Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-14

W04UAA6 JOu ~ pAC bNAo oOOSA ONDlO W.
day, old comrade. Here. There now,
we're coming, Martin; coming just az
fast as two battered old war hulks can
be navigated.
Side by side the two old men passed
from her presence, leaving her standing
there motionless in her stony resolution
not to yield to the outside pressure that
was once more being brought to bear
upon her view of Strong Martins war
record.
She heard the slow, ever thud of her
fathers crutches Oh the brick walk that
stretched between the house and the
gate. Could he forgive him? She recall
ed the red anger that had swelled the
saber cut across the governors left tenn
pie. And he! Of what childish, unsta-
BILE stuff those two old men must be
made. Only she was firm, consistent,
right.
She stopped and carefully gathered
the black shavings from the matted
floor. Such a tiny little house! Every
particle Of litter showed so conspicuous
ly. She hung the velvet skullcap that
the governor had impetuously removed
from her fathers head with his own
hands on the back Of the chair. She
was glad they had come for him, glad
he was going to have a pleasant. work
free day among the Strongs and the
Chamblisses.
With what gusto her father and the
governor would tell their war stories.
Already their war experiences were be.
ginning to be staple yarns for company
entertainment. And Randal-he, too,
would have something to contribute.
And Liza was SO proud Of him, so in
ordinately, foolishly fond of her hus.
band, who had fought on the losing
side. She alone would not be there. She
must have got a grain Of sawdust in
her eye when she was putting the scroll
say away for the day, for when the
governor stalked back into the little
room she was rubbing her eyes vigor-
ously with her pocket handkerchief.
MARY Colyer, come here"
The governor must have mistaken
that n small, trembling young woman
for a whole regiment of evildoers, his
voice and his face were so solemnly Sc
we're. ~.
She came and sat down by him on the
hard carpet recliner which constituted
the most luxurious article of furniture
in the cottage. He opened fire on her alb
ruptly:
"Are you prepared to arrogate to
yourself all the virtue, good sense,
sound patriotism, consistency and JUS
tice that ought by rights to be divided
among all the white adults Of this en-
tire section?"
Mamie looked at him with wide eyed
resentment:
"No, sir, you know I am not. I don't
know why you should come here with
such strange questions.
care you prepared to say that you
have suffered one 1.-THE Of what every
woman with whom you were most init
mately associated during those four ter
rible years Of the war suffered? Look at
my granddaughter-in-law / bow my
head in reverence to her heroism. She
gave her only begotten son that her
country might be saved, She cast her
all upon that one die, and-lost. But
she can forgive. Look at Eben Martins
widow, bereaved, her home shattered,
her heart almost rent in twain. She for
gives. Look at that patient old hero
who has just hobbled from your pres
ence OH his wooden pegs. He can afford
to forget and forgive What have you
lost? Come, let us have it out honestly
for once What have you lost besides
your temper? And Pm here to give you
a first class opportunity to lose that
afresh.
She turned on him fiercely.
us it nothing, then, to be a traitor,
to lift ones hand against one's W
father and brother, to be false to every
tradition of ones YOUTH"
She was trembling with impotent
rage. If this had been a younger man,
she could have ordered him from her
presence. AS it was, she must bear in
mind that this arrogant old man, with
his barbed questions that ranked in her
memory like SO many sharp arrows,
was the man who had stood by her fa-
ther in the hour Of his peril, was the
man Of all others to whom she Dyed
her deepest debt of gratitude.
(To be Continued.)