Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-02-09

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the weekly rent he had no right to stay
there. Nothing could be more obvious,
and the advancement of any considera-
ton outside the plain facts Of the case
would have looked like an absurdity.
Il onght to ha' gone to the workus, "
said the shivering creature on the floor
but the new one amt finished building
yet, an the old un's full
Well" returned Howarth. that's no
affair o mine. Ont you CO.
'Wheer" asked the tenant
Howarth looked at him in a little gem
uine surprise
why, what affair is that o mine:"
The man rolled over as if the discus
sion bored him, as perhaps it did, and
drew the tattered blanket little higher.
Howarth stopped and pulled it off him
not violently, but businesslike as if there
had been nothing at all there but the
blanket.
Come along"
Mister" said the tenant, shiyering
rather more violently than before, Il
can't set one foot afore another"
The landlord rolled up the blanket in
to an untidy bundle and threw it down
stairs.
Come along"' he said again.
He was not violent or harsh in man
ner, but simply and purely businesslike
He was looking after his own interests
and that is a thing which every man has
an undOubted right TO do. He got his
arms around the man, and being him
self stif1y built and sturdy, lifted the
skeleton frame easily enough to its feet
Then he helped him, neither kindly nor
unkindly, but as if he were deporting a
crate or an armchair, out of the room
and down the stairs and set him outside
the house, where he sat on the ground
with his back against the wall, shivering
in the hot sunlight
Now" said HOwarth. hopping at his
forehead, "I'll speak a word to the re-
| lieving officer as | chance to be passin
this afternoon. I've got tTo applications
for that room, and one oh 'em II be in
this afternoon"
"Gf me my blanket; I've got the shiv-
ers deadly"
Howarth gave the man his blanket and
marched in the next house A dozen slat-
ternly women stood with hands under
their aprons, or tying up wisps of dis
ordered hair, while they looked on at
such part of this scene as was enacted in
the open air, but no one of them said
anything, or seemed to think anything.
and Howarth himself having with his
own hands secured his own rights, went
from house to house, and chamber to
chamber, looking bigger and more magis-
terial than common.
1t reached his ears casually, a day or
two later, that there were two or three
Nf boi1 in oll
of two in the workhouse infirmary. and
he was aware. without associating the
facts together that he himself was feel
ing very strange and queer. He thought
he would 90 home and have a cup Of
tea and go to bed. His wife was a little
alarmed for him, but not much. She her
self was suffering from the same symp-
toms, though apparent in slighter de-
gree, and was satisfied to attribute them
to the unusual heat of the weather But
next day neither of them was able to
rise, and the doctor being called in had
looked grave and shook his head. Ty-
phoid fever. Both cases very bad.
He took the news to Mary, who re-
ceived It es IL y had been a punishment
for her own hardness to her parents. She
hardly knew of what to accuse herself
seemed to speak. She might have been
more yielding, more submissive less bit
ter in her thoughts. And now her father
and mother were dangerously i'll, and
might be dying, and though, had they
lived in health, the feud could hardly
have known any healing, nature spoke
out and would have way. How desolate
and lonely life would seem if this I'M
fatherly father and unmotherly mother
died and left her alone in the world
Their very living, even though they We're
alienated from her and she from them.
had been something after all. She
broke up the school and FASTENED home.
All" said her mother, recognizing
her, feebly and fretfully, you've come
at lastp'
Mary kissed her for sole answer. and
at once assumed the charge of the two
sick rooms While the pair were con-
scious they were harsh with her, but
when delirium came the memory of late
days seemed blotted out of it. and their
daughters voice and hand could soothe
them when every other sound and touch
seemed to wound bruised brain and suf-
fering body. They were blinded merci-
fully from their own anger, and remem-
bered her only by a kindly instinct.
The fever ran much the same course
with Howarth and his wife, and so since
it had touched him earlier he came out
of the delirium and found himself upon
the fatal plain of calm the sooner The
room was dim and cool, and Mary was
moving noiSelessly about the place. A
hollow voice-the mere specter of voice
addressed her.
THAT you, Polly?"
She FASTENED TO the bedside. and
smoothed the clothes and pillows with a
hand that trembled. 1t nearea his cheek
and he nestled upon it, rolling his head
over TO one side and holding the cool
hand prisoner there like a child She
let il stay. 1t was the first earess he
had offered her for many and many a
day which had not seemed purely me-
chanical 4 tear started at either eve
and dropped heavily upon his face. He
looked up at her with eyes like birds
so large and bright.
Art a good wench,' he said.
He nestled down upon the hand again.
and seemed to fall asleep. She watched
him long. while in the unnatural attitude
in which she stood cramps began to rack
anu iMA>t AtFs uuN SAc WNUiu not move
whilst there seemed any danger of dis
turhing him. At length. little by little.
she withdrew and left him il unchanged
attitude. Then creeping TO her own room
she let her heart have vent in natural
tears Love was back again. There
was something left TO live for, but it
seemed for a time as if the pain of it
were greater than the joy.
And John HOwarth slept with his faith
erS. and for an hour or Two no one dis
covered that he was gone.
Then little more than day later his
wife followed him without knowing Of il.
and the girl was alone again.
Everything they had owned came 10
their daughter. and for 4 while Mary
left the place. and then coming back
resumed her school. though she no longer
had need Of it, except for hearts food.
She must have somebody 10 care fer,