The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-26
AVENGED;
Or, The Timers Daughter.
Submitted in The Trbunes Short Story Contest.
or, The Timers Daughter.
BY BEATRICE.

| these poor stricken ones who are so
soon to suffer the greatest loss that
can come to Il son or daughter: BE
| brave. my poor girls, and come with
| me. Your mother is dying
| Then the long -pent UP grief can no
| longer be restrained. as with wild
cry Gladys r,ishes past the doctor and
| throws herself on her knees by her
mothers bedside. crying out: "Oh.
mother, come back. come back! We
cannot give you up!" while Edith, less
excitable than her sister, looked into
the doctors face. and with tears
streaming from her eyes, says, i'm
ploringly: "Oh, doctor, save my
mother! We cannot live without herr"
! The poor stricken husband sits by
the bedside. holding his wifes hand
in one of his, while he shaded his eyes
with the other. The fluttering breath
grew shorter and shorter. and In spite
of tears and prayers. supplications'
and entreatics. the great grim reaper
tore her ruthlessly from their en-
brace. and fastened on his way to
seek another victim.
over a year has passed away since
the death of Mrs. Morgan, and once
more we look into this home. Edith
had insisted upon giving ur the idea
of going away to school after
mothers death, and had installed her
self as her fathers housekeeper.
Gladys was attending high school, and
making rapid progress in her studies.
AS we look upon the fair face of Edith
Morgan we notice that although it is
trtle older and more serious. there's
is "a new light in the beautiful eyes
and a soft and tender expression plays
around the dimpled mouth as she
throws a light scarf around her shoul-
ders and starts down toward the river
brink, where at II romantic trysting
place she knows she will meet the one
she loves best in all the world; one
who had told her that this night he
had something to say to her which he
could say easier under the light of
the moon in their old trysting place,
than under the glare of artificial light.
SO she had promised to meet him,
knowing full well what the message
was he had for her. and wondering
just how she would answer the ques-
tion which he had already asked in
everything but words and which she
knew he would ask in words tonight,
her liking among men," Handsome,
light hearted Roy Slatington. who has
been boarding in the place during the
summer, and making love most ardent
ly to pretty Edith Morgan. The moon
is just rising again. The night re-
minds her strangely of the night over
a year ago, when they waited for the
news that nearly broke their hearts
when it came. She tried to shake off
the feeling, and to forget the sorrow of
that night in the joy of the present.
But. strangely enough, the present
ment of another sad blow seemed to
cling to her. Il will hurry on" she
said to herself. land Roy will soon BAN
ish this foolish prcmonition.' And she
FASTENED down the familiar path until
she saw. at the spot where they We're
accustomed to meet, two forms. One
she recognized as her lover: the other
was a stranger to her. young man
whom she ncve" remembered to have
Seen. She softly turned to one side
and stood in the shadow of a tree.
thinking she would not show herself
until the stranger had gone away. and
as their voices iioatcd toward her she
would have moved farther away, too
honorable to listen. had not her own
name, spoken by the stranger attract
ed her attention and held her rooted to
the spot. What she heard was this:
by the way, Slatington. I hear you
are going to marry this Edith Morgan.
How is it,
Marry her? Bah She is just the
subject for a grand Irritation. but as
for anything furthcr--no, thank you. |
am going back to the city tomorrow. SO
| suppose this will be our last meet
ing. and as ii is nearly time for her to
be here. YOU had better be going. I'll
meet you at the hotel in an hour, and
tell YOU how she bore the news of our
scparation.'
Like a dove that has been pierced to
the heart by the archer's arrow, the
poor stricken girl sunk to the ground,
as the man. whom she had believed to
be the very soul of honor and purity
and truth, walked impatently in the
opposite direction, thinking to meet her
on the way.
Suddenly, pride came to the rescue,
and the one thought of Edith Morgan
VAS To get away, anywhere to avoid
being seen. He must never know her
heart was broken; no, he should never
look upon her face again She lifts her
head and tries to listen, but her
thoughts are all chaos. She lifts her
eyes To the starry-lit heaven, and
silently implores help from Him who
alone can help in such hours as this.
Surely the stars never looked down ON
sadder sight than that fair young
sirl. whose golden head was bent in
such unutterable sorrow. Slowly she
arose, and cautiously she wended her
way through the shrubbery that grew
along the river bank, away from the
spot which should live in her memory
as long as memory should last, as the
place where the greatest happiness of
her young life had come to her, and
now where, too the cup of bitterness
and sorrow had been drained to the
very dress.
How she got home, she never knew,
hut as she tottered into the open door,
up the winding stair to her own room,
she was closely followed by her sister,
who had caught one look at that
dropping figure and ghastly face. AZ
soon as the door of their own room
had closed behind them, Gladys said:
What is it, Edith, dear? You have
heard bad news|'
Yes, Gladys, have heard news
that has broken my heart and taken
out of my life everything worth lvins
for"
And yet, dear reader, she is not alone,
Hundreds of girls as loving, beautiful,
innocent and true have the same thing
to suffer, while they who are the cause
of ii all are being lionized by so-called
society.
Slowly, but surely, the story was told
To the young sister, who fain would