At the Foot of the Rainbow

than his swelling face. In one instant the knowledge that Jimmy had struck him, possessed him with a desire to turn back and do murder. In the next, a sense of profound scorn for the cow

in trying to deal with him as if he were a man? A g

nd setting his teeth chattering, for he was almost as wet as if he had been completely immersed. As the chill struck in, from force of habit he thought of Jimmy. If he was ever going to learn how to take care o

oo! And wouldn't offer him even one. Much good they had done him. Caught a catfish on a dead one! Wonder if he would take the catfish to town and have its picture taken! Mighty fine fish, too, that channel cat! If it hadn't been for the Black Bass, they would have wondered and exclaimed over it, a

Jimmy had been his lifelong partner, and his only friend, and stiffen his neck as he would, Dannie felt his head turning. He deliberately swung his fish pole i

er you, Jim

ear, and Dannie jumped, dropped his load, and ran for the river. He couldn't see a sign of Jimmy. He hurried over the shaky

ossing were plain, and after him hurried Dannie. He ran up the hill, and as he reached the top he saw Jimmy climb on a wagon out on the road. Dannie ca

uld have to make a clean breast of it, and he did not like the showing. In fact, he simply could not make a clean breast of it. Tell her? He could not tell her. He would lie to her o

dry clothing. He wondered where Mary was. He was ravenously hungry now. He did all the evening work, and as she still did not come, he concluded that she had gone to town

the river. The men were gone. Mary guessed the situation rightly. They were too much of river men to drown in a few feet of water; they scarcely would kill

t she could say it quite plainly. As the sense of her outraged womanhood swept over her she grew almost deliriou

Probably he did go for dry clothing. She would go to her sister. She hurried across the bottom, with wavering knees she climbed the embankment, then ski

aty Dolan. "Whativer do b

" sobbed the s

! I've ixpicted it fo

e had a

I always told you they

e he'd lied to me and

w him do it!"

e tried to

ed killin'! A carpse named Jimmy Malone would a looked g

took i

t! And of course that mutton-head of a Dan

urse h

Didn't I s

scrame and me

y tongue always sticks!

t round and I keeled

usand times! I knew it

won't go back! I won't go back! I'll not live with him another day. Oh, Katy! Think h

I've known ivery word of this for fiftane years, and if I'd had the laste ide

k! I won't go b

iver was so surprised in all me life as whin you came! Now, don't you shed another tear. The Lord knows this is enough, for anybody. None at all would be too many for Jimmy Malone. You get right into bid, and I'll make you a cup of rid-pipper tay to take the chill out of you. And if Jimmy Malone comes around this house I'll lav him out with the poker, and if Dannie Mic

n bed and sobbed herself to sleep, and Katy Dolan assured her, as long as she was consci

aring fire. His heart warmed with his body. Irresponsible Jimmy always had aroused something of the paternal instinct in Dannie. Some one had to be responsible, so Dannie had

hance to sleep been further away. With a sigh, he buttoned his coat, twisted an old scarf around his neck, and started for the barn. There was goi

here," s

n here?" as

e said you wasn't his keeper, and if you

sked if Mary were there for the night. Mrs. Dolan said she was, and she was going to stay, and he might tell

ot drank heavily, he would not go into the night alone, when he had been afraid in the daytime. Dannie climbed from the buggy once more, and patiently searched the alley and the street leading to the footpath across farms. No Jimmy. Then Dannie drove home, stabled his horse, and

foot over the path that lay across the fields. He followed it to Casey's back door. He went to Mrs. Dolan's again, but everything was black and silent there. There had been evening trains. He thought of Jimmy's frequent threat to go away. He dismissed that thought grimly. There had been no talk of going away lately, and he knew that Jimmy had little money. Dannie started for home,

d, built a fire, and began cleaning the stables. As he wheeled the first barrow of manure to the heap, he noticed a rooster

d frozen fast in the muck of the barnyard. He had pitched forward among the rough cattle and horse tracks and fallen within a few feet of the en

is bed. He covered him, and hitching up drove at top speed for a doctor. He sent the phy

ed before she had time to speak. "Jimmy lay o

sage to Mary. She sat speechless while her

tly. "If I got sight of him, I

eing hanged for killing him. Get on these things of mine and hurry. You got to go for

to the carriage. Mary said nothing, b

m thin, last night?

. At last I made sure you had taken him in and I went to bed. It was t

s he?" as

traw-stack,"

hink he w

"Jimmy dee! Oh, my Go

ight ahead. She was trembling and very pale, but if Katy Dolan knew anything she

liberately, and if Dannie had taken time to notice her he would have seen anything but his idea of a woman facing death for any one she ever had loved. Mary's hu

's case was hopeless from the first. He developed double pneumonia in its worst form and he was in no condition to endure it in the lightest. His labored breathing could be heard all over the

d with Jimmy. He made no offe

onfession," said Father Michael to Dannie,

relax, and the perspiration broke on hi

left the room. He sat down outside th

," he said, "I will help you all I can. I will ask questions and you need only assen

d off Jimmy's b

to make final

twinkling in the lead of the dance. Here was ruin to make the heart of compassion ache. The Father bent and clasped t

at mortal sin, Jimm

th of agony. His hands clenched and his br

rattled. "Sip-ra

ed a confidence of Dannie Macnoun and marr

asse

nted him; but not until the past summer had he begun to realize the depth of it, and it had almost unseated his rea

his man, with whom you have lived for years, while you possessed his rightful wife. Now he is here, in deathless devotion, fighting to save you. You may con

broke from the swo

e a few words to him, stepped out and close

hing," said Dannie. "What is it? Do

most burst from their sockets as he clutched Dannie with both hand

me "yours" and then a queer rattle. Something seemed to giv

one went out to face his record, unfo