Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-21

my place. He is we'll satisfied already
with the new order of things. But he
is not Strong. Major Martin is my
namesake, you know" This with pat.
emit pride.
"Yes, l know, l know, but l don't
understand. You seem to be appealing
to me-throwing this whole awful re.
sponsibility on my shoulders"
II do. I am. He is making his prep.
a~rations to go away. He who for three
years now has endured the torture of
ostraoism, hatred, injustice and cruelty
from an entire neighborhood refuses any
longer to stand the obdurate discourtesy
of one stubborn girl"
And is it you, the old aristocrat,
who pleads the cause Of the overseer's
son?'
II owe it to him"
"You owe it to him?"
Eyes, and a thousandfold more than
I can ever repay. Girl, are you resolv.
ed to make my abasement still more
grievous? See, to carry my point, to
bring a crumb of comfort to that noble,
tired soul, | will tell you something I
had never thought to breathe into a
mortal's ear. But if it will serve to con.
vince you Of the priceless value of the
treasure you are about to fling away ig.
'norantly I will bare even that scar for
your inspection.
II owe Strong Martin a debt that far
antedates and far transcends the wal
record he has made. Back yonder, in
his college days-let me tell it as brief
ly as possible-my Adrien, poor weak
son Of a weak father, gambled himself
into a d~isgraceful predicament. Strong
Martin suffered vicariously for the un.
detected wrongdoing Of my grandson.
His whole life was affected by it. 1t
drove him into the enemy's ranks. It
was Adrien Strong who made a Federal
Of Strong Martin. 1t was from Adrien's
own lips l received this confession,
when he thought he was going to die of
the fever that made wreck Of his intel.
lect. Through all the imbittered years
Of his young manhood the overseer's
son protected my good name. Is that
nothing to be grateful for?
"Only within the last year has he
known that l knew how much l owe
him. | had not thought ever to let an.
other mortal know it. Now do you mar.
vel at my championship of his causei
Do You suppose it costs me nothing to
place this perilous confidence in a grip
She turned her pitying, luminous
eyes full upon him and laid her hand
gently on his shoulder:
II have known it all these years. 1t
wa for that / first loved him. If l could
have proved it on your grandson, |
would have done it-done it gladly-but
did he-did he send you here to say
all this to me?'
Martin send me herel No. Butt
be bent his white head in listening at
titude-''he is coming back for me. !
hear his horses up the road" He laid
the spray of sweet olive upon her folded
hands. "My dear, may l not carry that
olive branch to him from you? Love
seldom chooses SO Grabbed a go between,
but l will carry your message to him
faithfully and gladly, little girl. You
alone can keep him. We need him. You
are driving him away from us"
She stood up, trembling in every
nerve.
II cannot, l cannot-I will notl'
With a frightened cry she turned
away from him. The olive branch lay
crushed and bruised beneath the old
mans heel. He ground it deeper into
the matted floor, got up and went away
without another glance at her. She
heard him pace slowly down the garden
walk, heard the gate close behind him,
and a second later knew, by the furious
trampling Of horses feet, that Strong
was conveying him homeward with all
possible speed.
The long, hot, lonely day burned it
self out at last. They dined late at Sans
Souci. Her father would not be coming
home before bedtime. The cicadas were
shrilling in the locust trees behind the
cottage. The fragrance Of the sweet
olive fell heavily upon the air. She
seated herself ON the bench beneath it
with a book in her hand. Empty pre-
tenseI She was a foe to p%retense Of any
sort. And yet was she not pretending
with herself?
She stood up and broke off an olive
branch, threw it away and broke an
other-she had suddenly grown choice
sn thu ynntkav-o fo,,rkI. NJ Lost 80 l
that suited her exactly.
"Mrs. Morgan was discreet. No one
would ever know. It was only a step,
just to the end of the lane, and he
away at Sessumsport."
Mrs. Morgan was not only discreet,
but deaf. She started when the profess
or's daughter, her face wrapped about
with q white cloud, stood suddenly be-
fore her, as she sat on her back porch
finging shelled corn to her noisy feath.
cred pensioners. Mamie stopped and
laid Q small pasteboard. box on her knees.
The old woman examined it curiously.
Whats this? Martins names on
the back Of It. What ami to do with
itY'
"Put it on his table, his bureau, any
where where he will see it when he
comes home. And, Mrs. Morgan, dear
good Mrs. Morgan, pray never speak Of
my bringing it-you know
II know, I know, good child. I amt
been a toothless old bag all my life.
He'll get it Trust me for that"
Ef d. AE--so 5000 a.. l.--.l~~~-1 -