Men are blind to woman's agony. She
laid her cheek here--on my breast. I--who always wanted a child. I shall
die alone. No--I think God is here. There is some one! After all, I was
a woman. Neale forgive--

31

"Wor I there?" echoed McDermott, as he wiped the clammy sweat from his
face. "B'gosh, I wor!"

It was half-past five. There appeared to be an unusual number of men on
the street, not so hurried and business-like and merry as generally, and
given to collecting in groups, low-voiced and excited.

General Lodge drew McDermott inside. "Come. You need a bracer. Man, you
look sick," he said.

At the bar McDermott's brown and knotty hand shook as he lifted a glass
and gulped a drink of whisky.

"Gineral, I ain't the mon I wuz," complained McDermott. "Casey's gone!
An' we had hell wid the Injuns gittin' here. An' thin jest afther I
stepped off the train--it happened."

"What happened? I've heard conflicting reports. My men are out trying to
get news. Tell me, Sandy," replied the general, eagerly.

"Afther hearin' of Casey's finish I was shure needin' stimulants," began
the Irishman. "An' prisintly I drhopped into that Durade's Palace. I had
my drink, an' thin went into the big room where the moosic wuz. It shure
wuz a palace. A lot of thim swells with frock-coats wuz there. B'gorra
they ain't above buckin' the tiger. Some of thim I knew. That Misther
Lee, wot wuz once a commissioner of the U. P., he wor there with a party
of friends.

"An' I happened to be close by thim whin a gurl come out. She was shure
purty. But thot sad! Her eyes wor turrible hauntin', an' roight off
I wanted to start a foight. She wor lookin' fer Durade, as I seen
afterwards.

"Wal, the minnit that Lee seen the gurl he acted strange. I wuz standin'
close an' I went closer. 'Most exthraordinary rezemblance,' he kept
sayin'. An' thin he dug into his vest fer a pocket-book, an' out of that
he took a locket. He looked at it--thin at the little gurl who looked
so sad. Roight off he turned the color of a sheet. 'Gintlemen, look!' he
sez. They all looked, an' shure wuz sthruck with somethin'.

"'Gintlemen,' sez Lee, 'me wife left me years ago--ran off West wid a
gambler. If she iver hed a child--thot gurl is thot child. Fer she's the
livin' image of me wife nineteen years ago!'

"Some of thim laughed at him--some of thim stared. But Lee wuz dead in
earnest an' growin' more excited ivery min nit. I heerd him mutter
low: 'My Gawd! it c