The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-08-15
The Offending
Hand
By Annie Hamilton DonneH
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles)


when he kept II in his pocket. He
couldn't see how black It was-it had
looked very black when he shut II up
there, two hours ago. He remembered
II now with a little shudder That
nursery soap and water little tenn
pered with heat might possibly have
made II look less guilty had not oc-
Cured to him-did not occur to him
now.
or course nobody had seen when he
slid his white nightgown over his
little trousers and waist How else
could he keep his hand-that hand
in his pocket, he meant to, all night?
Jeffy felt better about it there. In
sense 1t was In prison, where hands
that-that-you know--ought to be in
carcerated for their sins. In sense
he seemed to be making reparation
Not exactly to Elzabeth-no-o, but
still-Jeffy twisted about under his
little white covers miserably. That
hand hurt him-maybe because II was
,ramped and stiff, maybe not. Maybe
because-that. Jeffy wondered II
Elizabeth ached there.
OF course, Elizabeth was to blame
still, she was very little. All at once
lying there in the dark, Jeffy remem
bered how very little Elizabeth was
Her head just came to the edge of the
linins-room table; you're pretty little
when you have to stretch up on tip
zoe TO see what there is going to be
or dinner Perhaps when you were
IS little as that you'd have meddled
with your big brothers things-you
might have.
Elizabeth was very little and JEFF,
was her big brother. Jefy was sev
en-. He bad always rather domineerec
over Elizabeth. but he had never done
that, before. oh, no, no, tell you.
Never!
Does 1t show, wonder?" the littl,
boy in bed thought, among the oshe'
thoughts.
I'm going in apd see." he said with
a little premonitory shiver Of dread
Elizabeth, because she was so very
little, slept beside mothers bed m he.
dainty white crib. Jeffy could se,
he whiteness of 1t shining family
through the dark. He crept toward Il
very quietly. On the edge of l.
lestled Elizabeth snugly, just he
small, serene face in its mellow radi
ance. Jeffy could see It distinctly.
She was lying on that cheek He
ell hA nth has,
cheek was fair and sweet, with dim
Dle in as though a dream-angel hai
been there and kissed II q minute age
and that were the print of the kiss
The big brother" stood looking at It
with a strange impression that Eliz
abeth was turning the other cheek
also. He flushed all over his little
guilty face.
Somewhere downstairs step
sounded and disturbed Elizabeth In
her sleep. She threw up both small
hands, then With a restless little heav.
ing Of round body and white covers,
turned over on her pillows.
1T showsl" gasped Jeffy, and fed
back to his own room In horror. He
had seen little parallel red oreases in
Elizabeth's oheek-that cheek. He
did not for q moment doubt their ori-
gin.
1T shows!-it showsl" he groaned
in the awful loneliness of night,
Perched on the side OF his bed with
his little lean bare legs a-dangle, he
thought about what the Bible said
Jeff's thoughts did not quote YER
batim:
IF thy right hand strikest thy sis
ter, cut II off an cast II into Hell
Fire." he repeated under his breath
an there shall be gnashing-an'
there shall be gnashing."
He shuddered. The precise signifi-
canoe of gnashing puzzled him little
but 1t meant something awful-awful!
An cut 1t off meant-oh, oh!
"Ur-rr!" softly shuddered Jefy
thinking how hot hell fire must be
You were to cast 1t into He'll Fire
where there would be gnashing-if II
ever struckest thy sister. The Bible
said you were. And 1t had struck
her, 1t had struck Elizabeth.
The darkness seemed to grow dark
er, the stiffness stiller in Jeffy's room
The little figure on the bedside
swayed unsteadily-swayed again
fell backward on the quilts. Jeffy
was very tired. II tires you TOTO
what does 1t tire you to do? Yes
oh, yes, that. An 1t makes you tiredel
still to--to-o-feel-sorry-so aw-fu
sOr- I
Some one seemed to be speaking In
the room, but there was no one there
Jeffy could see, for 1t had grown light
as II many lamps had been lighted
Or else 1t was one great lamp, the sun
Gould II be morning? The voice
called out and now 1t seemed to bs
his own voice calling to him.
Come. Jeffy, time to co." It said
brusquely. THE sooner you get Il
awar NTH thA hAttAr ...---~