Nebraska Newspapers

    THE FALLS CITY TRIBUNE , FRIDAY , JANUARY 10 , 1908
"Sef Seffy my Softy. No not ex
actly not to say nick. I like him so
he's all I got anil It's somoslnB
wrong wlss him. He can't live long
this way. Efery night he's down by
the Poison spring wlss the witches
often all night. He's there now. 1
chust kem awny trying to cheer him
up n little. Well , so good night. "
He passed on , for he was u merciful
old man , and Sally hurried away to the
Poison spring. And Old Uaumgurtner
laughed through his gnarled hands be
hind the cover of the next turn In the
road , though even to him laughter was
no more gay , as of yore.
Softy was there , on his back , with
his hands under his head , staring up
at the moon. He looked pitifully alone.
A great lump singed in Sally's tin oat ,
and If she had obeyed only her hoirt
she would have Hung her arms around
him. But another of those qualities
which go with red hair , pride , pre
vented this. She cotighed a little and
Scffy flew around.
"I was Just taking a walk , " she
said.
"Yes , " said Softy humbly.
"Tho Poison spring Is on my prop
erty "
"I'll go away ! " said Softy , rising. Ho
looked gaunt as he stood on his foot
In the moonlight.
"Seffy I didn't mean " began the
really unhappy girl , her hand quit'
giving way to her heart now
"I got nowheres else to go now , " ex
cused Seffy. " 1 can't go to the store
Sam's got the tombstone there or any
where where there's people account
everybody knows. Sam's got a notice
of It hung up In the store. It's all
they talk about. He got It printed in
the paper , too ! I'd go away , out west ,
but pappy don't want me to go. I
come here , account no one else ever
comes It's unhealthy. I didn't know
that you owned " He was sham
bling off. The last words came from
a distance. "Good night. "
He did not know that Sally was fol
lowing him. When she spoke It was
close behind him. He veered so sud
denly as to catch the pain In her fact ) .
Hut he was dull , Seffy.
"Seffy , " she said , close upon him ,
"Seffy , I was at home. "
Seffy said nothing.
"Seffy I am unhappy and a fool ! "
Still Scffy did not move nor speak.
"Don't you care that I am unhap
py ? "
Still silence.
"And don't you never forgive no
one ? "
At the end was a sob.
Ah ! Seffy could not harbor 111
against a dog that had bit him. And
Sally sobbed. The hands ho had kissed
before , he kissed again In that fashIon -
Ion , you will remember , which must
Urnve survived from some cavalier an
cestor.
"Seffy , " she said a llttlo later , "you
inow I got an awful temper1'
"Pappy says so , " sighed Seffy.
"He's right , and you know ! But ,
Seffy you can help mo to cure It
will you ? "
Joy leaped back Into her life and It
was very sweet. And would he ? Ho
left her no doubt not the least. She
tiovered about him bewltchlngly. What
v' the peering moon saw I shall not tell.
And when the watchful old man saw
them coming out of the cotton woods
together ho went singing homo and
slept.
Oh , it was not entirely the pasture-
field now. He did not forget that.
But Seffy whom he adored perhaps
for , the very gentleness and sweetness
which constantly vanquished his hap
piness Softy was going away from
happiness which sought him and. for
this farmer , and this time and place ,
where was little Joy and much labor. It
seemed wanton It was wanton ! Do
you think it was a slight thing that
kept Sophenljah P. Baumgartner , Sen
ior , awake for five nights ? For , lot mo
tell you here , all this had become
serious business to the old man if
WP do treat it lightly. For he loved
his son adored Sally and valued the
pasture-field. Therefore , in striving
to bring them all Into his keeping to
gether , ho was dealing with the things
( little things to you ) ho loved most on
earth. You , of course , have greater
things. But you must , now and then ,
try to feel tbo imperiousness of small
things In small lives.
