The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-07-02

were no more sounds until the paddock
was tried and hand went feeling for
the key. Tom raised his head for the
first time az the moon streamed In
through the open door. when he per-
ceived that It was reggy's bare feet
which had made no noise. With that
he lowered his head again. for there
was no place In II even for surprise.
But unconsciously he gave moan.
She went npon her knees beside him
and flung out her arms, but drew them
back. with SILVER from that loose
spread blanket. .Tomr' she whisper
ed. Speak to me. darlin'. It's Peggy
come to see how y are
He never spoke. never looked up nor
gave any sign that he heard her words,
unless II was that his bowed head
hung more heavily than before.
.It's Peggy O'Brine," the girl pur-
sued. with 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 II all through me i
wasg'
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 bis
head as her meaning came home TO
him.
Indeed an It was" persisted Peggy.
.Only for mo you niyer would have
struck IN at all. An to think II was
meseif that warned 20 In the beginning
an went an drove ye TO II in the Ind.
II only you had let m strike me dead
ut his feet! II "a have been betthef
than that-an' thIs!"
Still he looked at her without word.
and still there was no light, no life. no,
feeling In the look. but only dumb and
dead despair.
lyon thought / liked 'imr' exclaimed
Peggy wildly. They've been tellln'
ye their black lies In the huts. It's
little they know how It's been between
rs from the sthart. I'LL tell ye this.
Tom. betther a hundred times be the
man he's spite agin than the girl
hes his wicked eye upon. That's Mr..
Nat for ye, an ! hate 'lm-I ioathe
limits Gods truth I'm telling ye.
Tom. dear, be cot me out there last
night-I niver whit out wild i'm. He
cot me prowlin' about. as he said. an
that's the truth. too, though be tould It.
I couldn't sleep for thinkin' o. the two
o. yez. It's well | knew he was up to
some tiyil's work NJ last. I'd seen I'm
talkin'-an' what do you suppose he's
up 10 now?" asked Peggy. going on at
tangent. what no you suppose
he's doin' at this momentf Lynn
dhrunk on his bed-lyin' de'd dhrunk
for the shame OF II. You knocked IN
down. You knocked IN down. He
won't get over { till his dyin' day. No
body Use liver so much as lifted a
han agin I'm on the farm. But glory
be 70 God. you knocked i'm DOWN.
There was more than unthinking ex-
ultation In her tone: there was a very
singular sort Of pride also. and this as
minimizing as the other, II was 50 In
genuous and plain. But Tom saw moth
ing with those dreadful eyes and
heard but little beyond her soothing
brogue. And then she did think and
saw mark on the blanket In rod OF
moonlight for she had shut the door
and cried out to God to forgive the
most selfish woman In all the world.
She had thought OF herself and not
Of Tom. She had talked about herself
and not about Tom. In her seIfishness
she had forgotten what she had brought
him. and a medicine hottie OF pIlfered
milk and rum was nt his parchel lips
In nm instant. She made him drink or
II. and drink deep. and mutton sand
witches. dellciously cut and sailed, she
put between his teeth with her own
fingers. bite after bite. as though he
had been her infant And all the time
she was railing NJ herself for forget.
ting this and being the most selfish
woman In the world. while he ate and
drank from her tender hand and never
said q word.
But when this was over he took that
hand in his. and 30 they sat as II
seemed for hours in a thin rain OF 81.
tered moonshIne SIN his eyes were
steadily downcast the whole time.
Thus they missed the happy tears In
hers.
Az last he spoke. and II was terrible.
for she could not understand a word.
Then be coughed and tried agnln and
sald. God bless you. Peggy only there
isn't one in New South walesr' And
that left them both silent and the girl
grIevIng openly for almost as long
again.
Then he said quite quietly:
You know I've been In the con.
demned cell. Peggy. But II was moth.
Ing TO this Ny God. II was nothing %
/ this z8.aaz e. ~. -.
Peggy pressed his hand.
The condemned cell NJ Newgate."
he went on. ~ was there up 10 the
very last night and heard the people
taking their places 10 see me swing.
Well. that night was nothing 20 this
And n they had hanged me IN the
morning II would have been nothing
Il nofhinx-lt would have haat, uott,tnsyys