The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-04-11

, God! Oh, Rody. my son. my son.
Once more she opened to him those fond
mOther-arms which no man can resist
no man ought to resistant let him sob
his heart out there, patting him. kissing
him, treating him almost as if he had
been a little child. and sObbing herself
the while with undisguised, %uncontrolla-
bic emotion.
'IIow did You come. mother? Since
when have you been here?"
Ever so long, my dear"
81 was never told"
NO; | went straight up to her. II did
not matter; she knew nobody. The doctor
is n friend of mine; he let me be with her.
He knew | understood. | nearly died my
self when you were born. Oh, Rody,
what you must have suffered this day!
Let me look at you. my boy-my dearest
boy!'
1t was a sorrowful gaze for both moth
ef and son. Gradually Roderick's man
ncr hardened. and he loosed himself from
her clinging hands.
Never mind me; it is my wife we must
think about. | beg your pardon. mother,
but | must go ana see henry wife whom
YOU hate, whom YOU were so cruel to.
But / love her. She is more to me than
anything or anybody in this world. l
don't know why YOU come here. / never
asked you to come. Still, | thank you for
coming. But there is not the least occa-
sion for YOU TO stay"
He rose up. with his cold. proud man
ner, so like his fathers. His mother,
half frightened, as if she thought he
hardly knew what he was about-perhaps
he did not, poor fellow!-stood before
him silently wringing her hands.
Il repeat there is no need for you TO
trouble yourself about us in any way.
If my wife lives, and You say she will
live, she and | are quite sufficient TO one
another VIE YOU sit down? Can |
get you anything: Or shall | order a
carriage. that You may go home at once?'
ooh, Rody. Rody. Me-your mother"
She burst into tears. such tears as 1t is
terrible to see an old woman shed.
And Mrs. .Jardin" was an I'D woman
| now. The struggle between her heart
and il WAS a good honest heart, after
all-and her fierce indomitable will had
told upon her severely. Could her son
have seen her face he might have traced
there the wrinkles of many added years.
As it was, he felt that the hand which
grasped him shook rs with palsy.
"Rody, | wish you to say II word"
Could Il son expect his mother to beg his
pardonl Would he not have been an
unworthy son to have let her do any
such thing: Was il not far better for
him. under any circumstanccs-to have
lone Just what he did?
He dropped on his knees beside her.
80 -. i-.-i =. Ia, l,. a,,,Iy ~.
when ne was her little boy.
Mother. mother, forgive me-. Let us
forgive one another
''th, yes. yes. Come back TO me, my
son, my only SON.
And now" said Itodcrick, anXiocsly.
tell me about my wife
Poor lamb. poor lamb. | have been
with her these two hours. She thought
il was her own mother. for she spoke a
few words in French and called me
mamma Tell her. Rody. that
Mrs. Jardine turned away, and again
burst into honest, irrcpressible tears.
"I;ut still, mother, how did you come?
How did you hear
She could not speak. but she put into
his hand Il little note, dated two days be-
fore. written in pencil. and in Il hand very
feeble. very shaky, but neat and clear.
Dear Mr.. Black: If YOU should hear
] am likely to die. will YOU 90 ut once to
Richerdcn and fetch Mrs. Jardine? You
know her. No one will comfort my hus-
baud like his mother. Yours truly,
'SILENCE JARDINE."
And now,' said Mrs. Jardine, smiling
through her tears, the brightest. sweet
est smile, Roderick thought, that he had
ever seen on her face, go to your wife,
and let me go To my grandson. My son
will not now want his mother to comfort
him, thank the Lord