The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-06-06

ed: "You are very good to take care
Of me-"
oh, no; I'm only too glad! And
now I'm going to build up the fire
again; your hands are quite cold
mo, don't 60" he pleaded please
stay here; I'm not cold any more
And you must go to sleep again. I
ought not to have wakened. you; and,
really. ! didn't mean to-
Yes you ought. I've had lots Of
sleep: ] don't want any more"
"Its dark, but it's better than It
was that other night, isn't it," said
James
Much better" answered Agatha.
james visibly gathered strength
frcln the milk, anG presently he took
sons more. Agatha watched, and
when he had finished, patted him
approvingly on the hand. Good boy!
You've dones very WELL" she cried.
81 was so thirsty, I thought the
whole earth had run dry. VIII you
think me very ungrateful ii I say now
| wish it had been water?"
oh no; | wish so, too. But Mt
Hand could only get Us a little bit
from spring. for there isn't any
other pail"
It was some time before Jim made
out to inquire, who's Mr.. Hand?"
Hes the man that helped us-out
OF the water-when we became ex
hausted."
Agatha hesitated to speak OF the
nights experience, uncertain how far
Jim's memory carried him, and not
knowing how a sick man, In his
weakness, might be affected, Still
now that he seemed almost himself
again, save for the chill, she ventured
to refer to the event. speaking. in
matter-of-fact way, as II such endur
ance tests were the most natural
events in the world james speech
was quite coherent and distinct. but
very slow, as il the efforts to speaF
came from the depths of a profound
fatigue.
! "Hand-that's good name for him
I thought it was the hand of God
which plucked me, like David. o.
Jonah. or some such person, out o
the seething pillows. But I didn'
think of there being a man behind.
Then. after a long silence, "Wher
is he?"
He's gone OF to find somebody t
help us get away from here; a car
riage or wagon OF some sort, AM
some food and clothes"
Something caused Jim to calculate
though quite feebly, "You poo
thing!" And then he asked, very slow
ly, where is 'here'?"
Fl don't know; and MFR. Ham
doesn't know"
"And we've lost our tags" laughe'
Jim family.
Agatha couldn't resist the laugh
though the weakness In Jim's voic
was almost enough to make her wee
|, as we'll
eyes. we've lost our tags more
the pity. Mr.. Hand thinks weir
either on the coast OF Maine. or o.
an island somewhere near the coast
I myself think 1t must at least b
Nova Scotia. or possibly Newfovnf
land But Hand will find out and b
back soon, and then Wen get ava
from here and 60 to some place wher
we'll all be comfortable"
Agatha stole away, and with mac
difficulty succeeded In kisdiing N
I Are again. She tended 1t until goo
steady heat spread over the rocks, an
| then returned to James. She cusle
. ND. half sitting. half lying. agains
the rocks.
4 Clouds had risen during the recen
, hours. and It was much darker tina
! the night before had been. The ocear
washing It's million pebbles up on tn
little beach, moaned and coynplaine
necessarily In the long interval b.
tween their talk. Agatha's head woul
fail her eyes would close, and sh
would almost sleep; but an unde
current of anxiety concerning he
companion kept her always at tn
edge of consciousness James hin
self appeared to have no desire I
/ sleep. He was trying to piece t
gether, in his mind, his conscious an
unconscious memories At last b
said.
az guess haven't been much goo
| for while-have ~"
: Agatha considered before replying
! "You we're quite exhausted, | think
and we feared you might be ILL.,"
And Handy Andy got my job!
She laughed outright at this, as muc
for the feeling Of reinsurance 1t CAV
i her as for the jest itself.
I Handy Andy certainly had a jcl
: with us two ON his hands!" she laugl
} ed.
81 bet he did," cr1ea James, Wit
! more vigo2 than he had shown befor
'sHe's great man; I'm for hin
/ L -