Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-07-14
cut on to the great bridge. climbed the
railing and disappeared be was alone.

:
A strange sympathy went out for the
film boy. 1t might have been self pity
that prompted IL. Anyhow whenever
he thought OF that sordid unconvinc-
ing little tragedy he felt like crying.
He thought OF 1t now as he sat there
In the shadow Of the shingle pile.
Funny, he thought, that the nights
in the pictures were always blue. He
had never seen blue night. They
were black and. ii seemed now, always
hot and thick. This night was.
He brushed tear away impatiently.
What had happened to that boy after
be disappeared over the bridge railing?
Hot and white was the thought. He
was wandering into fields of specula
ton and conjecture now. II was some
thing new, and be drew deep breath
at the fresh sensation.
The stuntea cramped little circle of
thought that had been his since thought
began was broken. This was new;
this was the treading Of pathless fields.
Why, be had never before experienced
this juggling with views and ideas and
impressions.
Before--the boy had merely gone
over the rail. out OF sight. But now
well, there was something beyond that
immediate fact and, Furthermore. he
was free to establish that something
for himself. Bridges crossed rivers.
and to leap from one would be to fall
into the water.
He had heard Of people killing them
selves by drowning. That was II, was
it? And the tears came freely. The
boy was dead-forever' dead. He bad
been alone. but now be was dead.
Another new something stole
through him and he arose and walked
70 the edge Of the dock. standing with
his turned up stockiuged toes out over
the last plank.
The snakv water wrifhed beneath
him. silently. and he saw 1t. all dis
tnrted. through the wetness which COW
cred his vision.
So the boy was dead He wondered
how II seemed to be dead. Did people
laugh? Perhaps, but you could not
hear. Were You always aloneY Yes.
but you did rot realize the condition.
The drawing Of such conclusions
startled him
The river reached up yearningly.
AT least. it was cool, IL beckoped
him silently, he thought ANY now. ii
was so much trouble to find out about
things. He might never be able to get
to that island park after all: might
never know how much II cost 10 ride
on the excursion boat
His watch was gone, and that was
bad-po place TO go--men laughed and
lied--he was afraid-the boy la the
picture-alone-the river-rivcr. river
It Knocked at his hesitation, and he de-
termined that he was not afraid-still
1t dared him and
A scuff Of shoe on the rough planks
behind set his heart bounding.
So many things Were happening this
night. He turned. still in the shadow
of the boards. and looked.
Under an arc light stood a woman.
She was taking on tawdry hat with
a dropping. disconsoiate feather, like
limp celery. She shock her head slowly
rs she dropped the thing and YEARLY
backs Of her fingers
Then she leaned against the lamp
post and looked down at the river. The
man stood breathless. He thought he
saw her shudder once, then the quick
rise and fall Of her thin shoulders be-
came evident She made peculiar
sound
He did not know what to do. For an
unknown reason he was afraid, 90 he
stood still. The woman turned around,
ciutching something white In one hand.
probably a handkerchief This she
pressed tightly against her lips ~ shc
kaxed shoreward
The piercing arc rays fell on her
strained face. 1t was dead white. and
the forehead was deeply marked. The
black eyebrows seemed of an unnat-
ural intensity against the lifeless skin.
She was crying now. loudly. the sobs
unrestrained and growing louder all
the time.
Her whole body shook. and for a mo-
ment II seemed as though her knees
would give way. but she clutched the
lamppost, steadied herself and then.
with head thrown far back. moved
5erkily about until she faced the
stream
1t was not to jump. She seemed to
wilt suddenly and tumble OF the dock
into the water.
For a scant instant he stood there.
clammy cold. and then. with fright
ened YELL he ran to the place from
where she had disappeared.
Hold on he cried. leaning far for
| ward to catch sight Of her as she came
to the surface. .f'll git you out.
Where's somethin'? what1l CITY
J In the excitement his voice was more
Ike cackle than the articulation Of
I words He looked vacantly about. saw