Woman's enterprise., 1921-11-18

her being "new pulsation ran, 1t
was message that his child lay un-
der her heart-old Tray did not like
it at all, she lay still SO long. He had
patience enough but this was beyond
reason. Why didn't some Of those
human people come? So he called
them with a long, blood curdling howl
that brought Noah in a flash and sent
him flying across the fields on June
Bug. taking fences as he ran. Mr.
| Dinkle and Fanny came and Watched
with her through the night. Fanny
and Noah wept together the next
morning as they found her loving 1T
tie preparations for the home coming
that would never be. Fanny set TO
work for she know that strength
would be given to comfort and console
| the doomed man, and presently she
came, this woeful wife, to do what she
could and held ever after with loving
remembrance that Fanny had gotten
the basket ready-the new honey,
strawberries, the first Of the season,
and three deep red buds from his taV-
orite rose.
| Mr.. Dinkle took up the reins and
drove her in to, the Jail where the
warden explained that "Next week
the sheriff would take the prisoner on
the boat" "Oh where?" she exclalm-
ed, "where are they going to take
him? Will he be alive?" And those
men stood up in the strength of their
manhood and told her he was to be
taken to the State prison to be hang
ed. Then she began to mutter fool
ish, foolish words that they could
hardly hear, and the cell door closed
on her and she was in Charles arms
again.
LINDA, Linda" he said, "you must
be brave, dear, suppose I should just
die anyhow. Don't grieve so, darling,
am not worth it; cannot bear it."
After a time she grew calm in his
arms, she that wanted to be-that
would be his strength-and she told
him that she had decided never to tell
their parents; but throbbing next her
heart was a life she did not reveal
for fear he could not bear it. And
thus the days went on--a travesty OF
the joy they had builded about them
in the small things that make home.
He within the prison wall almost
within sound of his own waking bell,
his white face and clenched hands
raised to the pitiless sky. Mans will
be done. She, amongst the ashes OF
ker alter fires, making sad little prep
arations for the journey down the
river and the grave that was to be.
Old Mr.. Dinkle and Noah had many
curious hand shakings around the
corner of the house, although they
were never parted very long now, and
once Mr.. Dinkle blew his pipe out Of
mouth, friend that had solaced him
lin many perplexities, now he set his
heel on. it and ground it to powder
After that he looked for it for twu
days before he remembered.
Fanny, too, was making a plain
black dress that Linda would need
coming back. It was spotted with
tears, but none of them knew it, poor
souls.
i At last day came when they
brought forth man in his strength
but bound, into Gods Sunlight fol
that journey that meant death. A
great crowd surged up out Of the
streets to see the man who was to be
hanged. They got close to him tc
touch his clothes, to look in his face
he that was bound and was going
forth to meet death, and they walked
with him all the way down to the boat
that was to take him to the State
prison where he would be hanged.
j Linda was there at the gang plank
waiting. Poor little woebegone wife
who felt that every one of these mer
was rending her husband-their eyes
worse than their talons, and so they
were, for each individual there repre-
sented his own part of the Law. Inc!
elected as a body.
She stepped forward as he came
and walked up the gang plank by MI
side, the kindly sheriff making room
for her, but the dignity of her pres
ence commanded attention. There
were no tears now, she must hell
Charlie through this ordeal. sh'