The Washington herald., 1911-09-10

signing. raised his head from his hand
and turned There was a figure seated
close to him-a woman, who reached
out a hand to take his SCARED and
burned ones In her own-a woman
moreover, who asked him no questions
"oh! Oh, GodT he began. for the
first time breaking silence. his burned
lips twitching And you-why don't
you go away? What made you conner
She was silent for time. Am not
your friend?' she asked. at length.
Now he could look at her. My
friend!" said he bitterly. "As IL all
the world had a friend for me! How
could there be? But you saw that
| this"
She made no answer. but only drew
triie nearer, seeing him for the first
time unnerved and unstrung. Il saw
something, could not tell what-when
you came out. 1 supposed"
We'll. then" said he, with supreme
effort which demanded all his courage,
as he turned toward her; 1T all had
to come out, somehow. 1t is the end,
now"
She had brought with her cup or
water. Now she handed 1t to him with
out comment His hand trembled as
he took it.
You saw that?" He nodded to-
ward the ruins. ALI she did was to
nod, in silence. Yes; I saw you come
out-with-that-in your arms"
"Who-what-do you suppose it was?'
"I don't know" Then, suddenly:
Tell me. Tell me! Was 1t she?'
Send them away" he said to her
after a time. She turned. and those
who stood about seemed to catch the
wish upon her face. They fell back
for a space, silent, or talking in low
tones.
Come" he said.
He led her a pace or so, about the
scanty wall of shrubbery. He pulled
back a bit of old and faded silk,
woman's garment of years ago, from
the face of that Something which lay
there. on a tiny cot, scarce larger than
childs bed.
1t was the face of a woman grown,
yet of a strangely vague and child
like look. The figure, never very large,
was thin and shrunken unbelievably.
The features, waXy-white, were merci-
fully spared by the flames which had
licked at the shielding hands and arms
that had borne her hither. Yet they
seemed even more thin, more waX-like,
more unreal, than had their pallor
come by mercifuI death. Death? All,
here was written death through years.
Life, full, red-blooded, abounding, lux
uriapt, riotous, never had animated
this pallid form or else had long years
since abandoned it. This was but the
husk of a human being, clinging be-
yond its appointed time to this world,
so cruel and so kind.
They stood and gazed solemnly, for
time. The hands of Josephine st.
Auban were raised in the sign of her
religion. Her lips moved IN some
swift prayer. She could hear the short,
hard breathing of the man who stood
near her, grimed, blistered, dishgured,
in his effort to bring away into the
light for a time at least this specter,
so long set apart from all the usual
ways of life.
said, at last, thickly. I'VE kept her
I kept her. here for her sake. In this
country II would be a sort OF disgrace
for any-any-feeble-pe you
know, to go to an institution Those
are our graves over yonder in the yard.
You see them? Well, here was our
asylum. We kept our secrets.
She was this way for more than ten
years. She was hurt in an accident
her spine. She withered away. Her
mind was go1e-she was like a child.
she cried out, like a child. Very often
I was obliged to play All. my God!
My Cod"
This was one of your family. 1t
was that which we heard-which we
felt-abnut the placer" Her voice
was very clear. though low.
My wife! Now you know" He
dropped back. his face once more be-
tween his hands, and again she fell
How long-was this?" at length she
asked quietly.
He turned a scorched and half
blinded face toward her. Ever since
was a boy. you might say" said
he. Even before my father and
mother died. We kept our own coun- |
sci. We ran away. we two children. |
They counseled me against it. My
people didn't like the match, but
sort OF Judgment. Not long after we
were married ii cane-the dreadful ac- |
cident, with a runaway team-and we !
saw-we knew-in a little while-that |
she simply lived like a child-a plant |
That was ten years ago, ten centuries |
ten thousand years of torture. But |
1 kept her. l shielded her the best |
knew how. That was her place yon-
der. where the bars were-you see. !
any LIOAC' IL . Oil oAOA4Sb
back in here. Some said there was a |
funeral, out here. Jameson didn't deny |
1t, did not deny 1t. But she lived
there! Sally took care of her. Some
times she or the others were careless. |
You heard, once or twice. Well, any
way, I couldn't tell you. 1t didn't |
seem right-to her. And you were big |
enough not to ask. I thank you! Now
you know"
oh ell !
down, now weary. side by side, on the
grass. /
Now you see into one bit of a human
heart, don't you?" said he bitterly.
The gray dawn showed his distorted
and wounded face, SCARED. blackened.
burned. as at length he tried to look
1t her.