Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-04-30

whom he had meant to succeed him.
The dull, leaden hours passed on.
! He had no strength; for many hours
he had taken no nourishment. He
called Hettie to him.
Does a righteous mans blessing
ever do any good?" he asked, in a
thick, hoarse whisper.
Yes" she answered.
There was no time to stop and
think, with those dying eyes fixed
on her face.
Then a bad mans curse must do
harm." he moaned; and Hettie had
no answer for him.
The evening deepened, silence crepl
over the land, and the shadow of
death grew darker over the cottage.
The grim king had drawn one step
nearer, and Martin Ray had gathered
all his energies together to do batrle
with him. He spoke to himself, not
to Hettie.
Il will not die until | have seen
Leah What is it | have laid upon
! her? Something heavy and black,
and bitter | must take 1t off | will
not die until she comes"
In this the hour Of her distress
friends and neighbors were good to
i Hettie. She was never left alone
But Martin Ray would have no
strange women in his room-no
nurses, no friendly helpers for him;
and he gave no thought to the terror
that his lonely child must feel.
| AS this world fell from him and
the light of another grew clearer to
him, he saw more distinctly the face
of his lost daughter.
Leah, he cried, necessarily.
Leah, | want you. Leah, come to
me! Leah, l. cannot die! O.,
Heaven, | cannot die"
Hettie had borne so much that she
did not even cry out when he turned
his angry. despairing, dying face t.
hers, and said
why did you not go? Since one
must leave me, why did you not go
and leave her with me?"
They were cruel words that her
tender heart did not resent even
then. She excused him even to her,
self, saying that he did not know
what he was uttering, he did not
understand. The cold hand of death
pressed him more closely. There was
something Of dignity in the way in
which Martin Ray threw out his arms
in despair.
Il will not die until ! have seen
! Leah" he cried. Il know have
| hcard-what the curse Of father
brings to a child. She did not merit
it. | must take it away. If do not,
her life will be spoiled. Hottie, give
me something that may live until
she comes, can hear horses galop,
| in up the HILL hear carriage,
wheels! | hear the rush of the wind,
the roar of the sea; | can hear-oh,
| Leah, make hastci"
But Hottie knew that no carriage
could drive up to their cottage, and
she tried her best to tranquiIlize him.
His cries grew fccbIcr; the incessam
beating of his hand ON the pillow
stopped; there was curious look on
| his face, gray, liyid, and startled.
She kuelt down by his side ana
took one of lho numbed hands in
hers and laid it upon her head.
Il have loved you and served YOU
faithfully father" She said; have
YOU no blessing for me?"
The hand lay there like lead; the
dying eyes looked into hers, and in
them she read a terrible craving
II want Leah,' he muttercd,
Suddenly the gray shades changed
! into darkness, and Hettie, seeing Il
new and terribly strange expression
ON the worn face, rose from her knees
with n startled cry The women
waiting below came running up; and
as they did so the sound of some i'm.
usual stir below told that Sir Arthur
and Leah had arrived. At the same
moment something like n shudder
passed over the dying man. The
next instant "A soul had gone forth to
meet its Judge, and the angel of
death shcathed his sword. Martin
Ray was dead.
1t was little wonder that Hettie
dazed and stunned, fell forward upon
the quiet heart that was to love and
to hate no moro,
When she opened her eyes again. IL
was Leah who held her in her arms
one minute had passed, yet to Hottie
it seemed many hours,
TOO late," She heard some ono
say. Then Leah placed her gently in
the chair, and went over to her
father she knelt down by his side,
and bitter cry came from her Inns.
Il am too late" she said-"too
late, oh, Hettie, he has never taken
chat cruel curse FROM me! | am too
late"
She took the cold. motionless hand
in hers, and the silence in the room
was broken only by her sobs, All the
past with its great dread, and her
great horror Of II, passed over her rs
she looked at his facc-the face that
would never smile or frown upon her
Iasain.