The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-12-18

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speak, and turned her face from the
moonlight. She seemed to be strug-
| CLING again with rising sob.
Simon found himself peering, closely
and unintentionally, into her eyes He
stepped hastily back and heard him
self speaking with a holiness he did
not recognize.
"Mebby 1t was fur him ye we're
But hadn't oughter ask that. Mebby
it's fur ye he's ben grievin'7"
1T couldn't be that"
I've wondered. Often I'VE come on
him when he thought he was alone,
| Jest settin' and loolfn' at nothin'-an
grieyin', | know" simon's face, too,
sought the shadow. Il know"
1T might be because OF me but not
not for me-"
mot because he wants We, We mean?
But IL could be that. 'Tain't likely
he'd find two such women as We, even
ia the city. An faint likely he'd
trouble so much, II there wasn't a
woman in II. wish We could give him
what he needs"
What he needs is to have his life
made over from the beginning. He
can't have that"
If he's Jest wantin some one,
there's way ne could have IT"
you don't understand" she said
YEARLY.
mo. don't understand. That's the
trouble. I'D like to help him, TO give
him what he needs But don't know
how. There's nothin | can give him."
He turned his face away from her,
looking up at the furnace, big and
menacing. outlined against the sky.
There was silence among the mills.
From the old village behind them came
faint vague sounds Of life-a distant
tinkle OF laughter. crying child, a
neighing horse. From the new town
beyond the mills came no sound but a
single voice In song, q wild Gerry chant
that had been brought from another
land. The song was finished. Kazia
and Simon stirred, as though they had
been waiting for It's close to bring
| their strange encounter to an end.
Whats that?"
Both started. From somewhere near
them had come sudden muffled
cackle of mirthless uncanny laughter.
Sounds 3 IL 1t come from the fur
mace. There hadn't oughter be any
body round here. But guess It's just
the Waterman In the power house, The
still night makes 1t sound like that"
But even as he spoke they saw the
| figure OF man crawling from behind
the furnace. He scrambled to his feet
and began to run, with an awkward
hobbling gait. up the tracks toward
the bridge. The moonlight fell full on
his face.
"Piotrl"
(. Az the cry, in a voice he knew,
reached him, the man stopped sud
denly, stared wildly about and saw the
two figures advancing on him. He
raised his hands in frantic gesture.
Kaziai Go back go backi"
She did not heed his warning. "Piotr!
What are you doing?"
go backl" he screamed. You'll
be killed. It's dynamite!"
Instantly the others guessed what
impended. Kazia heard low moan
beside her, saw Simon run. as fast as
his ago-stiffened limbs allowed, toward
the furnace, as IL he thought to avert
the imminent destruction.
you mustn't" she cried. "Come
back!"
IL the old man heard, he did moi
obey. she fed after him, In instructive
purpose to drag him back out oi
danger.
They reached Piotr. passed him. He
stood bewildered. glancing uncertainty
toward the refuge Of the woods. Then
with O low whimpering cry. he, too
joined in that moonlight race. HI
could not have overtaken her. had she
not tripped and fallen over a switch
He flung himself upon her. moaning
shudderingly.
"Kazia, didn't want to hurt YOU"
Simon sped on.
That was what Mark Truitt, crouch
ing whore he had last fallen. saw JUS
before the explosion came. There waI
hoarse deafening roar. The grea
furnace seemed to reel, then toppleC
and fell
They found him weakly trying t.
remove the debris from place neal
J the edge of the ruin. They drew hin
aside and hundred strong hands tool
up his task. Soon they found the deaf
Piotr and under him Kazia. still
breathing. 1t was not until daybreal
that they came to Simon.
Kazia was carried to the village ant
laid in Doctor Hedges own house. AL
through the night and In the morning
until the great surgeon from the cit,
came. he fought OFF death. Then tn,
surgeon took up the fight with ,
knowledge and skill the old doctor dill
not possess. For two days they did
not sleep but watched and battled.
: In the adjoining room a man. him
} self the object of the doctors care
! passed through his Gethsemane. Tn,
} dead. his own pain and weakness, al
. else. were forgotten in his agony 70
} the one who, II seemed, could not live