El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-01
The Herald's Daily
Short Story


the sod way down in a deep, black hole
and the weight Of the earth was rest
ing heavily on her chest. She wanted
TO cry out, but did not have strenS N
enough. She wanted TO knock her h t5.1
against the rocks, but could not aer
hands were as heavy as lead when she
tried TO lift them. At last she was
taken seriously III.
When she began to recover, they told
her that Nicander had nursed her de-
vOtedly during the many nights she
had been delirtous with fever. At first
they did not want to let him go near
her, but he had insisted until at last
they allowed him to sit up with her
Now she was able to walk about and
sit on the bench outside in the warm
sun But this spring was not at all
like other springs. She had neither viii
power nor strength and 1t was as II
she could neither enjoy anything nor
suffer. She felt no pain, but her tears
ran necessarily. She unbraided her
long hair and sat looking at it with an
empty stare in her big blue eyes and
without a single thought in her brain.
After a while, however, she began to
work again.
One evening she met Nicander. He,
too, had changed. He did not wear his
cOachman's hat as jauntily as before
and there was a restless flicker IN his
brown eyes. He said nothing, but very
gently laid has arm around her waist
She made no resistance If he had drag
ged her towards the river she would
not have resisted Then he took cour-
age and kissed her forehead She let
him do so passively, with closed eyes,
and lips pressed tightly together
After that they met several times and
just before Christmas she discovered
that she was to become q mother and
must marry. The baby died during the
following month Of March g few hours
after its premature birth, but she sur
vived. Then she unexpectedly inherited
#ara viii ia =
to live there while Nicander tried TO
find a new position.
And It was here that something
dreadful happened One day when she
was alone at home she suddenly heard
the door open and turned around to
see who was coming.
Blom stood before her. He wore his
Sunday clothes, and his features were
peaceful and beautiful, though he looked
pale and tired. He held his hat in his
hand
II have only come to ask you why
you stopped writing and betrayed your
best friend?"
Then all at once the truth flashed
upon her like lightning. Nicander had
intercepted their letters. Her heart
filled with wild Joy mingled with sOr-
row. She would tell him everything.
Leave her house and go away with him.
She opened her arms and thought she
was speaking, but everything grew
dark before her eyes, the floor seemed
70 move ike sea oeneaIn ner net ana
she felt herself falling heavily without
being able to say anything beyond a
faint: Help me- Help mer'
When she came TO again she was
sitting IN a chair. It was almost dark
and ne had left her She understood
that she had not been able to give him
any explanation and she ran through
all the streets Of the village, hoping TO
find him. But he was not 20 be found,
though she rOamed all through the
neighbOring country and villages dur
ing the next three weeks.
Then she gave up all hope. She said
nothing TO Nicander about the letters.
but once when he was sick he con-
fessed everything himself
Then the years had passed in dread
full, hopeless monotony and now she
was old, very old. and had never heard
anything Of the man who had gone
away before she was able TO speak