Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-07-16

was wandering into fields of specula-
ton and conjecture now. 1t was some
thing new, and he drew deep breath
at the fresh sensation.
The stunted, cramped little circle of .
thought that had been his since thought
began was broken. This was new;
this was the treading of painless fields.
Why he 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
we'll, 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 it, was
it? And the tears came freely. The
picture was completed now; the film
boy was dead-forever dead. He had
been alone, but now he was dead!
Another new something stole
through him and he arose and walked
to the edge of the dock, standing with
his turned up stockinged toes out over
the last plank.
The snaky water writhed beneath
him, silently, and he saw 1t, all dis
torted, through the wetness which COW
cred his vision.
SO the boy was dead. He wondered
how 1t seemed to be dead. Did people
laugh? Perhaps, but you could not
hear. Were you always alone? Yes,
but you did not realize the condition.
The drawing of such conclusions
startled him.
The river reached up yearningly
At least, it was cool. 1t beckoned
him silently, he thought. Anyhow, it
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 it cost to ride
on the excursion boat.
His watch was gone, and that was
bad-no place to go-men laughed and
! lied-he was afraid-the boy in the
/
1t Knocked at his hesitation, and he de-
termined that he was not afraid-still
/ it dared him and
A scuff of a 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 off a tawdry hat with
dropping, disconsolate feather, like
limp celery. She shook her head slowly
as 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 GREATNESS. He thought he
saw her shudder once; then the quick
rise and fall of her thin shoulders be-
came evident. She made a peculiar
sound.
He did not know what to do. For an
unknown reason he was afraid, so he
stood still. The woman turned around,
clutching something white in one hand,
probably handkerchief. This she
pressed tightly against her lips as she
gaZed 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 mo-
ment it seemed as though her knees
would give way, but she clutched the
lamppost, steadied herself and then,
with head thrown far back, moved
jerkily about until she faced the
stream.
1t was not to jump. She seemed to
wilt suddenly and tumble off 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
ward to catch sight of her as she came
to the surface "I'll git you out
Where's somethin'? What'll git?'
In the excitement his voice was more
like cackle than the articulation of
words. He looked vacantly about, saw
the boards, ran to them, grasped one
Of them, and threw it aimlessly into the
stream. He saw her face. covered with
dripping hair. as 1t stared at him and
went below the surface a second time
"Helpw he screamed. Help! What'll
do?"
And in answer to his own query
pulled off his coat and sprang into the
stream. He came up with a throat
filed with water and sputtered as he
padded carefully, straining his eyes to
see where the woman might be.
He lost sense of direction In spite of
the light on the dock and went too far
toward the middle of the river. Real
izing his error, he foundered back
again.
Soon his hand came in contact with
something stringy and clutched it. IT
was the woman's hair. He pulled him
self toward her and felt something
strike his knee as though she had at
tempted to kick him. A hand came
out of the water and struck him in the
face.
''Foolw choked the woman as her
head came above the surface. Fool,
fool!' And she struck him again.
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