Chapter XXII

Jurgis took the news in a peculiar way. He turned
deadly pale, but he caught himself, and for half a minute
stood in the middle of the room, clenching his hands tightly
and setting his teeth. Then he pushed Aniele aside and
strode into the next room and climbed the ladder.

In the corner was a blanket, with a form half showing
beneath it; and beside it lay Elzbieta, whether crying or
in a faint, Jurgis could not tell. Marija was pacing the
room, screaming and wringing her hands. He clenched
his hands tighter yet, and his voice was hard as he spoke.

"How did it happen?" he asked.

Marija scarcely heard him in her agony. He repeated
the question, louder and yet more harshly. "He fell off the
sidewalk!" she wailed. The sidewalk in front of the
house was a platform made of half-rotten boards, about
five feet above the level of the sunken street.

"How did he come to be there?" he demanded.

"He went -- he went out to play," Marija sobbed, her
voice choking her. "We couldn't make him stay in. He
must have got caught in the mud!"

"Are you sure that he is dead?" he demanded.

"Ai! Ai!" she wailed. "Yes; we had the doctor."

Then Jurgis stood a few seconds, wavering. He did
not shed a tear. He took one glance more at the blanket
with the little form beneath it, and then turned suddenly
to the ladder and climbed down again. A silence fell
once more in the room as he entered. He went straight
to the door, passed out, and started down the street.

When his wife had died, Jurgis made for the nearest
saloon, but he did not do that now, though he had his

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v?