Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-07-16
IN THREE PARTS-PART THREE

THE ROOM was almost dark. There
seemed 10 be an unusual %quietneSs
in il that got deeper and deeper.
She turned herself sufhy and saw a
long, quiet mound on a stretcher be-
meath a sheet. 1t arose from all n
corners at once and crept towards her.
Her breath stopped and her heart
stood still.
She tried to go towards Mr.. jim
Sanderson, but she just absolutely
couldn't. Hot and cold waves went
up her back. She gave a little whim-
pering cry like a dog without knowing
she "a doing it.
Nancy Observation-Disclosures are
you doing here?"
For a moment she didn't know who
it was. 1t was Just a voice-warm-
Misunderstanding. Her ~self-control
broke up into the Sobbing Of relief,
And then she saw that it was Lillian
and Dorothy's mother. Mrs. Cameron,
who had been STOPPING TO arrange
something at the other end Of the
room. She longed to run and bury
her face in her skirts. but she knew
Mrs. Cameron would think she was
too big for that. Suddenly, too, h
wondered if what she had meant to
do wasn't very wrong-if she oughtn't
to be ashamed of it. And then she
was ashamed of it-aand terrified lest
it had been disrespectful and heart
less to Mr.. jim Sanderson.
II wanted to-to see Mr.. Jim
Sanderson, but,'-with a great effort
she stopped sobbing-" l don't now. I
I just want TO go!"
Mrs. Camern came and slipped an
arm around her, bending down and
looking hard into her face in the dim
light, as if she tried to understand
and couldn't.
"Of course you don't want to see jim
Sanderson, dear OF course not!"
Oh, it was something terrible she had
meant to dol 1t was very wrong for
a little girl just to have come into the
room. She could tell from Mrs. Cam
eron's voice.
Every one is afraid of death, until
they grow older, or have some one
of their own to die. Children oughtn't
to be permitted to know anything
about it,"
She pushed her gently towards the
door again and opened it. I'm afraid
your mother will be very sad when
she knows you have been here. Run
along home to her, and never, never
do such a thing again."
She was out in the air now, con-
sumed with humiliation. She moved
slowly forward into a miserable world.
And N%ancy-try not to think about
such things any more. 1t isn't good
for little girls to do that. Think about
pleasant things, like-like the straw
berry festival that's coming next week"
She shot out Of the yard into the
street. She was past trying to con-
troll herself. She sobbed as she ran
and she ran as fast as she could for
home. For the first time the tears
came. They blinded her and she
when he turned the corner in the
phaeton and she didn't hear. She
didn't know he was there until he
jumped out and gathered her up in
his arms.
He carried her to the phaeton and
settled her beside him and put his
arm around her. With his free hand
he turned Bird into a side street and
drove until they reached a low droop-
ing elm tree that had been
trimmed, at the edge of a vacant lot.
He stopped there under the branches
that shut them in almost like a tent
and drew her up close.
Now tell me what's happened to my
littlest pigeon. Whatever it was, it
couldn't be as bad as all that!'
But for a little while she couldn't
do anything but cling to him and cry.
He didn't hurry her-just smoothed
her hair over and over and waited.
Something ran into her from his touch
and steadied her, and when she could
she told him everything - about It,,
about what Luella has said, about how
she couldn't help being scared when
people died-everything.
And Mrs. Cameron told me to run
home" she said, just hiccoughing a
little now-the sobs were all over
and not think about it any more;
but how can I help thinking? How
can-can anybody help thinking?"
They can't" he said gravely, lend
ing her the fresh, clean handkerchief
that he carried in his outside breast
pocket. II wouldn't try If 1 were you.
And there was nothing wrong in what
you wanted to do
She thought about that hard for a
minute. They always told each other
the truth, she knew that. He never
told her what wasn't so, to make 1T
easy for her. And he knew more about
everything than all the Mrs. Gamer
ons in the world. She took a long,
hesitant breath Of relief. And then
another, almost free from hesitation.
She worked herself forward a little,
so that her legs could hang down over
the edge of the seat. She would have
been terribly ashamed of having been