New-York tribune., 1907-01-20


looked upon Z All with sghticSs cNcS-evcs
turned n~rnetivclv toward 'lc light as the
ever seek r4y through ,hcr en- aroudnG
4 grateful tang ~ salt AK irt;ed IN, and ac h-
deeply ~ - fragrance
Fo- a long time he sat thus silently, thri
j distant -.om came the trll ot song III,
grew .u,u AN expression oi infinite tenderness
listened, and tleu t.c closing oi door bro
melody lie sat c>p,,tantlv Tor il minute
and gradually his mnd wandered back N
dreamy ,auushuulncs- Naca The Voice had
ruU'cd After awhile he heard 4 .gat step
h1 and then some other sound winch he
uot interpret The steps approached the i
t'.e room where he sat, and paused
IS that Nau letry Ly asked gently
There "as no response and he turned his
les eEc= cNrcctautlv toward The entrance.
Nh4' IS IT, M.,drcd,' he incurred
AGAIN he heard the peculiar sound - Nh
had been unable 70 attach - meaning. bu
t.,fc ",.~ nu ANSWER.
Mildred. lie called sharply He turned q
II - char. W.th a vague unoaslness II h's III
ld gurped The arms as II 20 rise AlIdrcJ
.f.,atcl @" Whv don't YOU answer me
suddenly there came an answer heart n
t.-rity,ng answer -Shrick after shrek of
agony. terror helr.t-~utSs l. ,vas here N
'l.- very ropw IN which he stood. but the
iurcuct--hle pail ot blindness vc.lcd It al.
lt.erc Was q shutting as ot feet tuc an in
-.3n., . sureitng despmrns CIV. tAcn the
Mildred Mildred Mildred he called
ds-u.or.uglv What Is il. ,uild:"
here Nas a sound as 3I u soft BODY fall
ln|, Then came utter silence With strunin9
Aca-t aai g:op;nE hatls the I'D man kept
IN. hAndly seeking Agtn he caught the
iae'ntng.c-s sound. VIA. fe had heard
leiorc one outstretyncd hand brushed
against something which was Instantly
removed beyond his reach iutuiuvelv lie
knew that something -,acu-,el
HIM, that Mildred his granddaughter ....i
now n had been N pcrll-pcrhaPs II Vas
his night, and The old man stretched out
ms 4uiVcring hands straight before INN T!,h
d pItitu' helpless gesture
:. | ann Blind" he SAID simply
For a moment he stoou here, with hands
st.n out5tretcnel. waiting For what? lie
didn't know. " last from the hall outside
came a sliding whispering sound, and the
front door closed noisily. Instantly he
started in that direction Despite his
blindness, he knew MS way here in the lit
tie house where he had lived for years alone
with his granddaughter.
In the hall another thought came to HIM
Whoevcr-WhdteVcr- It was, had come and
gone And Mildred, He turned and started
back toward the room he had Just lett
One aged hand slipped along the wall to the
door frame, and he turned in. For an in
stant he listened lie heard nothing
"Midred:' he called My God. chilIi
where are you? What has happcncd:"
Still silence. He entered and began cropping a
pitifully. Mildred must be there, somewhere.
finally, as he groped on, he came upon her.
foot struck some yielding obstacle, and he olr,
on his knees beside it, \ touch of his finp,
the face told him it was Mildred She was bres
taintly-a gurgle, which as he listened grew fai
His BRAIN was instantly awake to the full
bllities She had been stabbed, or struck
perhaps There had been shot. and vet.
hands moved rapidly over the slender for1
found no wound on head, face, or BODY. The
gasping breath grew fainter as he listened-sh
dying under his hands and he was helpless, u
10 see even what was the matter
Mildred, Mildred. Midred" he repeated, a
shook the inert body in a frenzy of fear and an
And then came the end There was last
gurgle, spasmodic twitching of the body, a
Law rlgId And there crouching on The floor