Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-12-02

"Poorr' cried Slllabil. 81 am not
poor" He opened his hand and dis
closed the roll of notes that had been
given him In the house of feasting.
With an exclamation the woman
grasped the money from him.
Sillabil laughed and tapped himself
on the head. Then, to show the woman
that he always remembered what was
said to him. he repeated: "He was de-
spised and rejected. He wrote with his
finger In the dust Let him that is
without sin cast the first stone he
said" The woman threw the money
from her. "And under his deserted
cross I have found the only refuge Of
fered me this night" she said mo.
no. dOggie," for the Captain was show.
Ing his teeth, 1--WE three poor people
should not quarrel You two rest | will
watch. I and the sparrows. And-my
mother.'
She took sillabil's hand in hers Just as
his mother used to do when he was rest
less. and he fell asleep
When he awoke the sun was shining.
the woman was gone, the fire was out.
the sparrows were elsewhere.
But the woman had left him the shawl
on which he had slept. and on the corner
of It was pinned the money that had been
given him for his ward.
He rose and stretched himself. and the
Captain tugged at him to be gone.
Such a bright morning! He looked up
TO the rosy sky. "Captain!"
But the Captain had darted Off to an
open plain where a number Of silly sheep
were eluding their caretaker and escap-
ing by several ways. The Captain round
ed on them. Closer and closer he got the
trembling creatures to one another, his
old instinct waking in him, and they were
massed together.
The keeper of the flock hailed Sillabil
That's fine sheep dog. brother" he
said What will you take for him?'
Something for him to eat. He is hum
gry" answered Sillabil
The man looked at him. then. opening a
bundle slung on his arm, fed the Captain
from its contents.
II never saw such flock" went on the
man. But now, thanks to your dog,
they're among the daisies. and cover's In
sight"
among the daisies." Sillabil looked
and saw a white field of flowers whose
hearts were of gold. And the good lame
man had said his mother slept among the
daisies! The fallacy of II appealed to
him
Then something snapped in his head.
sudden terror possessed him. He had
often seen such long boxes as that In
which his mother had lain, and they had
been borne along the streets in black
wagons. He had sometimes followed aft
er them and had seen them enter a place
where there were trees and flowers and
white upright marbles. His mother had
once explained to him that this was the
place where tired folks rested who had
seldom rested before though people who
did not know called them dead.
my mother is dead!'
Away. away he ran across fields, along
roads, flying from what he knew not. All
at once he found himself obstructed by
WALL and a plaintive wall smote his ear.
The Captain had come with him. The
Captain was almost exhausted. Sillabil
stopped and held the shaggy head up to
him.
Mother is dead. Captain
He got down In the dust ana helo the
dog to his heart.
Mother is dead. Captain"
The dog licked his face and looked into
his eyes.
He got to his feet, something clearing
away that had seemed to hide good
deal.
w~rkl His mother had worked! He
w.. SNrong: he could work. He must
work. The city was the place where
everybody worked He could find work
there. He went past all the places he had
seen yesterday--the ruined church. the
house of feasting. the church where there
had been wedding-and he was in the
city again. nearer and nearer coming to
him clearing up of something that nad
been a dim puzzle ever since he had had
the fever.
Hour after hour they walked the streets,
knowing that they must wait for morn
ing. The city became hushed and quiet.
Few wayfarers passed them.
Where shall we go?''
The Captain gave bark full Of friendly
advice.
Then Sillabil remembered the place
where they had taken him after his
mother had died. He came upon 1t at
midnight He might find work there.
He no longer feared that the Captain
would be taken from him. A new feeling
OF assurance and responsibility had come
to him. He stood and looked up at the
huge building where he might yet find
work and earn money enough to support
himself and the Captain. Money! There
was that money lying far away pinned
to the shawl in the dismantled church
where the woman had made fire
"Firer'
Did he hear the word? Look! There
was bright red coming from tall win
dow in the building.
Fire fret! He heard 1t now. 80 did
the Captain. for his back brlstled.
captain, that is our ward!
The good lame man was In there, the
man who had stolen from him, who had
deceived him, and the man was there
who had wanted to drown the Captain!
There was crowd around the building
waiting for the engines.
''One legged Tom did It; he was smok-
ing his pipe, against the rules"
sillabil and the Captain darted into the
hall. black with smoke that bit their
eyes, bright with tongues of flame that
cruelty licked their flesh.
sIlIabil knew his old ward. He made
for II. But the fire had not been discov-
cred till the stairs were almost destroyed
and only narrow ledge remained. Up
loh