I shall tell you of their conversation
as they came from the Poison spring ,
the radiance of the moon in Soffy'a
wan face , the very Joy of the starry
heavens in that of the girl I must tell
you what their talk was of. And I beg
you again to remember that these
small things , which you despise , wore
all they had there and then. I have
wondered whether the wanton sacri
fice of a child's toy when he Is three Is
not as dreadful as the sacrifice of his
love when he Is 20. Do you know ?
"Scffy , " said Sally , with his hand
held so close under her beating heart
that it registered each avid pulsation ,
"I am most to blame and you have
forgiven me. But you are to blame ,
too , and I hope you won't forglvo
yourself lee soon. "
"For why ? " queried the dull Seffy ,
with attention only for that wildly
beating thing for , alas , that was his
bane as hers was something else for
getting futuie perils In present happi
ness.
"Then you'll fix it before you do ! "
"Fix what ? " asked the astonished
Seffy.
"You let yourself bo fooled. And
that raises my temper more than any
thing else. I don't want no beau that
every ono laughs at. You got to have
more backbone. When 1 am mean to
you I can't help It when my temper's
up and It's hard to get it down ,
mighty hard , when It's up when I am
mean to you curse mo ! "
Seffy stared aghast. He would as
soon have heaped maledictions upon
the head of an archangel !
"Or hit mo ! "
Another stare another conviction
of the utter Impossibility of such a
thing !
"Yes ! With a club ! A flat-Iron ! A
potato masher ! A poker ! "
Seffy could laugh now. She was be
coming absurd. Had he only known
that she poor futile woman ! was tryIng -
Ing to secure In advance their happi
ness In the turmoil which she know
would come !
"Yes ! That IB the way for such as
mo' The only wayl And I'm used
to 111"
Now Seffy was shocked !
"My father or mother or granny
or" she hesitated "Sam have , at
oiio time or another , used all these
things on me. I need the snaflle ! You
need the whip ! "
And she laughed a little herself , and
that was Soffy's excuse for joining
her.
"You have no temper and I have a
thousand times too much. You can
see how that will work. And , Seffy ,
you got a bad reputation about here
now , and I wouldn't like you to have
it always. So you must brace up and
do things to make people like you
again. I want you to be able to face
any ono at the store and do it in
front of Sam. "
The dull Soffy answered :
"But what can 1 do ? "
The whole case seemed quite hope
less.
less."I
"I don't know. But there is some
thing Ask your pappy. Whatever
it is , I will hell ) you. You know It
makes me foolish , too. And I hate
that more than anything being
laughed at. If 1 was you , I'd lick Sam.
But 1 know you won't. I expect he's
too big for you. But there are other
things. "
And Softy left bar at her door that
night , determined to do some gieat
thing to set himself properly before
the little community once more. Be
cause once more she had let him
hiss her.
He and his father hold a star-cham
ber session that night yet Softy
waking him up for it.
"Take her homo from church , be-
goshens ! " adjudged his father.
Now this seems small advice upon
a small matter. But It was very great
advice upon a very great matter , as
you will see.
VIII.
The White Signal Which Might as
Well Have Been Black.
No suitor in German-Pennsylvania ,
though It be In Maryland , has entirely
established his right to the maiden of
hla choice , either before the public erin
in her sight or his own , until he has
escorted her offhand from ohiirch on
a Sunday night. And this he must ac
compllsh at the cluitch door , out of
sometimes a savage rivalry cbulleng'
ing disaster.
For by this simple , primitive , heroic
process the status of contestants for a
maid's fa\or is fixed. Ho whoso arm
Is taken can face his llttlo world on
Monday. Ho whoso arm Is rejected Is
on Monday , a Eoclal exile. For the
small world of the vlclnago Is always
there and this is the maiden's public
election of him she chooses to honor
and her public rebjiko to his too prc
sumptuous rival. And , after that , she
is a poor thing Indeed who will bo
seen In public with the latter. For
nothing is moro sweet and cruel than
love.
