River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-07-18

Jeffy felt better about that hand
when he kept it in his pocket. He
couldn't see how black it vast had
looked very black when he shut it up
there, two hours ago He remembered
It 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
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?
lefty felt better about it there. In
sense it 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 it was
cramped and stiff, maybe not Maybe
because-that Jeffy wondered if
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
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
docs it show, | wonder?" the little
boy in bed thought, among the other
thoughts
I'm going in and see," he said with
little premOnitory SILVER Of dread.
Elizabeth, because she was so very
little, slept beside mothers bed in her
dainty white crib Jeffy could see
the Wilderness of it shining family
through the dark He crept toward it
very quietly On the edge of it
nestled Elizabeth snugly, just her
small serene face in it's mellow radi-
ance. Jeffy could see it distinctly.
She was lying on that cheek. He
could not see it at all. The other
cheek was fair and sweet, with dim
pie III as though a dream-angel had
been there and kissed it a minute ago
and that were the print of the kiss.
The big brother stood looking at 1t
with strange impression that Eliz-
abetA 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
Eizabeth's cheek-that cheek. He
ala uOL lOT d uUluSHI uOuDJ lu0lT UIl-
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 ver-
batim:
A., .s.-I,A ~,
ter, cut it off an cast it into He'll
Fire" he repeated under his breath,
AN there shall be gnashing-an'
there shall be crashing"
He shuddered The precise signifi-
canoe of gnashing puzzled him little,
but it meant something awful-awful!
An cut it off meant-oh, oh!
"Ur-rr!" softly shuddered Jeffy,
thinking how hot hell fire must be.
You were to cast it into He'll Fire,
where there would be gnashing-if it
ever struckest thy sister. The Bible
said you were. And it had struck
her, it had struck Elizabeth.
The darkness seemed to grow dark
or, 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. 1t tires you Toto
what does it tire you to do? Yes
oh, yes, that. An it makes you tireder
still -o-feel-sorry-so awful
SOr-
Some one seemed to be speaking in
the room, but there was no one there
Jeffy could see, for it had grown light,
as if many lamps had been lighted.
Or else it was one great lamp, the sun.
Could it be morning? The voice
called out and now it seemed to be
his own voice calling to him.
Come, Jeffy, time to co. it said.
brusquely. The sooner you get it
over with the better. l suppose you
know that?'
Yves shivered Jeffy, answering
himself, I've got some O. my clothes
all on. I'll be ready in a minute"
We'll, be spry about it, You're go
ing to the One With Spectacles, sup
pose?"
Yes, to the One With Spectacles.
He was the kindest one. When Eliza
beth had the Group he came and when
mother was sick. He was the one
DIT ~