The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-01-02
he r,s"Otil-

'"s'J I'ut H. NHl Iloit. Ecl iiliS llti! J.
lnal magical person had a daughter. one
OF those who spend their lives in good
works. And she, moved deeply by the
sadness OF the thing. camo to nurse the
girl! and instead of reading to the pa
1lents in the hospitals, SAT all day long
with Ruth while her sister was at work,
and talked TO her and prayed over he.
continually with the sunshine Of sym-
pathy and friendship. She also sent i'll
Z piano and played to the sick girl. In
TIE evening Naomi came home, and
whcn the librarian could get away. he,
100. came and read Or talked of grave
things, thoughts concerning men and
women and the conduct of life and the
teaching which is read aloud in the
churches without ccasing, and remains
as lnuch neglected as ever. So they
talked her poor Wcaricd brain into rcst.
But ever aud anon the dying girls eyes
would wander troubled round the room.
and she would 50 back to her prison
coll, and she would call again Tor her
baby and dand!e the pretty child before
his iathcr~-thc father SO handsome and
SO good.
One evening, when she felt little
stronger than usual, she told her sister
about her marriage.
Harry wo;'ldn' t marry me openly and
take me to his own people, she said,
because he was dependent on his
father. But he wouldn't give ne up.
and one day he told mc that h. had
everything ready and would marry NE
secretly in q registrars, office. Eut
WAS 10 tell nobody-nol even you, dear;
aud promised. He took me in a cab, |
don't know where. One Of his friends,
Mr. Middlemist, who was clerk in his
fathers Office, came with us. We got
ont Of the cab at the office, and went
within. So that his father should not
| find out, he signed Il false name. He
! took his mothers name, and signed him.
self Henry Hendricksen.
| And you rememDer the place, dcar:'
| "No, do not know where it was, be-
cause never thought of looking. After
verbs he told me that it was I. sham
registry, but l know now that it was
not. because people who have sham
Offices do not put up brass plates and
| print the nImc OF the Office in the pill
, laYa Of the door Besides. we had to
wait while another couple wore married.
/ am his wife. dear, as much as The law
! can make nc.
When Naomi told this to the librarian.
h" said that now they knew the particsi-
! lars nothing would be easier than to
| find out where The marriage took place,
| because (. register is kept, and can bc
! = l., {,.i. 4,;r .tn
unknown to the two sisters.
After this they talked no more about
the past. AS the bodily frame grew
weaker her mind became more rc&tful.
During the day she seemed to forget the
| past. She listened, her hollow eyes
| looking far away, while her nursc-the
| physician $ dauoetcr-rlayed TO her; on
! the wings OF the music she was io!nr
/ away to the land Of holy thought. When
she talked it wa, Of the future--now so
near-whnn her child should DO re-
stored 10 her The past, IS she truly
told hnr sister. had left upon her soul
no touch Of shamc--not the least touch
That it had killed her was nothing, be-
cause life had nothing left for her. Only
in the night she would awake and
stretch out her hands. feeling for tho
walls of her cell, and moan and weep in
thinking of the child, born in the prison
and dead in tho prison. Then Naomi
would weep with her and sopthc her.
until Tie Dying girl, III her turn, soot}cd
and consolcd the girl who had to live.
One evening, towards tho end of
April. when there was Il soft breath OF
carly spring, Ruth began 10 talk Of the
old DAYS. when the swiits few about the
! lower OF Inc cathedral, and the leaves
hnaan 10 come out upon tho trees; and
she spoke Of the sweet service on The
Sunday morning, and of the quiet snop,
with its shelves OF books, round which
..a ronnns of the cathedral would slowly
Walk. reading tho titles; and Of the
| dean. who Away, came to shake hands
viz, her Iather. aud pattcl he" chceh-
ail the Old life-so long ago, so long
mo. She talked abont this Al! the
ryan;oc: it seemed rs if she coH,d think
~ unthrc else. When she laid her
brsd upoa the pillow she mNrmnred,
.Eaom. dear, there is nothing Vocth re-
roc,,,hcvi;,e but the old days-and you,
Icor. and you-uGlcss it Is my baby.
Gh' he is waiting for me.' can sec dis
,,r,'tr face: he holds out his pretty
tt.,ds Then, with no more words,
her ewes closed and she fell asleep. Ma
ON; watched her; she wss breathing