"if you can, you needn't be
afeard of God--he has punished you enough for the crime you have
committed. Try an' die, if you can--or if you can't--oh," she exclaimed,
"I pray God that you--that he, there--" and she ran and bent over young
Con's bed for a moment; "that you--that you may never recover, or live
to see what you must see."

"It's a fact, that between hunger and this sickness," continued he who
had addressed her last, "they say an' I know that there's great number
of people silly; but I think this lady is downright mad; what do you
mane, you clip?"

Sarah stared at him impatiently, but without any anger.

"He doesn't hear me," she added, again putting her hand in a distracted
manner upon Dalton's gray hair; "no, no; but since it can't be so,
there's not a minute to be lost. Oh, take him away, now," she proceeded,
"take him away while they're asleep, an' before his wife and daughter
comes home--take him away, now; and spare him--spare them--spare them
all as much sufferin' as you can."

"There's not much madness in that, Jack," returned one of them; "I
think it would be the best thing we could do. Are you ready to come now,
Dalton?" asked the man.

"Who's that," said the old man, in a voice of indescribable woe
and sorrow; "who's that was talkin' of a broken heart? Oh, God," he
exclaimed, looking up to Heaven, with a look of intense agony, "support
me--support them; and if it be your blessed will, pity us all; but above
all things, pity them, oh, Heavenly Father, and don't punish them for my
sin!"

"It's false," exclaimed Sarah, looking on Dalton, and reasoning
apparently with herself; "he never committed a could blooded murdher;
an' the Sullivans are--are--oh--take him away," she said, still in
a low, rapid voice; "take him away! Come now," she added, approaching
Dalton again; "come--while they're asleep, an' you'll save them an'
yourself much distress. I'm not afeard of your wife--for she can bear
it if any wife could--but I do your poor daughter, an' she so weak an'
feeble afther her illness; come."

Dalton looked at her, and said:

"Who is this girl that seems to feel so much for me? but whoever she is,
may God bless her, for I feel that she's right. Take me away before they
waken! oh, she is right in every word she says, for I am not afeard of
my wife--her trust in God is too firm for anything to shake. I'm ready;
but I fear I'll scarcely be able to walk all the way--an' sich an
evenin' too--You