Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-04-26
ICOpyri1nted.1
VIOLA--:
Thrice Lost IN a Struggle for a Name.
ICopyriInted.1
BY MRS. n. q. EDISON.

.t CHAPTER XV1.-CONTINUED.
Ralph caught the paper nervously and
strobe to the window. reading it as he
went with devouring haste. And this
was what he read:
= r'DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER, AND DEAR
4 RALPH-Let me call you this just once, I'M
worthy as ! AMI cannot go away from you
5oeYer. without telling you how love you,
Years, and now. at this last moment. more than
All: But cannot come into your home. The
weight of nv own unworthiness and sin would
DC more tns could bear in that pure atmO :
phere. L have been slit ng i'll Judgment on
pyself to-day. since Coils hand came between
Inc and NV wicked ambition and fer pride
o. why did He not take my life in stead of his ,
have asked myself this question a hundred
times this long terrible afternoon. dare not
ask your forg veness-I dare not ask Heavens
ean can only Pray for the pity Of both. In my
what il so cruelty withheld-my nam AMI for
tune. To this one thought have devoted my
life; for its furtherance have sacrificed home
only for the interpretation of Heaven. soul and
body as we'll stand tonight one stands
has wilfuly and wickedfy ioitcred. do not
seek TO excuse my conduct cannot. hope,
some lime, to dare ask God to pardon my folly
and crime-I cannot yet.
:" shall come so near that il you knew you
could hear my he rrt's fierce beating-it beats
so wildly: shall touch my lips to the easement
where some time your hands may fall, and
Goodbye forever and ever syT;o,,,~
1t broke off abruptly, the last few
words ending in a serawl. as if heart
and strength had alike failed.
Father, mother" Ralph said, grave
w. shall find her if she anywhere
on the face of Gods earth, if it takes
me till am a gray old man, he cried,
with sudden sharp pathos.
mot dare to ask our forgiveness.
poor child" Mrs. Anderson said,
brokenly; las if we ever held anv other
feeling towards her but love. o, Ralph,
you must find hertz
~ II will find her if she is in the world.
mother the handsome face white and
grave and resolute. land iather, mother
If she will. L shall bring her to you as
my wife. She shall have the shelter OF
my heart and my name against the
world. if only she will"
rr-s.God bless YOU Ralph. in your
search. and be sure of the welcome that
waits anxiously and longingly for her.
even as for you. my son." Ben Ander-
son said. solemnly, as he ba lie his boy
goodbye an hour afterward at the depot
at Rockford.
The station-master to whom they
had applied had given them this lnsor-
nation:
w ueu uc CttLue W OpeH HIS OIIce d
slight young girl was standing by the
door. She came and bought a ticket
for Chicago Immediately the office was
open He noticed her particularly be-
cause her dress was wet and drabbled
about the bottom. and he thought she
must have come some distance through
the mud, and wondered little. ior
,-she, was looking ill enough to be in bed,
with her heavy eyes and pallid face.
The train had been gone two hours or
more, and another did not leave till
after noon. Well, there was nothing to
do but wait. watt Weariest and bitter
est of all work under the sun is this-to
wait To wait when heart and brain
are running wild: to wait when the soul
and blood are on fire; to wait when the
pulses every throb is pang of fierce.
Impatient pain.