The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-09
THE SEVERED LOCKS.
"You might do better, John.'

| LOU HflSutuO Utttcr, JOHu.
Mrs. Williams spoke fretfully. as if the
. news told to her by her only son was moi
pleasant for her to hear.
Better, mother!"
What ringing, clear voice it was.
So strong and hearty, as if to match
the tall, stalwart figure, the bright brown
eyes, and handsome, sunshiny face
of John Williams.
"Better!" And now a hearty laugh
rang out. GAS if there lived a better
woman than Hannah Coyle."
"But, John, she is only shop girl"
''She won't be shop girl when she is
my wife. am not rich man, but my
salary will make a comfortable home for
all of u.s."
"She will turn me out of doors, like
enough"
Mother" cried John, with a. culver
of anger running through the surprised
reproach of his voice, "you should know
Hannah Coyle better than that"
Mrs. Williams conscience gave her a
sharp twinge, for she did know Hannah
better than TO think she would deprive a
crippled woman of her only home.
| But Mrs. Williams, like many a fond
mother, had nursed such high hopes for
the future matrimonial prospects of her
boy, that she felt only. a rude shock of
disappointment when he told her of his
engagement.
"Surely," she unused, after John had
left her for his daily routine of duty,
"surely John light aspire to something
higher than mere shop girl"
He was we'll educated, we'll connected,
and occupied responsible position.
Just one little week later Hannah Coyle
came to the house, where she was to
have had a grudging welcome as its mis-
tress, and entering softly, went to the
crippled wcman's chair.
Crouched down among the cushions,
seeming to have shrunk to less than her
actual size in her misery, was the fond,
proud mother, her frame shivering in
convulsive agony, her words always the
same.
"Oh, John, my son, my good sonl Oh,
Heavenly Father, let me dep
She had been all one long night SO
moaning, so sobbing, utterly desolate,
utterly alone.
The son she idolized, the trusted
clerk, the fond, proud lover, was lying
in cell, waiting trial for forgery.
He had been arrested for passing a
forged check, taken in the very act of
attempting to cash it at the bank.
The story he told of its possession was
so improbable that it still further in
jured him, and gave personal revenge an
additional motive for his punishment.
He said that Gerold Somers, the son of
one of tine partners of the firm, had sent
him to the bank with the check.
| 1t scarcely needed the young mans in
dignant denial to contradict the story.
| A friend in the same employ had gone
to the mother, and told the news as kind
ly and gently as possible.
A fierce anger and stout pride had
kept the old lady up during that trying
interview.
But once she was alone, she crouched
In the. cushions of her chair and
moaned out in the utter misery of her
heart.
There was no strong arm to lift her to
her own room that night.
There was no hearty, ringing voice TO
bid her good morning.
Still the feeble voice, freighted with
its burden of anguish, moaned its sad
retain, when the door opened and Han
| nah Coyle came in.
No friend had broken the news gently
to the young girl.
But the shock came rudely upon her
from the columns of the daily paper.
It was not in one hour, or two, that
she could so conquer her own grief as to
leave the house.
But when the first battle was over in
her heart she went at once where she
knew John would have had her go.
So when, faint with her long night of
misery, the mother lay moaning, kind
hand was placed upon her shoulder, and
voice clear and strong. but sweet with
womanly tenderness. spoke the dearest
word on earth:
"Mother!"
She looked up with haggard, bloodshot
eyes, and saw bending over her face
that love, pity, and deep, unutterable
tenderness had transformed into positive
beauty.
Mother" the sweet, clear voice said
"this is not what John would wish"
The mothers tears, the first she had
shed, flowed fast at the sound of he,
sons name.
ooh, Hannahp' she said, "you do as,
believe John is guiltyw
"John guilty?" the girl cried, hel
voice ringing Ikea trumpet call, hel
ewes flashing, and her cheek growing
crimson. "Mother, how can you put the
words together? You know-I know
that he is innocent"
"But he is in prison. He will be
tried"
This was the first conversation that
drew the hearts of the two women to.
gether. but the bond that knit them
during the months that followed was
that Of suffering and sorrow, that would
have torn the heart of the man whom
they. loved and trusted during his dark