Soffy was not a publlcly-acknowl
edged suitor. IIo could not bo. It was
Impossible ! There was that tomb
stone atlll up In the storo. Sam bad
not yet boon dislodged. And Soffy. bjid
not yet nrrlvort where ho might put
ihu awful question there was a recog
nized pnrlod ( or this , and events had
put It further and further off ! Indeed ,
ho shuddered whun ho thought of It
even then , after that understanding
with Sally ! and contemplated getting
ils father to do It for him.
It had become known , In the wire-
ess way such things spread In the
country , that there had been a tenta
tive maklng-up between Soffy and
Sally. But Seffy was still not received
n public. Nor did ho appear with
Sally ! Nor might ho call upon hurl
There must be some open dollanco and
victory which all could see and under
stand before these things might hap
pen. The right hand of renewed fellow
ship would not bo extended to Seffy un-
11 ho had met and vanquished hta rival
in public. It was the primitive right
of the strongest , proved physically
tare as In the Honian circus. Soffy
liad never shown himself u master of
material prowess. He demurred a bit
at such a plunge Into the arena. But
there was no other way.
"Why. Sef , " advised his father ,
"after that It's a dead open and shut
game. You better do the biggest sing
you ken and that's the end of It. If I
had Sally on my side , I wouldn't keor
who the hell was on the other ! You
take her home from church ! Yas ,
right afore their dam' noses ! Then
they'll run after you and send you
presents. It nln't no guess-work for
you ! You know that Sally will be
waiting for you wlss her arm all ready
to take yourn. Gosh ! I nefor had no
such sure sing. I had to take my
chances wlss you' mammy ! And It
was three other fellers wlss their
arms out and the right side yet ! But
your daddy was close up against the
church door. And when she come out
ho didn't waste no time a-saylng polite ,
'Miss Hongler , ken I hat the pleasure
to see you homo this evening ? ' I'd
'a1 lost the game If I had waited to git
off all that dictionary stuff ! Yasslr !
For right opposite me was Bill Elsen-
krout Sam's uncle and I knowed his
arm'd shoot out like a patent corn-
busker the minute you' mammy come.
"Ho was mighty quick , but mighty
polite ! I knowed he'd say that fool
ishness about belli : ; pleased to see her
home. Well , she come out and I chust
grabbed. And while I was marching
on like u conquering hero , informing
her that It was a nice efenlng , I could
hear Bill on the off side , gitting out
that stuff 'bout pleasure and seeing
her home. Nancy says , says she :
'Sank you , Mr. Eisenkrout. I'm suited ; '
and I laughed like hell ! And , begosh-
ens , Nancy laughed too ! And that
settled Bill for efer more ! Oh , It's
nosslng like a laugh at the right time
to kill a man off ! Bill left town the
next day. He had too. And he didn't
show up tell the next fall ! Sef , you
got a sure sing. And , begoshens , you
might just us well finish Sam up In
the same job put him out of town.
Next Sunday you watch Sam. Keep
right opposite him. Then git your
arm in action about a second sooner.
Left bide , you know , her right ! Sally
' 11 be on the lookout. Don't stop to
say any fool sings about the pleasure
of seeing her home. Do it. And ,
when Sam gits his work In , laugh !
Laugh like a bull ! And git Sally to
laugh. 1 bet you two dollars and ten
cents that Sam won't be in town the
day ! "
Like a campaign speech was the
effect of this !
Seffy objected no longer. He said
he would do It all ! Perhaps this , too ,
got ubout. At all events , before the
next Sunday , the interest created by
their rivalry was more than equal to
the voice of the Gospel. All the town
ship would be at church !
Sam would not bo dislodged. He
invented the most diabolical schemes
for sequestrating Sally to himself dur
ing the week which followed Into
which guileless Sally often fell and
which seemed to proclaim her suitor
to bo himself. Sam , you remember ,
had access to Sally , but Scffy had not.
