Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-09-29

AuOHs uetIeE tuan myself, Hls aIIaSs
kept myself respectable and decent.
an not penny OWN 10 NJ msu. I'm
An Office cleaner. Miss. bv business,
with q very COOL connection. an |
don't quite know wny il is as Dalzcll's
SO unwilling 10 hsva MS good lslT
know about me. Saws | /, lllm. nv
son, says /, If she's the person I take
her for, she won't desplse voa for haY-
ing mother as mas worked TO make 3
gentleman of You. | amt one OF the
interfering kind, says |, anil | me aus
to keep mysen ia mysen. But would
like to see the bonnv Dir lee, says l.
But, NO, says he, MOTHER says he,
there's no one draws the line like
American lady, an II be ashamed,
saws he, to have her know as you was
a worhlnhwoman.' So that's the re.-
son, miss, as I've waited till ne was
gone humbly be-sink as You'll ez-
cuse,the liberty Just for one look at
your blessed pretty face. For a
mothers mother, miss, an she has a
mothers feelinks.
And once more she courtesled and
ecllpsed her face in her re-edged hand
kerchief with an audible sniff and
gurgle.
All this time Zoe's eyes had grown
larger, bluer and more startled, her
cheeks paler. A strange quiver came
to her lips.
"Do you mean," she said, "that Ee
-Dalzell was ashamed Of you?"
"a fine gentleman with college
education can't be expected to be
proud of mother as makes her-iyink
hy cleanink offices, miss,'' said the
woman. "P 'raps it amt natural as
as he should. He was allays good
lad, though. And as l hain't no wish
to lntrude where / amt wanted, miss,
III bid you very good-by. 1t was
only that | wanted to see what you
was like. miss.
Zoe looked after the stout, retreat
ing figure as it trundled down stairs
with pang of shame--an ache which
she could not analyze.
"I-I should have offered her re-
freshments-I should. perhaps, have
kissed her! y with shudder, as she
remembered the blotchy complexion,
the blunt nose and the d-bordered
handkerchief 'Dalzell's S mother
Now l come to think of it, I always
supposed his mother dead, though he
never told me SO in words and SEN
tences. And all this time she is q
poor, workingwoman like this, and he
with his cigars and carriages and
careless talk OF money, rs if he were o
millionaire: Oh, who could have
dreamed of perfidy like this?"
She set her little pearly teeth to-
gether and tore up the half written
sheets o. that sweet first love letter.
'1t must be quite different from
that, said she the note that is to
tell him our engagement must end |
For l never, never could respect q
man WHO has deceived me--or man
who IS ashamed OF his honest, hard.
. working motherl"
The sweet, v~er-.lke face fell int
her hands, tears rained down 1ik,
diamond showers, and with every teal
the knell Of dead hope was sounded
Poor little blue eyed Zoe-to bel
this was the very bitterness of death
:
"I'vc doae it, Mr.. knighton anf
If was the wust an meanest job 1 ever
done -
CARL I1nighton was loungine! a
his Office desk, his hat on the back .
his head, his feet thrust deep into th'
white pile of al Angora rug
he turned quickly at the sound o
the stout old danes voice.
Wee" said he, "wha. did sh'
say: =
say? She didn't say much bu
III sooner ha' thrust a knife into
lambs throat It vas a cruel thins
10 10, Mr.. knighton, ani If / didn'
owe You money for what my poor ias
stole ont o. voar til, and ii YOU didn'
threaten to gire hln u - the Law i
/ didrl'; DO this ;,r you. IL ms szl-
no-1la. | wouli. For I've go; feel
lnks, ST, ! / an . poor wo-2ink~o
| nan