The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-12-01

l heard him whiSper-"gOOd night
good night" He turned, and notion
ing for me to follow, opened the door
doctor, good night Good night,
Mary"
He led the way to his own room up
stairs. "And. now, my friend" he said,
as he waved me to an easy chair, II
have but two other favors to ask of
you: The first is, that you talk to me,
or read to me, or tell me fairy tales, or
riddles-anything so that you keep 1t
up incessantly, and never leave off till
you find me fast asleep. Then in the
next room you will find comfortable
bed. Leave me sleeping here, and you
sleep there. And the second favor"
he continued, with slow smile and
an affected air of great elaboration
"Oh, well, I'll not ask the second IA
vOr of you now. I'll keep it for you
till tomorrow" And as he turned
laughingly away and paced three or
four times across the room, in his
step, his gait, the general carriage of
the figure, l was curiOusly reminded
Of the time, years before, that had
watched him from the door of the
caboose, as he walked up the subur-
ban street till the movement Of the
train had hidden him from view.
swell, what will you dO?" he asked,
as he wheeled cozy-cushioned lounge
close beside my chair, and removing
his coat, flung himself languidly down.
-"Will you talk or read to me?"
Il will read" I said, as picked up
q book to begin my vigil.
Hold just minute, them" he said,
drawing a card and pencil from his
vest.-"I may want to jOt down
note or twO.-NOw, go ahead"
1 had been reading in a low voice
steadily for perhaps an hour, my COM
paniOn never stirring from his first pO-
sition, but although my eyes were
never lifted from the book, knew by
the occasional sound of his pencil that
he had not yet dropped asleep. And
so, without pause, l read monoto-
nously on. At last he turned heavily.
! paused. With his eyes closed he
CROPPED his hand across my knees and
grasped my own. go on with the
reading" he said drOwsily-"Guess
I'm going to sleep now-but you go
right on with the story.-GOod night !"
His hand fumbled lingeringly mo-
ment, then was withdrawn and folded
with the other on his breast.
I read on in a lower tone an hour
longer, then paused again to look at
my companion. He was sleeping heav-
lily, and although the features in their
repOse appeared unusually pale, a
wholesome perspiratiOn, as it seemed,
pervaded all the face, while the breath
ing, though labored, was regular. l
bent above him to lower the pillow for
his head, and the movement half
aroused him, as 1 thought at first, for
he muttered something as though i'm
patiently; but listening to catch his
mutterings, knew that he was dream
ing. 'Its what killed father" heard
him say sand it's what killed TOm,"
he went on, in a smOthered voice;
''killed both-killed both! 1t shant
kill me; l swear it. l could bottle it
lease after caSe-and never touch Il
drop. If you never take the first drink,
you'll never want it. Mother taught
me that. What made her ever take
the first? Mother! mother! When l
get to be a man, I'll buy her all the
fine things she used to have when ia
Their was alive. Maybe l can buy back
the old home, with the roses up the
walk and the sunshine slanting in the
hail."
And so the sleeper murmured on.
Sometimes the voice was thick and
discOrdant, sometimes low and clear
and tuneful as child's. "Never touch
whisky" he went on, almost harshly.
"Never-never! Drop in the street
first. I did. The doctor will come
then, and he knows what you
want. Not Observation-Disclosures; the
kind that makes you warm again
makes you want to live; but don't ever
dare touch whisky. Let other people
drink it if they want it. Sell it to
them: they'll get it anyhow; but don't
you touch it! 1t killed your father,
it killed Tom, and-Oh mother
mother! mother!" Tears actually
teemed from underneath the sleeper's
lids, and glittered down the pallid and
distorted features. There's medi-
cine that's good for you when you
want whisky" he went On.-"When
you are weak, and everybody else is
strOng-and always when the flag
stones give way beneath your feet, and
the long street undulates and wavers
as you walk; why, that's sign for
you to take that medicine-and take
it quick! Oh, it will warm you till the
little pale blue streaks in your white
hands will bulge out again with
tingling blood, and it will start up
from it's stagnant pools and leap from
vein to vein till it reaches your beings
farthest height and droOps and falls
and folds down over icy brow and face
like soft veil mOistened with pure
warmth. All! it is so deliriously sweet
and restfulw
1 heard moaning in the room be-
low, and then steps on the stairs, and
a tapping at the door. 1t was Mary.
Mrs. Clark had awakened and was cry
ing for her son. But we must not
awaken him." I-said. 'Give Mrs. Clark
the medicine the doctor left for her
that will quiet her."
"But she won't take it, sir. She
won't do anything at all for me-and
il Mr.. Clark could only come to her,
for a minute, she would"
The woman's speech was broken by
a shriil cry in the hall, and then the
thud of naked feet on the stairway.