Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-08

Misery of soul twisted his weak
face pathetically.
why you act like you was afraid
said Custer, with whitening contempt.
His words cut the elder Shrimplin
like a knife; but they did not move
him from his seat in the cart.
You bet | amt afraid, Custer
and that's no way for you to speak
to your pa, anyhow
But what he had intended should
be the note of authority was no more
than a whine of injury.
Then why don't you come if you
amt afraid" insisted the boy an
grilyl
II don't know as I rightly know
why | don'tr' faltered Mr.. Shrimp
lin. 81 feel rotten bad all at once
You're coward" cried the boy in
fierce scorn.
Sobs choked his further utterance
while the hot tears blinded him on
the instant His idol had turned to
clay in his very presence and in the
desolation of that moment he wished
that he might be stricken with death,
since life held nothing for him longer
Cluster" began Shrimplin.
why don't YOU be man and go
down there?" sobbed the boy.
IT'S dangerous.'' said Shrlmpin.
Then I'll so." declared Custer
resolutely.
'.What-and leave me here alone?
cried the little lamp-liehter.
For answer Custer ran to the renee
his tears still blinded him and soos
wrenched his little body. Twice he
slipped back as he essayed to climb.
but a third attempt took him to the
topmost rail of the ricllety structure
"Custer!" called his father
But Custer persisted in the crime
of disobedience. lie slid down from
the top rail and stood among the
young pokeberry bushes and ragweed
that Illustrated in the foulness of the
slaughter house yards 1t was not an
especially inviting spot even in broad
'dav. as he knew. Now the moonlight
showed him bleaehed animal bones
and grinning animal skulls, while
the damp weeds that chung about his
bare legs suggested snakes.
"Custer!'' cried Mr.. Shrimpiin
again.
But il gained him no response from
the boy, who disappeared from betore
his eyes without a single backward
glance: whereat the little lamplighter
cursed ENORMOUSLY in the fear-haunt-
ed solitude of the road.
Custer descended the steep bank
that sloped down to the waters edge.
His eyes were fixed on a dense growth
of willows and sycamores that hned
the shore; it was from spot within
their black shadows that the cries for
help seemed to come. Presently he
passed:
"Hullo!" he called, peerng into the
darkness ahead of him.
He listened intently, but this time
his cry was unanswered; all he heard
was the grunting of some pigs that
fed among the offal. The boy shiv-
cred and his heart seemed to stop
beating.
"Hullo!" he called once more.
Help" came the answer
And Custer stumbled forward. AS
he neared the black shadows of the
willows he could feel his heart sink
like lead through all the reaches of
his shaking anatomy. He had passed
quite beyond the hearing of his faith
er's commands and reproaches, and
the wash and rush of the river came
up to him out of the silence.
"Hullon' cried the boy, pausing ir-
resolutely
Then, seemingly from the earth at
his feet, came a faint answer to his
hit NJ
through rank growth of weeds and
briers, stood on the brink of deep
gully that a small brook had worn
for itself on its way to the river be-
low. In the bed of this brook was a
dark object that Custer could barely
distinguish to be the figure of a man.
A bruised and bleeding face was up
turned.
give me your hand" gasped the
man.
Custer knelt on the bank and grasp
ing a tuft of grass to steady himself
extended his free hand.
''Are you hurt bad?" he asked.
Il don't know" gasped the man,
as he endeavored to draw himself UP
out of the bed of the brook.
But after a moment of fruitless ex-
ertion he sank back grooming.
go for help!" he said, in painful
whisper. You are not strong enough
for this
How did you get here?' asked Gus
ter
II fell off the railroad bridge. the
current landed me here; where am 1,
anyhow
AT the brick slaughter-house," said
Custer.
Il thought so; can't you get some
one to help your"
But Custer, his reasonable curiosity