Soffy confessed that this looked sinis
ter. True , ho remembered ail that had
passed between them. But once before
ho had been In error.
So that Seffy , before the week's
end , begun once moie and more
strongly to deprecate the necessity
for this public demonstration of his
status. His father demanded it as n
diplomatic necessity , Inasmuch as
Sally still letalned Sam on a basis ao
much like his own ns to muke the sit
uation extremely embarrassing to oven
Old Baumgartnor. who had let It be
I
known that he was the active coudju- '
tor of his Bon. To vanquish Seffy was t
to vanquish him , and he. If not Seffy
hlnibolf , screwed Seffy's courage to the ! I
sticking point. After this , Seffy weak
ened no more , but proclaimed his pur
pose. It was generally conceded that
the one \\lio failed now would have to
loa\o town.
I So hero was retiring Httlu Soffy
1
forced by circi'"ances Into a public
rivalry which iio detested , and , U
may ns well bo confessed feared. It
miiHt , also , bo explained that Sally's
course In maintaining these two strings
to her bow until the breaking moment
was not only universally commended ,
but was the unswerving custom of the
vlclmigo for girls so fortunate ns to
have two strings. It was hold likely
to force ono or the other to the point
and this was the purpose of rustic
coquetry ! And Sally's coquetry was
not only acknowledged ; It was tolerated -
orated , and , 1 fear , encouraged. And ,
alas , It had been ns ttwcot to her as
vinous dissipation to men. But now
it had made not only her own , but
Soffy's position tremendously moro
difficult.
IX.
It Was Beffy Who Was "Sacked. "
So they throe went to church on a
certain Sunday. Sally sat on the
"women's sldo" and Seffy and Sam on
the "men's sldo" In full view of the
"audience" which perceived and un
derstood and was ready at the proper
time to applaud , from the preacher to
the sexton to raise or lower Its
thumbs upon the combatants.
When the benediction had been said
Soffy hastened out and found himself
a place close to the door , according
to his father's word In ono of the
lines of young men which stretched
on either sldo of the path from the
church door to the road beyond , at
least a quarter of n. mile. But he did
not see Sam. Some ono pushed In
front of him. And , Instead of com
bating for his position , ho yielded It
and found one further down , still seek
ing the location of his rival. Ho was
crwdud from this ono , too , and ho lot
it go anil sought another one because
ho had not seen Sum. And it was nec
essary to his fathor's scheme , he re
membered , that Sam and ho should bo
about opposite. Of courso. all this
was error. Ills place was right by the
church door. That was where Sally
had a right to expect to find him. It
had become a public matter , too. The
public had Its rights. It expected him
there , even If he had to shed the blood
of noses to stay there. This had often
happened. But ho was bewildered lu
the contradictory courses advised by
his father , and , finally , seeking that
which seemed host , found that which
was worst. Dull Seffy !
Ho at last discovered Sam and
found a lodgment for himself opposite
and away down near the gate , whore
only the married men were such as
still watted for their wives who ami
ably smoked until they came along ,
No unmarried maiden ever expects to
bo matched there. And , had Scffy
been as wise as ho was not , he would
not have halted there. But he was
deluded by Sam. There he was In the
opposite line , the wrong ono , indif
ferently chatting , and even smoking ,
with Hilary Graff a married man.
Seffy was now so sure of his conquest ,
that Sam's Indifference vexed him. Ev
idently he did not mean to contend
with him for Sally's arm , and It was to
bo u cheap and bloodless victory. For
'
Seffy was one of those who'grow bravo
as opposition diminishes.
And now they were slowly coming
down the maidens running the gantlet -
lot of love. One two three four
live a dozen happy matlngs were
made. Seffy was counting. One poor
chap was "sacked. " He crushed his
hat over his eyes and charged back
through the lines and across the fields
no matter where. And then came
Sally ! In a trim little hat with a Hut-
terliig ribbon that looked for all the
world like the white signal , bearing
straight down upon him ! But there
was something in her eyes expectant
militant that made them starry. On
she came with her bend in the air
looking neither to the right nor to the
left , as If she expected to walk homo
alone , nearly three miles !
