El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-09
The HeraId's
Daily Shsrt Stsry
The Silence OF Death

ling sound: How long have you been
here now, 1892"
The man addressed shuddered, but
did not answe r.
Don't you remember any more?' $50
asked mockingly. 1T seems to me
1 heard the porters say, as they carried
me in here yesterday, that it is about
three weeks?'
But 319 remained silent His neigh
Dor peered at him through one corner
of his eye.
Have you no children
The great head shook imperceptibly
in reply.
1T is good for something to have
children" 327 reasoned, lit is always
good for something. Isn't it?" he asked
after while and turned his jolly eyes,
with an expression as If he had made
another joke
The young woman sighed. Three
weeks. she said. Have you then no
relatives of friends at all?"
Il have a brother
What are you mourning about then
1t was the old skinny woman III
course he will call for you then, your
brother
They shuddered at her words, the
iovial mans smile vanished. The mys-
FERROUS one no longer smiled either, but
kept his knowing expression.
The children and the two women on
the other side of the partition trem-
bled with fear and left
Il have brother Pierre. brother
whose name is Pierre" His voice
sounded hollow and full of bitterness
Number s27 thought of Pierre who
did not call for his brother. TT is ter
rible. he whispered.
YES. that is true" groaned the
Younger woman. horribly true
At this moment the gates were closed,
making it quite dark inside A couple
of porters went up to the Joviai little
man.
..Now Won are going home. old boy.
one of them said, taking hold or the
handles OF the bench to carry him OIL
No 327's features beamed. and as II
nv accident. he left his right hand
slide down upon s1s's shoulder 10 sn u,s
! him his sympathy; he also opened MS
mouth to say something. but the words
refused to come
When the door had closed behind him
there was deep silence, the remaining
bodies listening to see If the porters
were not coming back.
: The pcrters returned.
us it that one?" one of them asked
pointing to the younger woman She
almost shrunk with a smile OF painful
happiness.
The other porter went up to the old
woman. TT is this one" he said, taking
hold of the hands.
Again there was a long silence
Then the door was thrown open and
with heavy steps the porters carried in
man and placed him next to S1s
When they had left number 5ls
wanted to look at his new neighbor, but
his left eye was closed with the 1iulo
from the wound and refused to open.
You could see the inward effort he
made to turn his head and at last he
succeeded. With a motion as II some
thing burst in his neck. his head 1eli
over with the face turned toward the
newly arrived
A tremor went through his body, his
expression grew horrible and his right
eve bulged and threatened to drop out
of its socket
Fer while he lay motionless. silent
but at last he seemed to recover
Pierre" his lips whispered without
moving. Pierre. Pierre
The brother paid no attention to his
pitiful call. but rested mute and indif-
ferent on the crushed back Of his
head and with a threat OF revenge
about his gray stony lips.
Pierre, brother Pierre"
The young woman who seemed TO
have slept. sighed deeply.
why don't you answer your
brother?" she said reproachfully. But
Pierre remained pitilessly silent and
only the revengeful expression about
his lips showed that he was conscious
of anything.
AS q distant plant from life without,
was heard the tolling of church bells
far aW ay.
Then 319's face collapsed, his cheeks
shrunk and became hollow, and the I'M
pressfve. final silence of death spread
across his gigantic head.