The Washington times., 1902-01-19

still and warm. Rain had melted ava,
the snow, and an April mist was RISING
;, from the ground and spreading over the
iowiands. Toward the east and south
> oelt OF fog was massing below the ris-
: ing moon. Above it the sky was clear
and the stars shone bright Tom was
r sleepy and dull. and he trudged alons
the well known road. his hands in his
pockets and bag under his arm, until
he reached the cottage. Frequent vista
r tions had overcome all fear. and going to
his familiar window, he entered The
moon partially lighted the house. The
smell OF wood fire was in the room, but
Tom did not perceive it. On the table Law
a large meerchaum pipe. but he had no
eyes for it.
He struck match, and reached for
the hand lamp on the mantel. IT was not
there, but on the table. He made no de-
duction from this fact. but lighted it and
entered the storeroom. His small thefts
had not materially reduced the suppy. He
tied up the last Of the meal, however, in
his bag. emptied some beans into a bas-
ket, helped himself to -four and pork
and then stopped to survey the remaining
articles. He had grown boIder with each
visit, until the stores seemed to belong to
MIN. He lifted the Jug of molases and
felt of the cans of tea and coffee. The
hshing tackle had long tempted him, and
ne began to overhaul it. He had put
what he most needed into his pockets.
and further tempted. he stepped into the
living room where the tobacco lay. He
was calmly biting off a generous piece.
while crowding another piece into his
pocket, when heavy hand fell on his
PACK, and the stern voice CT a man made
his heart jump, then almost cease to beat,
1t was the owner of the cottaEe. this
Tom saw at half glance.
Much too place in a moment The in
| nnf of cole
ter OF his strength developed at the oar.
and like flash he struck blindIy with
his right hand. threw off the mans hold.
and sprang through the window to the
veranda- pistol shot grazed his cheek.
! terrifying him to madness, and he ran
| swiftly toward the shore, where bold.
! overhanging rocks met the water. Once
he looked behind him: his assailant was
| following him with a swiftness equal
to his own He gained the shelter of
/ the rocks, trying to lose himself among
| the shadows. but the man was close
upon him. Neither spoke. Tom was cor
nered. He had gone as far cut on the
shelving rock as he could get He knew
the place we'll. Many times had he fshed
in the deep Gunner pool below. In his
terror he would have leaped into the
sea, but the water was far below him, and
the swift ebb tide was running There
was no time for thought. He crouched
behind big rock, but he was dragged
forth, and the man and boy clinched
Give up" breathIesly said the man.
~ know you; give up,'
Tell wild animal at bay to give up!
Tom fought for freedom. He did not
reason; he felt. His opponent was mus
cular, but Tom was hardened By exposure
and work, and terror added to his
strength Over the rocks they wrestled,
now in the moonlight. now in the shad-
ows. 1t was fight to the death. Once
Tom gave muffied cry. The pool.' but
his warning was too late. Still strug-
Cling. they went over the brink together
into the running ebb tide ten feet below.
The fall separated them. Each one
fought now for personal safety. Tie man
was all unused to the sea, and entirely
unacquainted with the shore. Tom at
once disappeared from sight. Once.
twice. the swimmer called for help, but
the splash OF the waves and the hollow
moaning of the sea were his only answer.
He fought hard in the moonlight, then
sank in the shadows. The swift ebb tide
did the rest. The silence of the night
reigned supreme.
Tom did not return, and the waiting
mother had terrible suspicious. At noon
neighbor asked for Tom; she lied, and
said he had gore to the cove. Later she
found that his skiff was missing, and gave
out that he had gone claiming ION tn
ebb.''
BY night the disappearance Of the cot
tager was on every tongue. Part of his
clothing was found. The many signs OF
& struggle and the open window created
4 great sensation. The mother heard it
ALL To her discerning heart it was no
mystery. She knew. She shielded Tom
by lies. His absence occasioned comment,
but no one linked his name with the ap-
parent tragedy of the night. She swore
that he had gone to Little River for
clans, but in her heart she believed him
dead. But she did not know. She did
not know how he swan in the shadows
to safe landing; how he fled in his
light skiff, wet and exhausted, to the
wide arms of the sea for protection; how
like wild animal of the chase he was
urged on and on by the mad impulse to
escape until he was forced to stop for
sheer exhaustion. Neither could she
know how he found shelter and bare sub
sistence on the wooded shore of the out
ermost island, five miles !. ON home. with
only the ocean beyond. She thought him
dead; he was, yet he ate and slept and
The days went by. The wretched mother
made a heroic struggle. With her own
hands she brought food from the flats
and driftwood from the shore. But she
ell ill., The neighbors found her sick
md helpless, and the children nearly fam
shed. A week later she was buried. and
he children were separated to be cared
or at the town expense. But she never
lnew. Her last words were, We KEEP
,ff tn town..
Several days after the burial in the
arly hours OF a May morning before the
leeping hamlet was aStir. a skin quietly
ame into the cove, and the ragged, suf-
ering. starving body of boy dragged
limself to the empty house. He went to
he bed room window and gently tapped.
no answer. he went to the door:
t was unfastened: he pushed it open and
ntered. The stiffness was oppressive. He
poke. calling his mothers name in
Oarse whisper. The imperfect echo of
is voice and his footsteps frightened
i'm. He sought his mothers room. He
elt in the half darkness for the bed: it
'as not there. He groped blindly around
he side of the small room; the few
ieces of furniture familiar to him from
hildhood had been removed
The situation suddenly dawned on his
ull mind: the house was empty, and the
ONE that he had come to seek had van
she'd. The growing dawn created shadow
hapes in the empty rooms; he fed from
lem to the wide, open arms OF the sea.
aint and hungry, sick and suffering he
ivined a little of the truth. He stumbled
lck to his skiff, murderer. in his own
yes. who needed no other scaffold than
lie empty house and desolate home.
The glorious May morning broke in all
s fullness over the sea. OF shore an
arly fisherman stood in his dory hauling
is traps. On the horizon black speck
lowed above the calm waters. Could
lat speck contain suffering personality
he fisherman saw 1t. He shaded his
res and looked seaward. Maybe it's er