"Oh , no ! " thought Seffy and Sam.
But a bit of terror smote her face
palo when she had passed the door
alone and showed moie and more us
she went on. Some ono hiushed then
there was an unmistakable titter along
the line. Still Sally passed on , Keep
ing her temper as never before. Was
not the old man right about the effect
of laughter ?
But now the temper loosed Itself
slowly her face was scarlet. She had
nearly reached the married men. Someone
ono whispered :
"Gosh ! He's glttlng oven by sacking
her ! "
This was repeated. There was moro
laughter and more tittering. The
crowd deserted the lines nearest the
church and followed Sally down on
either side In hugo tumultuous pha
lanxes to see what would happen If
It were possible that she would have to
go homo alone. Several young men
who had never dared to approach her
began to think of It. They knew that
rather than not be taken at all she
woul.l take any one of them ! There
was moro tumult now than laughter.
And Sally's face grew so white that
her eyes blazed like stars In the midst
of It.
Softy quailed. Ho recognized the
temper only ho had never seen It as
tenlblo as this. Ho had forgotten Sam.
It was only Sally ho saw , as ono sees
with fenr-Btallfd nerves the locomotive
us It leaps upon him.
And the onlookers , crowding at the
sldoa , thought It a great and terrible
hand to hand battle to wait that way
till the hint moment and then to spring
llko tigers or n piece of tremendous
foolishness.
"Both of you must be absolute sure , "
said Hilary Gioff to Sam , "or absolute
foolB ! Ain't you got no pity on the !
girl ? "
"Shut up ! " answered Sam , "and I
watch. I'm calculating on him t
leaving town to-morrow. That Is my
gamo. And I'm playing for the pot. "
You goo that Sam had not forgotten
Seffv for a morr , even If Seffy had I
forgotten him. . . stepped noiselessly
three paces toward Sally , crossed In
front of Softy and took her arm. There
was n laugh almost ribald. Soffy could
not BOO clearly ho could , least of all ,
think clearly ho did not know what
had happened. Ho saw only the llttlo
white signal before htm and blindly
put out his arm ,
It did not reach Sally at all , but Sam
who turned and said with an Imitation
of girlish politeness :
"Thank you , Mr. Bnumgartner , I'm
suited. "
And , Sally , her face flaming with
vengeance , took the trouble to turn
back and cry not into his ear , but
Into hla very heart :
"Thank you , I'm suited. "
There are some people to whom no
punishment seems auOlclont , while any
remains to bo administered. Ono of
the onlooker * wag of such a tort. IIo
orled out aa poor Softy slunk away :
"Giro her back her dollar1' !
And another :
"Or ninoty-nino cents , anyhow ! "
Soffy quailed and draw back from
the line It was the Instant that
makes or mars and he had lost. Ho
might still hnvo knocked Sam down
and won this would hnvo boon per
fectly proper but he followed the
man who had but n moment before
crushed through the line , and wild
jeers followed him.
X.
The Huge Flat of the Farmer.
From that day Soffy avoided all pub
lic places and all men. Ho was no
body nothing. Ho fell rapidly Into
that kind of disrepute which Is com
mon to persons with falling reputa
tions. It was to his dlucrodlt that ho
did not leave town , but this his father
prevented. Again ho took to the cot-
Lou woods and the Poison spring ! ) ,
with , perhaps , the dim hope that Sally
might again ilud hint there , and'that
the peeping moon might again inter
fere on his behalf.
But the moon wont through nil her
phases and then slowly turned her
back on him and Sally never came.
In their casual meetings she was ice.
