The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-14
Leads all North Carolina Dalies i'm News and Crculato

ed through ana hp at MIN, and he
started back as II suddenly confronted
by coiled moCcasin.
Not from the flame however. 1t
was from what the flame revealed
this huddled, helpless something, with
| CLASSY eyes and crafty babDling lips
crouching low at his feet.
"Why, by grannies!" he exclaimed.
'If it amt Sara!"
The fact was stupefying. What was
she doing here? What was the matter
with her? Why didn't she look at
crouch there i'm the light of the now
steadily burning flame, wrmging her
hands as she swayed to and fro, muir
muring insanely to herself?
sara he said in q queer voice.
There was no response. Did she not
hear him? Standing a moment as one
who hesitates, he bent and laid his
hand on her shoulder
Sara" he said again, "what you
doing here?"
The flame leaped into the air and
went out. He felt her shrink from
him. Through the darkness her voice,
! feeble and broken, cried out de-
liriously:
Jim, didn't you hear what l said +?
There's somepn gone from me, jim
somep'n lost-dead. Don't you know
what it is, Jim? It's the heart that
loved you-the heart that you've muir
dered with your cruel looks and
| words.
Jim Sheppard went back a step.
Damn he said in an indescribable
tone.
The next moment a set grim face
was bending over her, his arms We're
about her, ne was lifting her to his
| breast Then motionless for brief
space, while the fame tiared up again,
| he stared into the wild, wandering
eyes. drew his breath hissingly, and
turning on his heel. started down the
road in long, swinging strides.
! He carried her as easily as mother
bears her babe In two minutes or less
his heavy football was echoing on the
! bridge. In five he was stumbling into
! the bedroom of their miserable little
! home.
He found his way to the bed, and
disengaging the burning arms that
Sara had instinctively clasped around
his neck, laid her gently down. He
then went cropping about the room
! in search of a light.
The result was a series of pretty dis
asters Sara had ceased to moan and
rave, and the place was very still. So
silent was it i'm fact that when he went
| sprawling over a chair the sound was
| like the report of pistol. The move
ment brought him up against the wall
at one end of the mantel-piece, how
ever, and, gritting his teeth, he
stretched one hand along the shelf in
| quest of the lamp. Then crash! crash!
a goblet and the lamp-chimney lay
shattered on the hearth, and Sheppard
stood there swearing under his breath
with the fiery fiuency of an enraged
moSS-trOoper.
At this there was a Slight rustling in
| the darkness at the other side of the
room, and Sara's voice spoke family
| from the bed:
'Is that you, Jim? !? Don't worry. I'll
get up and light the lamp for you in
minute-as soon as 1 can stand. My
head swims so. I'm sick, dear, or l
wouldn't be lying here"
"Then stay there" he answered
roughly. Reckon l don't know you're
sick? Don't you git up for me. You lay
still"
He resumed his search. and was
presently so fortunate as to find box
of matches. He struck one, and stoop-
ing, thrust the flame among heap
of lightwoOd knots in the fireplace.
A pale clear orange blaze at once
sprang up, filling the room with its
warm. leaping light.
Sheppard rosegand for a little while
stood motionless, looking at the slen-
ing bosom, recumbent on the bed.
sara" he said then, I'm going
out for a little while. Don't you try to
git up till / come back"
He spoke and was gone, and a few
minutes later the sound of his racing
feet on the bridge crossing the bridge
over the sinuous creek that splits the
curving road beyond the giant oak
rang loud through the silence of the
night.
Up through the tunnel-like stretch
between the densely crowding pines;
up past the flame-bright semi-circle
where the log-heaps were burning:
up the long and rocky hillside to
a little tumble-down cabin in a grove
of oaks on the crest; red freight
streaming through the crevices be-
tween the logs from which the clay
had fallen and out of the "cat-hole'
saWn in the crazy old door.
Jim's brawny fist fell upon that door
with a bang! bang! bang! that threat
ened to bring the yawing walls down
on him in a crumble of worm -eaten
ruin
Laws "a mussy!" snapped a shrew-
fish voice within. "Who dat tryin' bus
my do down ?'
ITS me, Sheppard" Jim replied.
"Come out here a minute, will you -
A shuffiing footstep approached the
door; flash of light divided the dark
ness, and in the yellow depth before
him. appeared a withered mummy
like black face. the head wound
round with a dingy red kerchief.
How you, sah?" said this unlovely
VISION sourly.
faint Dilsey," was the quick re-
sponse, my wife's sick, and I'd like
to git you to come over and look after
'er. Can you Gomez
Aint Dilsey glared at him, the
whites of her yellow-veined eyes shin
ing CHASTITY in the black ruin of her
face.
she.
Jim drew back step, well-nigh
choking.
"I will" he managed to gasp,
"Soons | can make the money"
"Huh!" grunted the grannie disdain-
fully. She flung to the door, locked it
and added from the other side: Den
din Laws knows I'll never git paid.
Take ever cent you en- make buy yo'
whiskey.'
For a moment Jim had all that he
could do to keep from kicking the
door in and shaking Aint Dilsey's
shrewish old tongue out of her head;
bic +yHyo