The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-02
CHAPTER NJ.

ton OF placing her upon the rude cot
which served as a bed. when she moved
feebly, groaned and then called In low
tones for water. He found some I'm q
pitcher, which boasted neither handle MOI
spout and filled a tan cup winch stood
on a shelf. Raising he woman gently
he placed the cup 40 her lips. and sht
swallowed a little water. which seemee
to revive her, for she stretched out heI
Where am i? Where am IL"
In your own home. replied Mr.
WY is II SO dark? Why don't you
The lamp is lighted See! 1t is on
the table,
Then It's true, it's true! II all comes
back, moaning and groanns. and IL was
some time before she could be made To
speak again.
What Is true?" asked Mr. Mitchell
What has happened 10 your
IN tell you! I'll tell YOU Only help
me up first
uttered a wild shrek OF pain. which
made him fear that she had suffered some
internal injury. and therefore ne quickly
carried her over to the .s't cot and PLACED ssa
might be at ease. II possible She rolled
over and lay groaning for some minutes
but soon grew quiet again and then ask
And Just put drop Of whisky in it, =,
she added. ''It braces me up when l
feels bad. IT'S in the brown bottle"
shelf. and the draft did indeed add to her
strength. for she would have risen again
had not Mr.. Mitchell prevented her
You must lie still, or the pain VIII
''Oh. yes / forgot" She was silent
for a moment. then added wearfly: 1T
%sst, sSn,t mated 9ss sss, I'm dying anyway 50
You are not going to die. my good
woman" said Mr.. Mitchell. You must
not have such notions But tell me
what happened to you"
Il wns upstairs 10 see nelghbor and
coming down I went olind all OF a suo-
You went blind"
Yes. MY eyes have been bad for
long time. and the sight just went from
mt. guexs II ain coming back neither,
for a day or two. IL live as long az that.
which ain't likely"
"It is dreadful, OF course. 10 lose ones
sight. but why do you say that you are
Because I am: that's why When
lost my sight. I staggered like. and then
] fell down the stairs to the landing out,
in. but then the blood choked me, and
why. what are you sayingg How
could the blood from your head cnoke
Yes: know my heads cut. too. bu'
that amt the main trouble. Something's
broken inside OF me, and a lot OF blood
came up into my mouth. and that's what
choked me.
some small vessel. perhaps. said Mr..
Mitchell reassuringly. 1T enpued Itself
and then tho hemorrhage ceased: II has
not come on again. which IL favorable
symptom. We nave sea: Or doctor
and he will take proper care OF yo1;
Meanwhile take some more whisky. ~
will sustain you until he reaches here.
'Iil take the whisky. because | ike IL,
mores the pity. But It's not the doctor
want it's a priest.
why do you want a priest?"
Because l have something on my mind
that must be told before ! die. so bring
Mr.. Mitchell could not resist the tempta-
III you have anything to tell. confde
tt TO me-
Not hut l am your sons friend.
Then you are crook. and no crook
Il ever a true friend"
'Ha. ha,' she laughed. There are
gentlemen crooks and crooked gentlemen
tell You couldn't fool Old Mag. Wait
Ciye me your hands. So!'' She took his
profrered hand ana felt !. with both ,,,c Of
You're a gentleman botn anyway III
trust YOU | must tell somebody, for
doubt II I'll live through the night. Be
sides. III Matthew caiho otoh "S 'p
who /. Matthew"
But is MOI his name Iim--Preacher
JimY"
Yes: YOU are right-Jim. OF course.
was thinking OF something else. Now
give me some more whisky. and I'll tell
you the story
Here II is Take some from time to
time 7 suppose you are used to it?'
'.tIsed to it, why, I've drunk enough
In my time to swim In. And why not2
when good girl goes 10 the bad. she
must eit.er drown herself or her con-
science. That's nature"
Then you mean that such was your
misfortune?"
you walt now! Don't hurry me. IN
tell 4 best my own way. You'll see why
! tell you when you've heard all. was
born IN New England no matter Just
where IL was on a farm, and my peop.e
were strict Puritans-too stric, maybe;
lestaways Il proved SO In my case ! was
lust wild after the boys, i'm an innocent
sort OF way. you know While child |
wanted TO play with them, when ! grew
20 be a girl wanted sweetheart, and
when ! came 10 be woman ] longed for
some one q love me. | wanted lover
like the men had read about in books,
the novels. thai had to steal out OF inc
bookcase and read In the hayloft In the
barn. for oil that sort of thing boys.
sweethearts. lovers and novcls-my peo.
pie kept from me as far as they could.
so wha wonder when | met hand-
some city chap one day In the woods tnat
I fourd II easy 10 answer him when he
spoke 10 meg What won1er that when
heard his smooth. soft talk was charm-
ed? Itow easy II was for a simple coun-
try gri like me TO be fooled BY the sort
OF polished scamp tina. he was lie made
me promise 10 meet him again the next
day. and l hardly slept that night Tor
wishing that the sun would rise again.
But this part OF the story Is awfu.iy Jid
What's the use OF going over o. asS,n,
The days went by. and the summer flew
past The nuts came. and tae leaves
turned. and at last my lover went away
hack TO that great place, the city. Tnen
my dream ended suddenly. and / prayed
to God ths. my sin might not nnd me out:
that. whatever I was In really. I might
still be able 10 pass among my people as
the innocent Puritan maiden that they
all thought me The preachers tell us
thak our prayers will he heard in heaven
ana answered. but I guess that the pray
srs Of the sinners are not recorded. At