Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-06


forward from where she crouched in terror on the
floor searched the faces OF the two men for some hint
OF what they saw in the mly-Iighted space beyond
Something dreadful, something which made Mr.
Saunders come rushing back with the loud cry:
Take her away. Take her to our apartment
Jennie She must not see
Not see, He realized the futiIity OF his words as
his gaze fell on the young woman who had risen up at
his approach and now stood gazing at him without
speech, without movement but With glare of terror
in her eyes, which gave him his first realization Of
human misery
His own glance fell before it, Ii he had followed
his instinct he would have fled the house rather than
answer the question Of her look and the attitude Of
her whole frozen body.
Perhaps in mercy to his spccchcss terror, perhaps
in mercy to herself, She was the one who at last
found the word which voiced their mutual anguish.
"Dead?"
No answer. None was needed.
And my baby"
0, that cry 1t curdcd the hearts of all who
heard it. 1t shook the souls of men and women both
inside and outside the apartment; then all for
gotten in the wild rush She made The wife and
mother had flung herself upon the scene and, side by
side with the not unmoycd policeman, stood looking
down upon the dcsoation made in one fatal instant
in her home and heart
They Law there together both past help, both
by the weight of hi, father, arm which lay directly
across the uptumcd little throat. But the father
was a victim to the shot they had heard. There was
blood on his breast, and pistol in his hand.
Suicide. The horrible truth was patent. No
wonder they wanted to hold the young widow back.
Her neighbor, Mrs Saunders, Crcpt in on tpoc and
put her arms about the Swaying, iainting woman,
but there was nothing to say, absolutely nothing.
At least, they thought not. But when they saw
her throw herself down. not by her husband, but the
child and drag it out from under that stranglng
and hug and kiss it and call out wildly for doctor,
the officer cndcavored to Interfere and vet Couldnot
find the heart to do So though he knew the child wa,
dead and should not according TO all the rules Of the
Coroners office, be moved before that official ar
rived Yet because no mother could be convinced
of fact like this he let her sit with on the floor and
try all her little arts revive it, while he gave orders
to the anitor and waited himself for the arrival OF
doctor and coroner
She was still sitting there in widc-eyed misery,
alternately fondIng the little body and drawing back
to consult its small set features for some sign Of life,
when the doctor came and, after one look at the
child drew softly from her arms and laid 1t quietly
in the crib from which It's father had evidently lifted
il but short time before. Then he turned back to
her. and found her on her feet upheld by her two
friends She had understood his action, and without
a groan had accepted her fate Indeed, She seemed
incapable Of any further speech or action She was
staring down al her husbands body. which She, for
the first time. seemed fully to see Was her look
one of grief or OF resentment for the part be had
PLAYED so unintcntionalIy in her chiIds death' 1t
was hard to tell; and when with slowly rising finger,
She pointed to the pistol 50 tightly cIutched in the
other outstretchcd hand, no man thcre-lnd by this
time there were ycraI-couId foretcl what her
words would be when her tongue rcguincd its usage
and she could speak.
What she did say was this.
II. there bullet gone Did he FIRE off that