Once they passed on the road to the
store. She was In precisely the dear
garments ho remembered so well of
that first day and as gay as then. Ho
trembled , and then looked up llko a
mortally wounded animal. She was
looking calmly over his head. To the
rest of the world she was gayer than
over , though that Sunday night laugh
still echoed In her head kept her
maddened. After all , It wasn't worth
while to care for oven Soffy with such
a llttlo spirit. Why didn't ho fight
kill Sam or somebody ? And the cun
ning Sam sot the story moro widely
going that for revenge Soffy had de
serted her nt the church door and that
ho had llrst laughed Soffy. This was
too piquant to bo passed over , and It
was hoard far and wide.
To Softy's father , who , oven In this
dire strait , strove for happiness for
thorn both and , of course , the pasture-
Held oho said with moro abandoned
disrespect than she had ever ad
dressed to any ono :
"You ought to bo glad that I do not
take revenge on him ! If he wasn't HO
little I would. But he's not worth
bothering about. Sacked mo , did ho ?
I'll show him ! "
"Why , Sally ! What would you do ? "
"Put him ever my knee and spank
him and then pen him In the collar ! "
"Sally , don't talk like that , " pleaded
the old man. "it Hp'Iles your voice. "
And Sally gave him then and there
a rude specimen of how her volco was
being spoiled which I may not re
produce. But It was expressed In
anathema. Indeed , others had noticed
that her volco , somehow , had lost Its
soft richness. She was particularly
kind to the young storekeeper now ,
and he was particularly reckless and
drunken. And rumor presently had It
that nhe was known to bo drunk with
him sometimes !
"Sally " said Softy timorously , one
day , ( ho had waited to tell her this )
"you don't think you don't believe
that I said "
"I know , " said Sally In volco that
froze him , "that you arc a fool and I
am not fond of fools. Go away ! Be
glad I don't lick you ! "
And then rumor hud It that she and
Sam woie to be married "for spite. "
But , curiously enough , the person
moat affected by all this was not Sal
ly , nor Soffy , nor Sam. It waa Seffy's
father , whoso sufferings were naarlng
agony. Nothing could bo done with
Seffy. And course of the love between
them , which hud * novcr been ruffled
slnco Seffy was born , was often ruffled
now. The old man , as their relations
grow strained , became more and more
exasperated at Seffy's lack of inltta
live.
"Gosh-a'mlghty ! You goln' to let
that molasses-tapper sot right down on
you and nefer git off ? Can't you see
that she wants you ? It don't matter
what she says ! Don't you know It's a
dare ? Air you going to take a dare ?
Why , you usen't to when you was a
baby ! When you year that durned
new laugh of Sally's can't you see that
somcBlng's wrong ? She's drinking !
That's what ! You think she'd laugh
BO and drink if bho WUSB happy ? You
was a fool yus , a durn fool. It's your
fault. Go right up to her llko u man
and say so. "
I did , " said Soffy.
"Hah , you did ? An' what she says ? '
"She said she knowod it ! "
"Well begoshena ! Sho's a worse
fool. Gather her in and muke a fee
off of her and git ofen ! Turning her
back on an ol' man that harms no one
! aud her giiardeon ylt ! "
! Alas , this was another thing ho hat
done to secure the pastuio-lleld
I made hlmsolf her logul guardian !
"I'll glfo it up the guurdoen. Yas
air. She ken take koer herself. Fee
ot course. Boso fools ! You wal
tell she marries that duru molasses-
tapper If you want to BOO fun ! "
There wan such real agony In the *
old man's volco that Soffy suffered ,
too.
"Pappy , I'm sorry I nln't no good ,
I oxpoct. I guess I'll go away before
the wedding. "
"Wedding wedding ! You goln' to
lot that wedding go on ? And him git
the pasture-Meld ? Put him between
us and the railroad ! "
"How can I stop It , pappy ? "
"By marrying her yourself ! "
"I got enough , pappy , " said Soffy
hopelessly. "They'd lynch mo If I
tried It again. I guess I'd batter gp
away. "
Quick anger flamed In his fathor's
face at this Invertebrate submission.
