Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-11-01

down You knocked m down. lie
won't get over I ill his dyin' day. No
body i>c ivcr 81 much as lifted
han agin i'm on the farm. But glory
he t. cod. You knocked i'm down.
There WAS more than unthinking eX-
uitation in her tone; there WAS a very
singular sort of pride also. and this rs
mthinkin- us the other. it WAS 81 ill.,
crllI"uS and plain. But Tom saw moth
IN" with Those dreadful eyes and
heard bat little beyond her soothing
hroguc. And then she I'D think and
SAW IL mark on the blanket i'll Il rod Of
moonlight tfur She had shut the door
aud cried out to God L. 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 SclilShleSS
she had forgotten what she had brought
him. and Il medicine bottle of pilfercd
milk and rum was ut his parchrd lips
In an Instant. She made him drink of
1t. and drink deep, and mutton sand
witches. dcliciously cut and sailed, she
-
fingers, bite after bite, rs though he
had been her infant. And all the time
she was railing ut herself for forget
ting this and being the most selfish
wumnn in the world. while he ate and
drank from her tender hand and never
said Il word.
But when this was over he took that
hand in his. and 50 they sat lis It
seemed for hours in thin rain of fill
tered moonshine. Still his eyes were
steadily downcast the whole time.
Thus they missed the happy tears in
hers.
At last he spoke. and it was terrible.
for she could not understand a word.
Then he coughcd and tried again and
said, God bless you. Peggy-only there
isn't one in New South Wales" And
that left them both silent and the girl
grleving openly for almost US long
again.
Then he said quite quietly:
You know I've been IN the con-
demned cell, Peggy. But it was moth
ing to this. My God, it was nothing to
this"
Peggy pressed his hand.
The condemned cell ut Newgate,"
he went on. II was there up to the
very last night and heard the people
taking their places to see me swing.
Well, that night was nothing to this.
And IL they had hanged me in the
morning 1t would have been nothing
nothing-it would have been nothing
The hOarSe voice broke, sob after sob
shook the tortured body. and the girl
glowed with shame to find herself the
useless witness of an agony SO SUI
preme. But his tears dried hers and
bound their fount. 1t froZe her heart
to hear and see him. She was afraid
to speak to him, to touch his hand.
She withdrew little, and her bare
foot pressed n cold oasis on the warm
ground. She stopped and picked up a
coin.
TIA" cried Tom.
| His voice was very bitter now, but
under control In moment.
"Where did 1t come FROM" asked
! Peggy, with the coin to q shining
| crevice.
Il am ashamed to tell you," and he
| ground his teeth. But you will never
| guess. From a greater brute than Ell
Their Of the Sullivans. He came to look
| at me just afterward. I was steaming
like horse In this blanket, and he
| came and gloated over me and flung
me farthing-a farthing-the very
beast who ordered me the lashes and
pretended to he SO kind"
"a farth'n'"
"Yes. God help him II ever get his
yellow throat between these ten fin
| gers" And they were clutching muir
derouSly In the air, and there was
murder in every vibration Of the husky
voice.
"Surc. an 1t isn't farth'n' it is ut
ALL"
"What IS 1t. then%
"a sov'rin!"
And the soft Irish brogue was rich
with honest satisfaction. She showed
him the coin In triumph. He regarded
1t with leaden eye.
~ sov'rin" repeated Peggy. with
enthusiasm. "Stick it in your pockut
an be grateful liver afther to Peggy's
bare fut."
He shook his head.
You wont?"
Another shake.
""Tis sinful pride I call It," remon-
strated the girl. "Thc kind man meant
welP'-
'"I'he kind MANI
"An' isn't he?"
II owe him n bit already" replied
Tom. Let HE settle that first"
"But this he meant WELL man. This
IS no farth'n' -
$50 much the worse. lie thought to
heal the wounds owe him with SOW
ereign. did he? His conscience and
my wounds! May they lie open and
sting and throb and tickle all ut once