The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-12-23
SOMERSET, PA. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER % 1896.

he did not want to see her. What
depths of shame and anguish had not
been open to her?
| Then her eyes fell on small wood
en- box, still unpacked, which she had
brought with her. She broke into hys-
terical laughter. What fond fool she
had been, for in that box was Christ
mas turkey, ready roasted, which she
had bought the day before in Denver.
What crazy ideas had filled Der brain
that she could descend on him with
peace and plenty, just if he were ex-
pecting her, forgiveness in one hand
and turkey in the other" she cried
between her bursts of laughter. Then
the anguish of the whole thing was
borne m on her again, and she turned
from her laughter TO sobs till the baby
pulled at her dress in alarm and added
his wall to hers.
She caught the boy in her arms-the
! boy he had never seen. Surely his heart
could not hold cut against his son.
"Never mind, baby darling" she
cried softly; "he's got to come some
time, and we'll have everything ready
for him so."
She unpacked the turkey and put it
in cold place. The baby eyes follow
ed it longingly, and ever and anon he
piped out:
Mamma, div boy some schicken.n
'To-morrow, tomorrow, boy" she
answers gay.y, for she can't bear to see
his face, her only sun, cloud over. She
diverts him at last, though he is hun
cry and sleepy, and-last touch of sa-
tire-hangs up his stocking. 1t had
been part of her plan.
How she lived through that long
lonely evening she never could realize
afterward. 1t seemed as if the concen-
trated misery of almost three years
rent and crushed her soul as she sat
there before the fire waiting. 1t grew
to be 0 o'clock--l0-ll. And still she
sat and listened-listened, fearing not
the strange and unaccustomed sounds
about her, but listening ever for step
at the door. Half past IL. She had
fallen into doZe, when there was a
sound, and she sprang from her chair
Down at the station Silent Bill had
passed day utterly revolving to his
tenacious better nature. 1t was small
town and more brutally degraded than
most of the camps of the west. People
who expected any good never came
there. y missionary had tried it once
or twice and had been Obliged to leave,
sadly, with no good accomplished that
he could see.
When Silent Bill had reached there,
he had felt deliberate, reckless long
ing to efface himself as the man he had
known. lie almost felt that i'm coming
there he had entered into some compact
with the devil, but he could not throw
off the training and traditions of his
life in day. Misfortune, not crime,
had made him a wanderer on the face
of the earth, and, in the midst of the
debauchery in which he had placed
himself, his conscience and tastes ut
tered continual protest. Before morn
ing dawned he had lost in gambling
every cent of the $500 which he had
brought with him. He never left the
table at which he first seated himself
till it was gone. He did not greatly
He was playing for the fierce fever of
the game and stimulated his interest
by hard drinking He was not used to
this, and never knew how he got TO
bed, or whether he had lost his money
fairly or had il stolen from him. But
when he woke late next morning his
whole soul was protesting against his
degradation. He could not endure if,
and as soon as he could he drank more
whisky. He had no trouble in getting
trusted. Was he not the man who
had discovered the Poor Mans Luck?
And before night he had won back
half as much money as he had lost.
He did not lose his head again. He
did not mean 10. He drank only
enough TO keep his odious conscience
from singing him too deeply.
And all this time Bob Mahaffey was
lying unconscious in the corner of sa-
loon, his message untold. And up the
mountain, in the lonely cabin, wom-
an was eating her heart out with anx-
iety and fear.
1t was night again, the night before
Christmas, when AIahaffy emerged
from his corner and partially from his
stupor. And finally he ran against
Silent Bill in the shadow of bIilding.
AS he righted himself after the COLI
sion he stood and stared at Silent Bill.
"D--d poor taste,n he said at last
thickly, "when mans got a pretty
wife waitin' fer i'm to home. Why
doncha go homer"
Silent Bill looked at Bob fiercely,
with his hands clinched and the viens
standing out on his face.
"You brute, how dare you speak like
that to me? What dye mean?"
Mahaffy slid back couple of steps
and tried to assume an air of dignity.
"Be'r look out, Bill, IN not trifle wi
me. Mean wha' say. Why doncha
go home? / jes' gobback. Pete tol me
q tell ye."
Something in his tipsy gravity sober
ed Bill little. He seized the other by
his shoulders and shook him. "If you
don't tell me what you mean," he said
sternly, "I'll choke your ID breath
out" Mahaffy tried to strike him,
but did not succeed.
$50 home to yer wife, he snarled.
"She's to Pete's. / took her. Now
lemme Lone
John Allison turned Us if he were
shot and plunged on his homeward
way. There il no other word for it,
He only half believed Mahaffy. He
asked himself why he should hurry to
meet the woman who had not trusted
him, who had not cared to write the
few words which would have held
them together? He kent muttering