Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-03-10
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with the light in it.. Farther down in
ghe town itself the other lights gfeam-
ed, but these travellers we're shy Of
them. Their horses hQofs We're muf-
aed in the thick dust of the road;
+ they drew near without attracting at
tention. Then the woman, alert and
Eatchful for the safety of the man
slipped down from her horse and stole
Up to the uncurtained window and
1lpoked in. She went back to the man,
who. waited with. the jaded beasts in,
the shadows and reporter &hatGshe
Had seen: an old man sitting at a ia,
fble and young girl lying on a couch.
Il don't know this place" said the
man: its out of my reckoning alto
Igether. It seems almost as if we
must have turned from the main road
and struck something out of the. beat
zen track. Go ahead, Joyce; see what
you can find -out; see if they've got
ia drink or a bite anywhere ~
She went back to the house. lifted
the latch and walked in. The old man
turned his. head Slowly at the sound,
and looked at her with those s Wild
eyes. s She went forward :. into the
room and stood in the light. so that he
could see her fully,
I've lost my way, she said, in a
curiously refined voice sharp though
it was with fear and hunger, "and am.
afraid to go. on tonight. I've eaten
nothing for many hours-drunk Moth
ing; if you could give.me little
The old man burst into a wild laugh
and pointed at her in derision. Give
you something's" he cried. Cant you
see for yourself there's nothing here?
Look round, these walls; this is what,
they have brought me down to-. i
don't ask for food, or drink, as other
men ask; ]. only want a little--only a
livery little;zzpf thar wonrdronss. stgff that
shall send me to sleep. Such little
thing to ask--such small thing.
They call it opium and you take, it,.
and. mold it. up he moved his thin,
fingers softly and laughed in his
throat and then but three whiffs -
and -thsn1Paradise! Can YOU give
me that? I don't ask food. don't
want food; give me only a little-a
;lnere .pinch--of. opinm!",. :. 90 IN a.
He started up and looked, round the
room, and stretched out his long arms
|imploringly toward her a she did SO.
Presently, after "a restless motion Or
two, he stopped at the head of the
Igaudy couch and looked down at the
girl upon it. He even stretched 4 a,
hand toward her az though tol.stop
that. ceaseless motion of her head;
sdrew back and shook his own.
"She's dreaming now; don't you
ssee her? They say she WORT wake
Eagain; betterafor her-much better for
her. ! Suppose. like me- she woke and
found the Palace, Of. Dreams gone? Oh,
much better for her as it is = +. '.s% +
.sIs-is she dying ?" asked the, won.
ian, in awhisper. .s5. .S
Dying; that's, the word" said the.
old man. She used to move about.
quickly and happily onee;; we all come
Ito this at the; end. fe.I'm dying-dying
for. want Of. one little Bit. ,ofxthe pre-.
eious stuff that shalt put life into ne.
again She wanted food; didn't want
that. If I might only, for the last
teYersso. little Off tEiust to
send nS AnTA dSea.hls md ASain
|coufd forget, .HOnB one little prHcfods
bit of opium. psT s-- :1 r. - SO
ID ae s gst sssss{ aAals e. 5fsaa
In the faint light of, the stars they