The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-12

there came laugh. an oath. q GOOD
night ironically shouted. then q throw
ing Off of boots that fingled and 8
shutting Of doors. Now all was still
and in the lookup the stiffness was as
unbroken a. eisew here. He never stir
red but TO shrug away fly. The moor
shone in through holes in the tin lie
roof. through crevices in the match
wood walls. and in the soft sifted light
he sat immoyable. 1t was such q
prison as man Of spirit could have
broken with preposterous ease But
this one had no spirit left. He was nc
longer man. His precious manhood
had been beaten out of him like dust
from a carpet And the sense of tina,
IRE vocable loss bit deeper than the
glutted flies.
Was it a horse outside against the
brushwood fence? The sound was the
first Tom seemed to have heard for
many years In his blackened brain II
struck a first inappreciable spark of in
terest. He listened. Then came an
other and nearer sound as of some
thing torn. He listened ca gerly. What
could it be? Minutes passed. There
were no more sounds until the paddock
was tried and hand went feeling for
the key Tom raised his head for the
first time as the moon streamed In
through the open door. when he per
ceived that 1t was Peggy's bare feet
which had made no noise. With that
he lowered his head again, for there
was no place in it even for surprise
But unconsciously he gave moan.
She went upon her knees beside him
and flung out her arms. but drew them
back. with a SILVER, from that loose
spread blanket. Tom she whisper
ed Speak to me, darlin'. It's Peggy
come to see how v are"
He never spoke never looked up mol
gave any sign that he heard her words
unless it was that his bowed head
hung more heavily than before.
"It's Peggy O'Brine." the girl pur.
sued, with a sob in her throat. "Sure
an we've not forgotten Peggy the
cook? It's to comfort We I've come,
dearie, an haven't I the right? All,
then. an wasn't it all through me il
WASP
The sob got loose, and she was
wringing her hands and gazing at Tom
through her tears as though her heart
would break for him. In return he
stared heavily at her, but shook his
head as her meaning came home to
him.
Indeed an it was" persisted Peggy.
"Only for me you niver would have
struck m at ALL An to think it was
meself that warned We in the beginning
an went an drove ye to it in the ind
"a f-sI
1t his feet! 1t d have been betther
han that-an' this''
Still he looked at her without word,
md still there was no light, no life, no
ceiling in the look, but only dumb and
lead despair.
"You thought l liked imI' exclaimed |
Peggy wildly. They've been tellin'
ye their black lies in the huts. It's |
title they know how it's been between |
IS from the sthart. I'll tell ye this, !
fom betther a hundred times be the |
nan he's q spite agin than the girl |
les his wicked eye upon. That's Mr.. |
Nat for ye. an l hate 'im-I loathe |
im-'tis Gods truth I'm telling We. |
Com dear, he cot me out there last |
light niver whit out wild i'm. He |
hats the truth. too. though he tould 1t. |
couldn't sleep for thinkin' o the two
) yez. It's well | knew he was up to
ome divil's work at last. I'd seen i'm
alkin'-an what do you suppose he's |
In To now?" asked Pe~%y. going off at |
tangent. What 10 you SUPPOSE |
les dom at this moment? Lynn |
Ihrunk on his bed--lyin' de'd dhrunk
or the shame of it, You knocked m
Iown. You knocked IN down. He
Won't get over t till his dyin' day. No
,ody Use liver so much as lifted a
AN agin i'm on the farm. But glory
e to God. you knocked i'm DOWN.
There was more than unthinking ex-
ltation in her tone; there was a very
ingular sort of pride also, and this as
as the other, it was SO in
enuous and plain. But Tom saw moth
lg with those dreadful eyes and
card but little beyond her soothing
rogue. And then she did think and
aw mark on the blanket in a rod of
Moonlight Gor she had shut the door
nd cried out to God to forgive the
lost selfish woman in all the world.
She had thought of herself and not
Tom. She had talked about herself
nd not about Tom. In her selfishness
lie had forgotten what she had brought
i'm. and q medicine bottle OF pilfered
lilk and rum was at his parched lips
an instant. She made him drink of
and drink deep. and mutton sand
-iches. deliciousiy cut and sailed she
ut between his teeth with her own
myers, bite after bite. as though he
ad been her infant. And ali the time
lie was railing at herself for forget
ng this and being the most selfish
oman in the world. while he ate and
rank from her tender hand and never
id q word
But when this was over he took that
and In his. and so they sat as it !
,emed for hours in thin rain Of fill
red moonshine. Still his eyes were I
eadily downcast the whole time
bus they missed the happy tears in
,rs.
At last he spoke. and it was terrible,
r she could not understand word.
hen he coughed and tried again and
id, God bless you. Peggy-only there
ut one in New South Walesv' And