Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1913)

24 TEE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE and the boy; I've failed — Jim's spite is too much for me ! There 's only one thing we can do for the baby now" — his voice sank to a husky whisper, and he drew her closer — "we cant do a thing for him, livin', but we can die for him ! ' ' "Ned!" she cried, shuddering away from him, but he drew her back again, speaking rapidly. "If they come' here and find us dead, there'll be plenty of folks that will be wantin' to adopt him. He'll get a good home — and wont we be better off than we are now? What we got to live for? Wouldn't death be better than this ? ' ' He continued to urge his plan, with wild, half-coherent sentences, while the baby slept restlessly in its tiny bed, and Hazel's eyes gradually took on a look of acquiescence and resignation. ' ' All right, Ned, ' ' she said, at last, throwing her thin arms around his neck; "I believe you're right; we'll find peace and rest — together!" "And we'll do it right now," said Ned. While Hazel and Ned were having this fateful conversation, Jim and Bill were sitting at the little, round table in Slattery's place, and a most unusual thing was happening, for Jim was sitting silent, and Bill was talking vehemently. Some miracle had been wrought within the timid Bill's soul. For the first time, in all their long friendship, he had burst into independent, vigorous speech, and Jim was voiceless, thru sheer amazement. "I tell you, you're wrong, Jim — ■ dead wrong!" Bill declared; "persecutin' that poor boy the way you've done ! The idee of a full-grown, sensible man like you holdin' onto a crazy grudge and bringin' a poor boy to ruin. They're starvin', I tell you! I seen her, not two hours ago, tryin' to beg a bottle of milk fer the baby — nice business for a big brute like you — takin' the milk out of a baby's mouth! You hadn't ought to fired him, and you hadn't ought to give him a bad name everywhere he tried to git work ! If their baby dies, its little ghost will haunt you — you'll never see another peaceable minute. I'm ashamed to think what you've done; and if you was decent, you'd crawl thru some knothole and never be seen again — a knothole 'd be big enough fer two of your size ! ' ' Bill stopped, breathless, and Jim's surprised, angry glare gradually melted into an amused good-nature. "I didn't think you had it in you, Bill," he said; "what you want me to do?" ' ' Come on down to their house, and tell Ned he can go to work tomorrow mornin'," answered Bill, eagerly. "Come along," said Jim, rising; "I'd hate to discourage that free and independent spirit you're develop in ' ! " As they came up the narrow walk to the cottage door, Bill chuckled: "I guess they'll be surprised, all right — wont it be fun?" His eyes sought the little window. "Let's jest peek in," he suggested, and they tiptoed softly across the porch, bending their tall bodies to peer into the little sitting-room. Then, "My God!" cried Jim, sharply, with a desperate rush for the door. An instant later, a pistol shot rang out — but the bullet rested in the ceiling. Jim had struck Ned's arm upward, not a heart 's-beat too soon. The little table in the far corner of Slattery's place is occupied by strangers now ; the three friends have a new meeting-place. Every night they sit around the kitchen-table in the cottage, which is neat and shining again, and Jim — cynical, hardhearted Jim — holds Ned, Junior, on his knee. "Slattery's aint in it with this," says Jim.