And hta volco , when ho spoke , was
harsher than Softy had ever hoard It.
"dot enough got enough that's all
you know ! And go awayl That's all
you ken say , yov hull-headed Idjlotl
Go and apologize and git her back.
Don't run. Then marry her next day.
That'll settle the molassea-tapper , I
expect , and show that you got an Inch
or two of backbone ! Choke her
chloroform her and carry her oft ! "
Soffy laughed at the absurdity of
the thing. But It was unmlrthful.
"Gosh-n'mlghty ! On n time llko this
you ken laugh ! You right , you ain't
10 good no , begoshens ! You air an
djlot and fool ! You no man ! No ,
nor nofer will bo ! I'm aorry I'm you'
Inddy. I am , bogoshons ! "
Then , ns his wrath mounted , ho
raised his hugo list and threatened
Softy.
"Git away from mo , or I'll break
your head ! I can't stand you no
nero ! You not worth a dam' not a
dam' to nobody , You look llko you'
inimmy's rolutlfes and they WUB all
no good git away , I toll you ! "
Ho roared ominously ; for Softy ,
unazed at this from his gcntlo old
'ather , was looking straight up at him
out of a child's round eyes , his HA * ,
"
iiirted , his throat exposed. Slowly , as
ils parent heaped contumely upon
him , his sensitive -young face whiten
ed , and the light left It. Only , when
ils father mentioned his mother's
name , he said with Infinite softness :
"Why , pappy ! "
But ho stood without fear under the
great list as ho had often dono.
"You hoar ! I told you to git away
or I'll smash your face In ! I don't
want you no moro. Go to your mam
my's relatlfes out west" ho laughed
liorridly "and see what they'll do for
you ! Yon'll live on broad and water
they ain't got nosslng olsol You'll
work all day aud all night and you'll
liaf no fun they don't know no better
go ! "
"Yes , " said Seffy , turning dumbly
away.
There was no doubt that ho meant
to go now. His dumb acquiescence In ,
his sentence raised his father's wrath
to fury.
"Yes go , and bo mighty quick
about It. I'm chust Itching to smash
you. I'll ncfer send for you If you rot
In the poorhouse. I'll nefer mention
you1 name as long as I llf no ! I dis
own you ! Never lot mo see you1 dam *
face again go ! "
It was nil so utterly unbelievable
that Suffy turned back. ThU raving
madman his Jolly old father , who had
reverenced the memory of his mother
and hail taught him to do so to men *
tlon her every time ho prayed ? Tha
old man had turned , but Scffy came
closu and touched htm gently. The
caress only maddened him. Seffy
cowed at the passion on the face of his
father. Ho raised his fist.
"Git out dam * you ! " ho shouted.
"If you don't " Hut the boy could not.
now.
now.The
The huge list trembled on high a
moment , somn Instinct of saulty strug-
gllng to rontrol It then It fell on
Softy's upturned face.
He dropped among the cloda his
pale hair mingling with the dust his
hands Inertly outlying terror _ still
quivering In his lips and nostrils ,
lilnocl slowly oozed from his mouth
and nose , and a livid red mark begun
to grow upon the depression In his
forhend which the blow had made.
Ono moment two the old man
looked down at this. Then ho under
stood that ho had done It , and with a
navago animal-cry he swept the boy
Into his arms. Seffy doubled Inertly
upon him , as the dead do. His father
raced fionzlodly homo with him , leap
ing fences like n hound. He put him
upon the pretty white bed the boy had
been wont to mnko with such cara
for himself. It was dainty and smooth
now. The blood dripped from Softy's
face and from his own board and
stained the white coverings. The sight
was full of horror ! He staggered
drunkenly away. Ho looked hastily
for his gun moaning , perhaps , to kill
himself. Hut then It seemed to him
that Seffy sighed. IIo fell on hla
knees and agonized for the life he
thought ho had taken. Then ho felt
a pulscbeat. With n hearse cry ha
rushed out into the road , calling for