Evening journal., 1892-09-26
SISTER MARTHA.
BY AUGUSTA LARNED.
Copyright. Isaa, by American Press Association.l

Copyright, lS!2, by Ame'
The captain locked startled ana his
keen eye rested spspici5asly for q mo- /
meat on ,the woman's agtatsd face .
"WellF said hee!aying his hand lightly
on the book "Lll promise not to tell. as
you make such q point " it,"
She stood up and faced him, putting
herself between him and the door; eying
him, too. much as a mouse eyes s=Dis cat /
that is on the point Of q spring.
"Well, George her speech flowed on
with many hesilations and breaks. "you
remember chat picnic up at Burns Mill,
when you asked Finic 70 go and Mother
Mayhew kep' Der at home on the pre-
tense that she had bad cold, snd YOU
was pipin mad and looked black as
thunderclod because you ooulA see
right through Il all Nnchsr MAyhaw
was always against you, George she
hadn't no faith IN seaf8rin men. She
said they mostly AL had q wife and
family ia every port they fEequented.
and weren't hsrdiy ever known to be
pious She wanted Vmio TO marry
minister Sla scrt Josiah and me OF IN
"a buggy and when we got to Che Mills
you was there wandorin round loolIin
CLAM and disconsolate. So you kind Of
made mp 20 me because You wanted 10
talk about Finje and you asked me to
be your friend and her friend, and TO
tell her TO keep up her courage and TO
believe in your truth and constancy.
You were going next day TO Join your
ship for q three months voyage to the
West Indies, and you promised to write
TO Vinie from the first port you touched.
You gave me so many messages for
Wine ! couldn't charge my memory
with them all ] didn't 80 much as look
at Josiah all that day, and he was hoppin
mad and never spoke to me once going
home.
The captain was holding her with his
wary eye. a kind of ashen hue had
overspreaa lis dark cheek. ,Well, he
said under as breath.
"You went ewuy, she resumed slow
y. gualmg and dropping her eyes UNI
deg his lock, "and guess the devil must
have entered into me with seven other
spirits forgot all them messages You
sent to Yinie, partly because ! argyed
it ont that it would be wrong to go
against Mother Mayhem. never
breathed a word shout that letter you
promised 10 write, and the wild notion
got hold Of Inc that mebbe you would
fake mp with me IL Ninie was ont OF
your reach. guess ! was half crazy
and } trented Josiah like the dirt under
my feet. But it didn't seem to max,
any difference with him in the end-h,
was almost TOO stupid 10 knew IL. Wen
Vinie was looking for that letter.
hadn't breAthsd word. buS she knew
Won would write. / could see 10 in hei
face as She went every day 10 the post
office with Eght step and then came
dragging home with her eyes CLASSY an,
her face kind OF pinched and withered
She grew whittier and whittier every day
most as IL YOU could look right tliroug.
her body But she would drag helsel
to the post0i3ce ard come back disAp
pointed, and could nos hlp exulging
don't know whether wanted her g
die or not 1 was wicked enough 10
But finally she broke down 10 she ars
of her hyslensa sp8As. PSOr wsaki
thing that sue was, and she would max
me so 70 the post9iice, and the lette
cane thst yory day. coaldni bea
she should have it. Thought ia rathe
be tore ls8b from LIMB l Didn't kno,
what was abour, gussa, for wake
around e i9Rs tine la "A kind OF daz'
and at lesl f9uR3 mysh doWn by u
river 10 the old red bridge, and / TOO
the letter ont q my pocket and tore it /
little stripl and threw them out on th
winter, and can soc them now 20 Dol
biug up and down on the currCnt."
Every particle Of color had left IL
captains face, and his eyes were blazin
like balehres. He gave "a wildcat sprin
and seized her two wrists IN q grasp {
iron And It was you that spread tia
danmable story all over the town that
had q vito and children in Saint Kilt
and was trying to commit bigamy. Al
when came home her mother met n
and told me the report, and said h
daughter hated me and would new
willingly see me again.
"Let me go, shrieked Sister Marth
as the yicelike grasp frightened on III
wrists. I'D have took You If You'd hi
forty wives in all the ports, but y,
treated me Us if ia been q toothlc
thing. on spurn11 me, George Bhg
md forced me TO marry Josiah Wh
cumb. Let me go, or I'll screech bloc,
murder You look az if you meant
kin me. / tell you Mother Mayhem lie
She was a good Christian woman, b
rhe lied Vino loved you; she alwa
has. poor shadow, sitting at slnr windc
year iu and year out to see you pa
without so much as ever turning 20
head, watchin nights the light in yo
house as If her life hung on it.
The captain let go her wrists. The
was horrible look in his face
fingers crooked as if ready to seize {
womans throat. She had gradual
backed into n corner whence there W
no dehycrancc. At that moment the c
parrot awoko on his perch and call
out in sleepy, raucous voice, Don't
a fool. George" The captain stnmbl
back and fell into his chair. He y
terrified 40 the murderous impulse I'll
had come over him. There was loI
chez, irifa on the table. Uo /