The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-12-23
7Htrah FELL On NJ kNlt1AND
oowED a') GREY nEap AND mpr.
HOLDING m n!1 ARMS rrI ptap
BODY OF Ms Wifi
BODY OF ul1 WIFE

His body was hideously MANNED and
broken: one leg hung limp from the
hip; his hands were cruelty twisted
and crushed. A shock of matted white
hair pulled down owe a scared and
deeply Scared forehead, half con-
cealed a red and empty eye-socket.
Behind him.. on a ragged piece Of car
pet that rose M fell with the wind
floor, squatted the withered hulk of
a woman. her skull bald with age, her
sightless ayes staring into space
Clasped to her sunken breast she held
a creature of her own sex-a woman
pail1d, haggard and pitifully emaciated,
vouring disease. Clinging to the mans
less stood a small boy of s, his tiny
hand already callous with labor. his
thin face pilched from scant food and
long Weary hours of work.. while two
little girls, dirty n half naked,
e%rouehed, w~himpering ~piteously, on the
wet floor i'll a corner.
In horror. Bullion turned from the
1ndow He had always made it a
point to avoid the sight of suffering.
Who are these miserable crcatures?o
he asked of his guide, who stood silent
ly at his elbow.
"A miner and his family employed
men,"
"Impossible!" exclaimed Bullion.
such a state of things could not ex-
list. 1t is evidently a picture coniured
up by the feVered brain of some de-
mented ~demogague. 1t can't actually
be true"
i these helpless victims of it," re-
piled his guide, sit is, alas, too true"
1mpellsd by a mixture Of pity and
morbid. curiosity, Bullion once more
approached the window and looked in.
he now for the first time noticed the
presence of another person in the room
"a heavy browed man holding in his
nam a paper marked with q red seal.
The old miner faced him, standing be-
tween him and the frightened women
Of impotent defiance and sullen rear
me loo of apathy on the wan face Of
the sick m a look stamped there
by slow years OF accomplishing drllde-
cry. was more fearful in its pathos
me the most violent demonstration Of
grief. y
The miner moissened his cracked Inns.
Gimme a chance" he said in a quay-
ering voice, holding out his Manned
hands IN an awkward gesture of an
peal. I've worked for the Germany
these sl6 years the best L know how,
soon as his little fingers was strong
enough to pick the coal from the slate,
instead of putting him to school. II
amt my fault If I still owe 'em for rent
dHO 1000. we had to live.
The sheriff shook his head IMPATIENT
" wit hthe air of a man anxious to get
through with an abhorent task.
That none of my business" he said.
MY orders was to give you six days
notice and then put you out, and out
you CO."
For a moment the old miner was 81
lent; ne seemed to be struggling to
overcome the paralyzing sense of i'm
potence II despair that numbed him,
Gimme a day." he begged, brokenly;
Just a day. My wife is sick. 1t would
XIII her to so out in a night like this,
You can't ave the heart to put her and
the old woman out to die in the rain
and sleet."
For answer the sheriff kicked open
the rickety door. Cit" he said,
angrily. The ruined and broken old
man cast a look at the pathetic group
behind him n brushed a tear from his
SCARED cheek with the back OF a shak-
ing hand.
II guess we'll have to get out" he
herself with difficulty on her red Ell
bows and finally struggled to hes feet.