Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-07-02
The Midwinter
Knight Errant
BY CLINTON DANGERFIELD
Copyright, 1905. by J. Il. Mitchell

.lcZ will be- after findin' 'em split
into kin,llin' wood some day" said
Nora maliciously. regarding Ham
mish's treasured blocks with an evil
eye. The position of general slavey I'm
II cheap tenement does not improve
ones temper. DO ycZ think ycZ can
he kccpin' Il mess of chips to play wild
when we all do be sufferin' crool for
coal!'
care" rctorted lIammish sturdily.
Five years old and gentleman unafraid
was he.
Presently he bcthoucht him to visit
his special friend. the little seamstress
on his own floor. Concealing the pre-
cious blocks. he trotted off TO her room
AMI. getting no answer To his knock,
pushed open the door and went boldly
in.
Why had Mazda let her fire go out
lie snuffed the biting air doubtfully.
wondering where she was. Then he
discovered her in drawn heap on the
bed. The thin blankets were huddled
over her. ON top We're piled her thread
bare jacket and the wrapper she had
been making for firm.
Ilammish went to the bedside.
lis you sick. Maida:" he asked petu.
lantly. lie did not like sick people.
The girl opened Il pair Of great violet
eyes and regarded him.
Not sick she said slowly; "jest
cold. I'm freeZin' Ia death. It's taken
so long hope it's come mt last
Does frcczin' to death mean you
Goin' Ia die"
"Ies." The blue lips scarcely shaped
the word. but lie caught IT, 1t dis.
trcssed him greatly by virtue of knowl
edge newly learned from the resource
full Nora, who had been trying to
brighten the child with stories OF
her shoulder in his baby hands and
tried Ia shake her
don't die" he cried picrcingly
You said Jack was comm home ia
marwy you. How can he marwy you
if you is dead: DO You fink he would
dig You up"
.Oh. IIammish." said the girl very
family. please 20 away. Ii will be
long. so hong. before he comes. can.
not live till then. And they told me
there WAS no more work after this
When Jack comes tell him l wasn't
afraid Of the grave. II must be warm
or down there"
Conscious that he was growing very
cold himself. IIammlsh. fired with a
sudden resolve. made for the battered
coal Scuttle. lie would make fire
himself
For If Jack came home and had 10
dig Mazda up might lie not hold him
QlammishI responsible: How often
Mazda had told him proudly OF her big
warm hearted sailor who was coming
across the great seas.
And ! was in no such place as this
when he knew me and courted me- -
she would say more proudly still
NANNY and l had little house OF
our own" Then with a droop of her
tired lids: hut when she died after
being sick so long il was hard, SO hard
To make bread. You don't know how
hard. little Ilammish, but II will he
your turn some day"
don't care" Hammish was wont
10 rcitcrate scornfully "Will take my
turn all right Shall he a man."
Bia now he felt vaguely that mans
responsibility rested on him long ere
he had looked for it, for the battered
scuttle was utterly empty. There was
nothing in the pitifully bare room out
of which the tiniest fire could bc made
In his search he lifted the faded cur
tain which covered the box termed q
pantry. Not fragment Of food was
within. II dawned on Iammish that
if there was no food rs we'll as nc
coal Nadia might Ice hungry. Again h.
attacked her impcrativcly.
"IIas you eat you dnner?"
eco away. HammiSh." repeated the
girl. How could | eat? There was
--nothin-"
Now. indeed. the puzzled knight er
rant faced Il complex situation. Ills
mother, the deus cX machina who nj
ways rcinclicd all WRONGS. would moi
return until sunset How long did II
take people Ia die: Would Maid;
really die before his mothers return
just because she WAS crld: az whom
could hc i..k" c"nI,>,i: lie knew II,
one hut hi,i enemy. Nora
lie waylaid hcr in the corridor.
"Oh. w#:t." he cried PLEASE wait
How l"a= does il take people Il
freeze
'No lime ~ all" said Nora scornful
ly. ''ye l.tlr fool. yc..'
"And I. IN
"Il..A l.. =; l.:r OF u hole an
slap EN- int" it,
She w!l@l."d on down the corridor
AMI Ilanui;>iI went w"Hri!y TO his owl
quarters AMI stood before the fir,
thinking
For he waS now facing the grca
problem al self sacrifice which all ol
| lis meet - ..i.'- or later Either lit