The Penn's Grove record., 1886-09-11

liSh Go MO
Little Motherl"
There was a slender figure in black,
STOPPING over a long, white seam over
her knee.
1t must have Lean the sun that shone
full on the window where she sat when
dazzled me, for | seemed to see a halo
shining round the dropping golden
head. that never lifted though Mays
yoiee-it eods Nays voice, falterlng
with the sound of tears In Unanswered
the child. "a
INV little Berthe back again already
Why. you couldn't have got as far as
tho park, darling; and it would have
done you good to play there in the sun
shine. Did dolly get tired n want
to get homer"
She was stitching away so busliy
that she never glanced round,
Wait, darling; l am just finishing.
Then we'll go out together and axe
all this work home, and il they pay us
this time''-this in a lower tome
well get a nice dinner that will make
up for the breakfast"
Little Mother. see!"
The child had slipped behind her,
and was showering down the fragrant
blossoms oyer her shoulder into her lap.
white lilacsI"
1t was with ~ wild sob in her voice
that May cried out, and she gathered
up the fragrant lilacs and buried her
face in them.
When she lifted her face they were
all shining and wet, but not with dew.
- -. ,Yn fyn%al haF mat nrng II
was straight into mine that they
looked.
Slowly she yielded her hand into
mine, outstretched for 1t.
Donald After all these years."
And changes"
Perhaps my voice wa bitter, for
after that first impulse to draw her to
me, to claim her in spite of everything
that had come between, came the re-
vulsion.
| looked down at her black dress,
and l seemed to see, under the mock
Ing heap of flowers, and the coarse,
white work, the little left hand with
the weddng-ring upon it.
No, | couldn't forget that she had
forgotten-that she had given herself
to some other mani l touched a fold
of the black dress, letting go her hand.
"He is dead, Mayp" l said.
She gave a startled glance at the
child, pressed against her knee, alb
sorbed in punching the flowers to-
gether.
Eyes, he is dead"
And then, very softly, lifting up her
lovely eyes to me:
"If you know so much as that OF
him, Donald, it is likely you know all.
But let his memory rest; he was sorry
enough at the last"
Sorry But first he brought you
down to this. Your fortune-"
''Gonel" she said; and with the hand
l had let fall she gently stroked the
golden head of the little one, intent
upon her task, not needing us. ''His
child,n she said. Donald, when |
parted with my last sovereign for the
simple cross that marks his grave, that
Sacred to the Memory made his
memory ever sacred to me. So let it
rest, untouched by any slightest breath
of unkind word"
l looked down into the dropping face
Of the girl-my May Queen once; and
suddenly l knew that, try to dethrone
her as l might. she was my queen still
and mistress of my fate.
land because of that stone, sacred
to his memory" l said bitterly, she
cause of that, May. you are going to
send me from you again, more wretehed
than when we quarreled and parted.
years agoI"
"Send me from you againi"
There was o frightened gasp in the
sweet voice; and In the blue eyes lifted
to me a look that told me 1 might ven
ture to do what thereupon | dld-that
is, to catch both of her hands in mine,
to draw her to me, the left hand as
well a. the right.
Then, suddenly and sharply.
May, what have you done with your
wedding ringp"
"My-wedding-rlng9"
"Oh, see,-all the poor, pretty flow
ers spiltl'' the child broke in, trying to
push US back from the fragrant show
ers lying about our feet. "Oh, Little
Mother, see what you have donel''
| felt the start that went through
and through May, as l still held her IN
my arms.
And then she looked up at me, smil-
ing tremulously, blushlng ravishingly.
"Ah, now 1 see what BERTHE has
donel 1t is her Little Mother that
misled you into fancying l could aver
have been false to you'll Yes, l am her
Little Mother'-the only mother she
has ever known; for her own mother
died before she could remember. She
is poor Bertie's child, Donald"
| stopped and caught up the little
one r~apturously, setting her down
again, bewildered and staring, In the
midst of her blossoms.
BLESSINGS OF her pretty facsl 1t Is
just what yours was, May, when l can
first remember it,"
She shook her head.
~ never could have been as pretty as
that" she said simply, lowering her
voice that the child should not hear.
"But my brother and l were very much
alike"
Her voice softened.
after all, he had never sailed on
that Inflated vessel" she explained.
"And when he wrote me to come to
him, after g~randpapa's death had left
me alone ia the world"
After it had left you an heiress," /
answered. In my OWN mind, but never
from that day 10 this n syllable of it
aloud.
''Of q urse / went,n she continued.
"ARd IShsd to disappear, for it was
not safe fog HIM TO be seen by any who
had even known before she whisp
cred, with Spained glance at the child,