The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-07-06
MY COMPANION
in DARKNESS
BY OWEN OLIVER
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles)

There was a time when none would
speak of the horror which came upon
the world; but now that three years
have passed men talk about it openly |
and ask one another what it was and |
how it happened.
1t was on the afternoon of the
twenty of June, 1850. l was
hurrying down Broadway. 1t was a
hot, bright day anu l was shading my
eyes to look across the street, when l
suddenly the sun went out. 4
l thought was smitten with blind
ness and flung up my arms and gave
"a great cry. 1 heard the beginning of
it. Then all sound stopped. The
rumble of vehicles, the scurry of feet,
the cries of the street vendors, the
shouts of the newspaper boys-all the
hum of life-ceased in an instant
1 thought at first that 1 had died;
but I could feel my limbs; feel my
lips moving as 1 cried for help; feel
the vibration of the traffic that could
not hear.
Il am blind" 1 shouted. Blind!
And deaf! Hold me, some one-Some
one!"
| 1 heard no call, and no answer
\ STOp0u Wildly III Uu0 udTku6SS, anu
| met other hands that were cropping too.
l seized some one by the shoulder, and
others seized me. Their hands twitched
convulsively. They were crying out
as I was. I knew by touching their
open mouths and faces contorted
with fright.
1t is possible that tainted, but was
held up on my feet by the pressure of
the crowd, for seemed to lose myself
for time and to come back to myself
in swaying, clutching mass of un-
seen, unheard people. felt sick and
almost suffocated, and tried vainly to
push my way OUT till the crowd was
scattered by plunging horse which
brushed against me as it passed. l
took a few hurried steps and found
myself somewhere-alone! I was more
afraid of the loneliness than I had
been of the crowd.
| Presently when had gone some way
two hands clutched my legs. They
were such small hands that l did not
fear them greatly. 1 stopped down,
and felt small child lying on the lap
of a woman. The woman's hair was
! loose and hanging over her face. I
thought she was young. She shivered
lat my touch, but l sat down beside her.
She laid my hand on the child as if she
appealed to me for help. felt its
mouth moving, as if it cried for some
thing. invented an alphabet and spelt
out message with taps% upon her
shoulder; one tap for A, two for B,
and so on, but she put my hand to her
head to feel that she shook it, l could
tell by the way she held my hand that
she did not mean to refuse my friend
ship, but to show that she could not
understand my signs.
1 plucked at her sIeeve to rise and
come with me, and she came. She was
scarcely able to stand, so l took the
child from her and carried it.
She felt the texture of my clothing
carefully and my scarf and watch
chain and even my handkerchief. She
evidently wanted to know what man
ner of man 1 was. Apparently she was
satisfied, for she held gently to my
sleeve when she had finished her in
spection.
After few minutes 1 took her hand
and tried my alphabet again; and this
time she understood and answered.
This was the conversation, spelt out
slowly, letter for letter:
/. Friend.
She. Friend.
l. John Carter. Friend
She. Yes. Friend. Alice
Thorn. What is it?
I. Don't know.
She. Shall We die?
I. Don't know.
, She What shall We do?
1. Find y-o-u-r- home.
J We were very hungry, and at last
5 we met some policemen who under.
stood our new language. One of them
: took us to an clearinghouse. I offered
him money, but he refused.
"N-o-u-s-e-," he tapped END o.
/ w-o-r-l-d."
! We had a good meal and lay down tt
J sleep in an inner room.
In the morning-if it were morning
when we awoke we found a basket
filed it with food and bottles of water
q and started again.
a 81 am happy now" Alice spell
v ed out began to spell out an answer
! but the letters would not come quick
ly enough for her and suddenly sh,
q caught at me and wrote with her fin
). ger on my cheek. l could read thu
writing easily, and it was much quick
i. err than the taps. We were so pleased
;, with our quicker conversation tina
we stood still writing on one another
), faces as fast as our fingers woul'
y move. eve always used this way after
ward.)
We discussed at length the calamit.
which had come upon the world, AM
perhaps" 1 concluded, cit is a sort O
s fog over New York. Shall we try t,
Il reach the country?"
?, 81 will do whatever you tell me,
u she wrote back.
& "Tell me just what you are like"
q wrote. "What is the color of your hair