The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-13
Her Faith.

81 can't stay, an WON'T faint In
human natur's' muttered Ann Friend
Always the same. Sunshine for others
shadows for met"
Where's the slate. honey?" Where's
the siate? piped a quivering voice, as
Ann stepped into the dim Kitchen and be-
gan to hustle around energsticaIly. I'VE
mum cross 1t on, honey. We mum cross 1t
on. TTis the Hst today, and the boy
comes home on the 18th, bless the Lordr'
Here tits mother-in-law. Bide quiet
blt. while sets the kettle On thu hob
Five daysi 1--WE days." echoed the old
woman. I'VE mum be busy. honey. and
get the place set clean, and the sheets
aired; and I'm thinking, Ann. II you was
to put the things ready fdf me as / might
make the ginger cake he used to set such
store by, eh?"
NOW, mother-in-law, I'll not have you
messing round and making yourself H.
Ann spoke with decision. whats good
enough for us is good enough for him."
'But. Ann-'tis my son Joints your
own man. Amir
AIMS face grew harder and harder as
she left the kitchen and went upstairs
to her bedroom.
II can't stay, nor 4 won'tP said Ann
Friend. suddenly, as she stood looking out
|
to stay. She won't care so long as she's
got him, and he won't care so long as
he's got his liberty and a roof over his
head"
Bending down, she drew box from I'M
| der the bed and began TO pack into 1t the
contents Of the one chest of drawers that
stood in the room.
At the bottom of the last drawer she
came upon a little bundle of baby's
clothes, and for a moment the hardness
OF her face softened while she unfolde1
each tiny garment and examined It care
| fully. Then the cloud returned, the clothes
were once more tied into a bundle and
returned to the now empty drawer.
"'Tis well she died. she thought to
herself. "'Tis well she can't be ashamed
of her father. I'll leave them there; he'll
| like maybe to see how tall she grew"
Four years ago Ann Friend would have
| told you that she was one Of the happiest
women In the whole village, and the viii
lage Itself would not have disputed the
fact Yet in two short years the happi-
| ness ned, the husband was a disgraced
man, and Ann, whose good temper was
proverbial knew herself to have changed
into a soured, hard woman.
The inhabitants of the little village
| where Ann had been born and bred said
| among themselves that Mrs. Friend was
rare good woman, and had borne the
disgrace Of her husbands imprisonment
as few women would have borne II.
They never knew the rage that took pos
session of proud Ann Friend when the
shadow Of disgrace fell upon her home
They never knew the bitter contempt that
filed her heart when she Thought of the
father Of her child working out his SEN
tence in the neighborins prison.
IF you are innocent, prove It." was his
wife's thought; but the thought was never
put into words, for Ann was one of those
strange characters whose thoughts are
worse than their actions.
The mother believed in her sons word
and counted the days for his return; the
wife allowed her to believe that she did
likewise. Some OF the neighbors believed
also In Johns innocence; the wife held her
peace. and they accounted her loyal.
Every day Ann determined to break
down her long reserve-to tell the old
woman that she. Johns wife, would rather
die than be there In person to welcome
him home; yet each day saw the momen-
tous words unspoken.
At last the morning Of the ssth arrived.
The explanatory letter was written and
pinned on the pincushion; the box. corded
and addressed stood in the clubhouse on
the handcart she intended wheeling to the
nearest station; the old mother had been
dressed in her best Sunday gown and cap;
the coffee stood ready on the hob; and still
the silence of two years had not been
broken.
"I may as we'll see how PRISONS agreed
with him." thought Ann, as she looked
at the clock and saw 1t was just 7:SO,
and then felt irritated with the conscious
ness that this thought had been behind
Ill her actions for the last two hours.
With sullen face Ann left the cottage
and took q short cut through the fields to
where, standing on a low, fir-clad hill, |
she could look down unperceIved on the
roads below. There were two roads-the |
broad, white road from the distant town |
that held the prison, and which wound It's
way onward to the next large town: and |
the curved. narrow lane that met 1t and |
struck downward on the left to the little |
village Of Frant, passing the Friends cot |
tage on its way.
Ann knew that prisoners were released |
from NEWMAN Jail at o'clock In the |
morning. She knew that John must come |
TO where the roads crossed. After one |
look at the disgraced man she would have |
time to run home and start with her box |
in the opposite direction before he could |
reach the cottage, so she stood there and |
waited, and was angry with herself for /
waiting-angry because the minutes went |
so slowly, then angry because they had !
gone so fast. when a solitary figure ap-
peared walking In the center OF the road.
making 1t suddenly seem broad, white,
and cherries.
The man, for It was man. walked
slowly, hesitatingfy. He felt his way
with a stick, as IL he was blind.
Yes, It was John; but why did he walk
like that, instead of swinging along in his
old hearty manner? Perhaps he felt
ashamed. Serve him right If he vast
He came nearer and nearer. and, as she
saw that he had a green shade over his
eyes. the color left her cheeks. and, for
getting to hide herself as hitherto. she
went to the extreme edge of the little
hillock and looked down intently.
When the man came to the crossroads
he stopped and stood facing down the
narrow lane for fun five minutes.
1t was a poor, pitiful sight upon which
the sunshine shone-the poor. manned
face, with lurId smallpox marks and
swollen features. To some Il would have
been a repulsive sight: il brought but a
hungry yearning look into the eyes look
Ing down upon IT.
And then slowly. deliberately. the man
turned away from the lane. stepped again
Into the center OF the road, and contin-
ned on his way.
MY God! he Is going away-he Is not
coming homer gasped Ann: and. forget
ful alike OF her wrongs, her resolutions, |