South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-29

humanity at his horse. she ran quickly
down the stairs OF her house. across her
yard into the grape aroor. She had eX-
pected TO find the major az the foot
OF the arbor. where he had been shot
down with his face turned toward her.
He was not there. but there was a trail.
warm and wet. straight across the grass.
She followed It to the Masterson steps.
mp the steps 20 the front door. where
she lunged into Speaker. who was rush
ing out, wringing his hands, and sob
bling:
"Goddermercyme Miss Kate. some'n
up an shooter Marse Clay an me l an
know"
Henderson Speaker-up Main street
for Or. Henderson-and nobody else
tell nobody else" The darby. catching at
the instructions like a sinking man who
sees rope. bounded down the steps
and ran OF up the street Left alone.
Miss Kate pushed inside TO the sitting
room" and found the major stretched
out weakly on the couch where Speaker
had placed him. His face was as gray
as his thick mop OF hair and his eyes
were closed. On the linen that showed
within his vest a red streak was widen
ing. When Miss Kate tried to slip the
coat from his shoulders the streak be-
came a broad band, and the majors lips
shook. He had already lost great guam
tity OF blood She could feel the damp
warmth OF il down his side. on the sofa.
up in The pillow uder his hair; there was
n pool or il on the floor where she knelt
She called TO him, pressed his hands. and
kissed him before she fully realized that
something else was urgently necessary.
Then, all she could think OF was whisky.
In the few emergencies or accident and
illness in her life she had had always 10
fight a tendency 10 think OF whisky. She
came of people who mad resorted 10
whisky in emergencies. If anything hap
pened TO a Carewe he took a drink of
whisky; she had been brought up into
reliance upon it, and Marly's crying ex
ample her nineteen years or hostility to
it. nothing had quite got her out of
that reliance She stopped and lifted the
major to what she Thought might be
moro comfortable posture, and the red
ter looking a it for another irresolute
second. she rolled up ner sleeves and
stepped into the dining room.
The first thing is 10 cIt that coat
away" she was saying as she went back
to the major She passed the old-fash
Toned mahogany sideboard gong and COM
ing. and going and coming she saw the
big whisky decanter, full to the brim.
Back al the majors side. she took the
knife that she had brought from the din
ing room. and not unskillfully. cut away
the coat linen, and underwear when she
found two holes in the majors arm. one
high up, underneath, where the bullet had
entered. the other around in front. above
his elbow. and belching rhythmically-
tsst-tsst-tsst, Tourniquets coming into
her mind promptly, she ran back 10 the
dining room and secured a napkin from
The table and a bowl from the sidebOard.
1t was a punch bowl-she noticed that
and again she saw the big whisky de-
canter twice She filed the bowl with
water and came on back 10 the major.
folded the napkin into a strip. and tied
it tightly around his arm above the
belching hole. That quickly got the best
of the rhythmic tsst, test, and she worked
on with great relief for a few busy sec
onds-bathing his face and shoulder. tidy
ing up the sofa, rubbing his cold hands,
calling TO him; but she could not make
him answer and she could get no color
into his lifeless lips. With her head
pressed at last despairingly to his side,
n al Ia
ious. protesting On its burdened beat
there came 10 her a sharp, strong realiza-
ton OF how precious the majors life was
to her. how infinitely more precious than
anything else in the world. A little tor
lured cry escaped her.
"Ohi OH" she said what am I to
do-what am -" II was terrible mo-
ment: the crisis in her conscience was so
tense that it sickened her physically. IF
only DR.. Henderson would come on" She
looked at the major again. then through
the dining room door at the whisky de-
canter. wrung her hands with another lit
tie hurt cry, and looked back at the
major. He was ashen by now, and for
the life of her she could not distinguish
the futter OF his heart. even with her
head pressed close. close 20 him. 'On'
# do make a drunkard out Of you; II
7 do" she moaned Then she got up
guilty and went into the dining room
for the whisky decanter- Her degrada-
ton seemed to her awful in is com
pleteness: she was walking across nine
teen years Of principle. goodness the
hope of heaven. the immortal strivings
of her own soul. bur she no longer hes
itated. Pouring some or the whisky INTO
glass she snatched teaspoon from
the table and ran back 20 he major.
Teaspoonful after teaspoonful ot the
golden. aromatic liquid she forced through
his clenched teeth. scorching tears OF
gelf-castigation running down her cheeks.
and great sobs half stranglng her.
Presently the majors eyel.is jerked his
lips twitched. the hutter came back on
his left side. and long breath shook
through his teeth. Kate he called,
q. a-fr f~