The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-02


spirits. and to bear the aching pain
in her hand without childish COM
plant Mrs. Crawford, a motherly
little woman, sat quietly at her side,
knitting and talking.
Does your hand pain you much
now, deary?" she asked gently, at
last.
Yes, a little" said the girl, wear
lily
Mrs. Crawford's tone changed
with startling suddenness. We'll.
hope that villains face has a dozen
scalds to every one on your hand.'
she snapped.
Margaret opened her eyes to smile
at her companions vehemence, and
at the seeming barbarity of such a
wish coming from such gentle lit
tie creature. Then suddenly she
grew sober and started up.
why" she cried, why, of course
he was scalded, He must have been
awfully, awfully burned. He must
have been-why. | never thought OF
it. This little bit | got hurts me so
how frightfully he must be suffer-
ing away out in the cold woods in the
night Oh, what shall | do? What
must we do"
The outbreak was so unexpected
and surprising that little Mrs. Craw-
ford quite lost her breath. When she
regained it the girl was on her feet.
What in the world, child" cried
the older woman, rising in haste.
Have you gene crazy?'
"Oh, no." Margaret's eyes were
filing with tears as she came quickly
to her friend Mrs. Crawford, | just
thought all at once how that man
must be suffering now from the terri
BILE scalding l gave him. He hasn't
any one to help him-to put soda on
his burns, or to take care of him.
They say he went back into the
woods, and so now he's out there by
the river. where they always camp,
and oh, do you think-oo you think
it could have blinded him.
The girls cry was piteous, but
when the other attempted to take her
hand she shrank back. "Oh, no, |
must do something" she repeated.
Il must go l must find out. Where
is Mr.. Crawfordo'
Margaret was sobbing when Mr..
Crawford came in, looking wonder
ingly from one to the other of the
two women He was a lean, wiry,
powerful man, whose physique typi-
fed his character. He as slow only
with the deliberation OF good judg-
ment, and he had plenty of force to
back his wit.
Margaret had known him long
enough to be familiar with his good
qualities. She went up to him at
once.
MIR. Crawford, some one must go
and see how badly burned that poor
man Elan is. | want you or some
one to go with me. l want to go
now, for he must be lying out in the
woods, suffering. Well find him on
the river bank somewhere. It's only
a mile, and it's early yet"
She stood upright, her eyes full of
determination. Mr.. Crawford was
watching her attentively, and he
smiled
Get your buds, little girl" he
said, quietly. I'll go with you.
think | know where Red Ed'll camp.
He isn't pleasant customer, but if
he is much burned we'd better know
about it,
John Crawford" cried his wife.
"She must not"
Il guess she must, by her looks,
said Mr.. Crawford, with his
slow smile. I'll go with her.
Margaret put on her hat and Will
ter coat with feverish haste. The
mental vision she beheld of the in
jured man in the lonely woods, suf-
fering as the result of her act, which
now seemed to her to have been I'M
speakably cruel, made her eager to
carry aid where she had afflicted in
jury. The dark woods held no Ter
rors for her Her horror of the man
so strong upon her an hour
ago, seemed iost in her sense OF his
need Of help.
Mr. Crawford's knowledge of the
habits and haunts of the lumbermen
was thorough. In the moonlight he
found the point where they usually
camped on their way down the river.
He found a lonely, isolated bivouac,
with a little fire on the river shore.
He found Red Ed.
All through the long tramp through
the dark wood road to the river and
along the bank downstream, Marga-
e. L ln