The daily tribune., 1907-07-29
The Offending
Ha nd
BY Aus's Hamilton Dosnen
Copyright, by Joseph D, powlss,

jenny f3lt better ABOUT that hanu
when nc kept It Ia hia pocket, He
couldn't see how black II vast had
looked very black when he shut 1t np
there, two hours ago. He remembered
1t now with little fhudder. That
nursery soap and water little tenn
pered with heat might possibly have
made 1t look less guilty had not oe-
CURED to him-did not occur to him
now.
OF 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?
JefYy felt better about 1t there. In a
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 Elizabeth-no-o, but
still-Jeffy twisted about under his
little white covers miserably. That
hand hurt him-maybe because 1t was
because-that. Jeffy wondered If
EllZaDetn aCned tnere.
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
dining-room table; you're pretty little
when you have to stretch up on tip
toe to see what there is going to be
for dinner. Perhaps when you were
as little as that you'd have meddled
with your big brothers things-you
might have.
Elizabeth was very little and Jeffy
was her big brother Jeffy was sew
en-. He had always rather domineered
over Elizabeth, but he had never done
that, before. oh, no, no, tell you!
Never!
Does it show, l wonder?' the little
boy in bed thought, among the other
thoughts.
I'm going In and see," he said with
a little premonitory shiver of dread
Elizabeth. because she was so very
little, slept beside mothers bed In her
dainty white crib. Jeffy could see
the whiteness of it shining family
through the dark He crept toward 1t
very quietly. On the edge of 1t
nestled Elizabeth snugly. just her
small, serene face in its mellow radi-
ance. Jeffy could see 1t distinctly.
She was lying on that cheek He
could not see 1t at all. The other
cheek was fair and sweet, with a dim
pie in as though a dreamangel had
been there and kissed II minute ago
and that were the print of the kiss.
The big brother" stood looking at 1t
with strange impression that Ellz-
abeth was turning the other cheek
also. He flushed all over his little
guilty face.
Somewhere downstairs a. step
sounded and disturbed Elizabeth in
her sleep. She threw up both small
hands, then with restless little heav-
Ing of round body and white covers,
turned over on her pillows.
1T shows!" gasped Jeffy, and fed
back to his own room in horror. He
had seen little parallel red creases In
Elizabeth's cheek-that cheek. He
did not for moment doubt their ori-
gin.
1T shows!-it shows!" 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 1t of an cast 1t into Hell
Fire" he repeated under his breath,
"an there shall be gnashing-an'
there shall be gnashing.'
He shuddered. The precise signih-
canoe of gnashing puzzled him little,
but 1t meant something awful-awful!
An cut 1t off meant-oh, oh,
"Ur-rr," softly shuddered JeNy,
thinking how hot hell fire must be.
You were to cast IT into Hell Fire.
where there would be snashing-if II
ever struckest thy sister The Bible
said you were. And II had struck
her. IT had struck Elizabeth.
The darkness seemed TO grow dark
er. the stiffness stiller In Jery's room.
The little fglre on the bedside
swayed nsteadily-swayed again
fell backward on the quilts. .Iery
WAS very tired. 1t tires you to-to--
what does It tire you to do? Yes
oh. yes. that. An 1t makes you tireder
still to-to-o-feel-sorr awful
sor-
Some one seemed to be speaking In
the room. but there was no one there.
| Jeffy could sec. for II had grown light.
rs II many lamps had been lighted
Or else It was one great lamp. the sun.
Could II be mqrning7 Tho voice
called out and now It seemed to be
his own voice calling to him
Come. Jeny. time to CO." II said,
brusquely. "The sooner you get II
over with the better. suppose you
know that"
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