Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-12-16
Christian eIiina
A Thrilling Romance OF
Land and Sea
BY ARRAH LEIGH.
CHAPTER x,
DRIFTED TO HER FATE,

DRIFTED TO HER FATE.
1t was all dark in the little dining
room, and Chris stumbled against the
chairs and table as she nervously CROPPED
for match.
She could not control her horror of the
shadows surrounding her The scene she
had just witnessed had unnerved her, she
thought.
The oise the match made as she struck
1t caused her to start, and she looked
around almost as if expecting some
ghostly apparition to appear; but only
bare walls and a few ugly pieces of poor
furniture met her view.
She was alone.
For the first time in her life a sense of
the misery Of loneliness stole over her.
She felt she must have some one to
She longed for companionship standing
here in solitude at midnight, and she
softly entered her mothers room, hoping
the invalid might be awake.
The feeble, blush fame of the lamp
she had lighted fell around the poor
place, and Chris looked eagerly at the
tattered coverlet spread over the yellow
pine bed, and carefully held her breath
that she might tell by her mothers
breathing whether she slept or was awake,
All was silent, and the fair haired girl
listening, with parted lips and wide-open-
ed eyes, heard no sound in the deserted
streets below; no sound in the wretched
chamber.
The Pickering flame of the lamp showed
an expression of terror in the lsrge blue
eyes. A deathly pallor had stolen over
the sweet young face, and agony freighted
the voice that cried out:
Mother, mother!"
There was no response to that implor-
ing call. and with a moan Chris sprang
forward and stared at the fixed white face
lying amid the pillows.
Mrs. Verina's eyes were open, but they
were CLASSY and motionless.
Chris laid her hand on the marble-like
brow. and knew she was alone in the
world. The weak, fretful. child-like soul
had left her mothers body forever, and
never again would her babyish lips
complain of the hardships of this life,
for she had been taken to another
sphere.
And to think that was not here; to
think that did not know how feeble she
was! Oh, mother, mother I'll never for
give myself" sobbed Chris, staring at the
motionless figure.
That night she called no one, not even
her friend Mrs. Northup. 1t seemed to
her an atonement for her to sit there
alone with her dead, and reproach herself
and weep, for fear she had not done all
she might have done to make her mother
happy.
She tried to believe she had not been
as dutiful as she could have been. She
endeavored to recall some time when she
erred. 1t was hard task, for Chris b ID
been a good child during all those long
years her mother had been a help ess in
valid.
1t will not matter to me whether I
succeed in acting henceforth or not,
the girl muttered. All want now is
that my mother may have a decent bur-
ial."
If she gave thought to her own neces-
sites, she put it scorrfully by, as she de-
termined to sacrifice her wardrobe in
order to buy her mother grave beside
her fathers.
Dresses and stage jewelry must go,
even if without them she suffered Danish
ment from the theater.
And I shall not be SO afraid of that
now, thought the girl, for I have no
one dependent on me, but am alone in
the world; no matter what becomes of
me-"
Alone, friendless and penniless, and
only sixteen, truly this girl could not
have much to hope for in the coming
years!
1t is only marvel that her fate proved
as good as it did. and that the tragedy in
which she played SO sad a role, did not
commence sooner for Chris, as it has for
many another lovely, poverty-stricken
woman.
Early in the morning Chris called her
humble friend. Mrs. Northup, to her room
and told her of her new grief.
The broken-down lady was sympathetic.
and took all the arran gements OF the
funeral on herself, and she greatly COM
forted Chris by saying:
"You must feel thankful, child, that
you have been so good to your mother,
Tor of all NOBLE, self-sacrificing daugh-
ters, you have been the best have ever
seen. Your care was always for your
parent.
4 did want to be good to her." said
Chris, with burst of tiers, and only last
night I nearly forced myself to marry q
man hated for her sake. Oh, had L done
it 10 return and find her dead, l should
have been miserable for life! As 1t was,
/ was saved from the dreadful fate Of