Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-04-15

her Tor n great many weeks. / have
lost count Of the time. Amos, but 1t
must have been quite three months be-
her to speak to. Before she came back
all the mischief had been done, and
was not on good terms with single
soul In the neIghborhood. l can't tell
you how unhappy was, all alone as
was. and with my son that loved SO
far away. Well, one night l happened
to hear that Mabel and her mother were
at home. and without waiting q mo-
ment, ran to the house."
She paused again, and passed her
hands across her eyes. striving to re-
call something which had slipped her
memory. ! did not help her by word;
even when she held her trembling
hands imploringly toward me. appeal
Ing to me by that action for even the
slightest sign of encouragement,
made no movement. There was no
room In my heart for compassion at
that time. She continued, but in =
weaker and more uncertain voice than
before.
Forgive me, Amos" she said, hum
bly,. but 1t is hard for me to remember
what came after that. You will know
why presently. and then perhaps you
will pity me. l went to the house, and
saw Mabels mother outside. Amos, she
waited till / got close up to her, and
then turned her back upon me, and
slammed the door In my face. At that,
Of course, went away all of tremble,
thinking that Mabel would come to me.
I stopped at home till ten o'clock at
night. but Mabel didn't come. didn't
know what to think. l couldn't make
out the reason of her keeping away;
she ought to have run to me the mo-
ment she came home-you know that.
Amos. II she had loved you"
interrupted her sternly. go on
with your story. and tell 1t straight.
Never mind what ought to have been
done. Let me know what was DONE"
waiting for her who should have
come. but didn't, was driving me mad.
and couldn't abide 1t any longer. Late
as 1t was, l went to her house again.
They were not abed. as I could tell by
the light, and l was going to knock at
the door, when, happening to peep
through the window, who should see
in the room, with a glass before him,
but your enemy and mine. Mr.. Druce.
Both Mabel and her mother were with
him. and they we're talking together. as
the best Of friends might do; and Mr..
Druce was sitting there as though he
had a right to be in that place, and as
though he did not intend to go away in
a hurry. Amos. II I could have found
heart and strength to knock at the
door, 1 am sure they would have turned
me from the house. But l had no
thought Of anything or anybody but
you, my son, away on the seas, while
your enemy was laughing and joking
with her who should have spit in his
face for daring to speak to her! I
turned from the window. more like a
mad woman than anything else. intend
ing to come home to our own little cot
tage here, where we had spent so many
happy years; but was blind with grief.
Amos, and missed my way. Even now
don't know where got to nor how 1t
happened, but all OF a sudden l heard
a shouting and screaming. and l was
knocked down in the road and run over
by a cab. I lost my senses then, and
don't know what was done to me that
night, nor for many long. long night
afterward. 1t would have been better
for me II had never risen from my
bed rather than that the son I sucked
and worshiped should show me. as he
shows me now. that all love for his old
mother ha I gone from his heart"
Sro n roNrfyunnI