ed 10 the weeping woman beside him
II is cold, he burst out, like ice
mother, 1t is ice!' And he drew aVay
IulI oI horror and gazed at the little form
III iasclnaton-aL tine form that was III
unlike, Freddy. Mother Ne crfed
Mother. Is that cur Freddy? Is that
and he fell into a CONFUSION of weeDiue-
casting himself into the arms held oi,. -
hln' and burying his head on his moth
er,s breast.
She held him to her until the paroxvsna
ldu passed, weeping quietly herseIr -ard
soothing him as only moIners can MIA
maternal instinct was now fully arouse,t
~ IN HGI: ana sne would have done battle
to tor TINS lad OF hers, till the death. But
the Doy was not used 10 giving ven+ tn
ms IeeHngS, and in moment or two ba
got hlmsef IN hand and though she tried
70 prevent II, returned again to hig INT
speGll9ll sLtaI3 oI those familiar, yet strangely
altered features, looking so peaceful but
so -terrlDIe In the moonlight.
and did it, he cried Dresen+I,y
0SGtisIIng 0t again into CONFUSION of sobs,
IN; mother, mother, did l do that?"
oilI Sdlu more comforting words 10 him.
lying 70 draw him back into her arms
Eut he would not-Ouly stocd staring
Nun Slralhng, steamj1g eyes at the paIe
httI4 eitigy before him
You did not mean TO-" the mother in
SlSteu over and over again, passi iunateIv
Deht upon removing the eject Of her
carrier accusation "Fdia darIin1 ,,o,,
did not mean to- 00~
But L did it, the boy assevcrated re-
PealedIy' between his bursting sobs Il
ana GO It, did that to Freddy. You l,a.I
told me not to touch the gun. Yo1 had
Ioiu me-you an father"
y olVlne inspiration of comfort came
theh 70 the Tepentant mother. Drawingr
qulle , Ii eiase to the boy She laid her hand
lFon his arm, pressing it a little al If t0
command his full attention
YES she agreed, Il told you. Edie.
IhaC IS so, ald You disobeyed me Rut
had told father too. never to leave tbe
gun loaded about the house - '-'
Inc boys face flew around tn hers
an he didn't mind?" he cried eagerly.
GISroHne Wilde shook her head
NO she answered graveIy. che didn't
n1nd. And" here the words Aoygei 80
Iteeiy. The mother was Obliged to catc5
her breath and hesitate an instant befora
SVLiiiiHlg. But she nad admitted her debt
- 1DlS roy OF hers, and she was bound
70 Fay and" she went on Dregentiy,
HTry slowly nut with wonderful frmness'
ESt9 told Freddy. too. to come directIv
t0rnb an az teI me II ever he saw you
An he didn't mind?" The re,etition
Oh the phrase was almost Joyous
70 replied the bereaved woman.
cLushlhS ruthlessly back the tender mem,
GIleS associated with the Thought of INA
mind, either" ~
? IheLe III ere was a moments pause The boy
Iao gwen vent to one quick sharn half
SOD, haIf-sigh of relief II is a distinct
cohsoIatlon to feel ones sins shared
and mid lhe responsibility Of an act divided,
eynaI,, 1ir az expression which perhaps no one
e1cePt the little boy who had so overact
eu the SWISS patriots son had ever he
Iore perceived upon it. came over tha
IIgusn To- tear-stalned face and ennobIed it.
he glanced first toward the cOmuOled
Icrm lying so still beneath its Gheet
ana then upon his mother His face was
lar from beautiful, but the woman saw
H. II grace she had never believed it
her cOmDunctiOn
But it wasn't Freddy's fault at ALL
ne sald earnestly, bent upon exoneratinp
t,I6.,lI tIe IlttIe Iad' and avertng from him that
Dldne whose weight he knew so well him
sen. lie was such a little chap am [
was always getting him to do things
~ You couIdn expect little feller like tnat
10 mind when l kept leading him into
mlschlet. An he didn't want me ia rofnf
the gun at him, neither He kept a-askir'
me not to make him be William ,TeII7z
son. you haven't any right to lay any
OF the blame on him, mother. YoIt
naVent I bit O. right, L say. 1t was an
my fault. tell you. Poor-littIe-Fredi :
Nothln' but a baby, anyway
In f1alt Il an hour later-Caroline Wilde had
Ialn tnat length of time upon the ont
slde oI neF eldest sons bed, talking to
ana comforting him-When he returned III
ner own chamber, before resuming her
I'd tta upUit pm tne cohJugaI couch, She rous-
eu uie partner OF her joys and sOrrOvs bv
administering to him rather Vigorous
shaking. Strenuous measures were ever
necessary to awaken Josh Wilde from his
See here, JOSH" said She having con
Vlnced herself that he was lending not
only an attentive but an intelligent ear
@ ~ Her aumonltlOns. Il want ter tell yer
something before l forget 1t. Don't you
never say anything to Edie again about
What ne done today. I've been a-taIkin'
WITH him, an he hadn't any idea u
dom any harm with that there prn
Just you let him alone about N a1, fq
IolkS nave anythin' ter say ter you again
the boy you caFSend them ter me that's
what you can do dyer hear? Twas as
much your fault as his anyhow. leavin'
loaded gun a-lyin' round loose like that.
WHAT'S Edle but a kid, anyway"
Joshua responded with q prilnt Mrs
Wilde crawled over him to her place
against the wall. Above stairs Eden law
already peacefully asleep. Below. in a
silent chamber a little body Law also
TRANQUILITY at rest; perhaps its mission
upon earth had been more successfully
accomplished than if it had tarried long
err AT least 1t had turned a wayward
current Of life back from a false issue
to it's proper healthful course Many old
persons die without doing as much.