The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-21
The ePrisOner'S 'SRetnrn

thought I'd go and tell her was of for pixie ln the morning. didn't stay long. for Jim was there. Martha went with hun out Co the gate. | reached out mv b,s yunhHrncd~hand. and she took it iu both her own and held it quite a hit. and she said: "Bonnie. I'm sorry you'rc going Co the war You're too young man and too good a man Co stand up and be shot at" Then Jim apncarcd on the scene. and | went away half curslug my honest hand for being SO blg and SO brown, while Jim's was as white as a lily. with a great flashing diamond on the smallest of his slender fingers.
 Talk about standing up as target for bullets. That's nothing, nothing nt an compared with lying down Co staryc In foul prison. AS The days passed Into weeks. and the weeks, SO long. Into months SO much longer that | lost all count. how many and many time | looked at my white. bony hands and wished they were as hi- and as tanned as they used Co bc. and when ! would have prayed for an ending of my mis- ory. how we'll l remembered that Mar tha had said was too young to de. and the way she had held my hand ,tiu thrilled me and kept mc alive. and | saM over and over tu myself thou sand times. with grim determination. what pr. Miller had >o often repeated "Wh.l, there Is lic there Is hope" and at ia>t | was cNchaugcl aud dischars cd Oh. how happy was Co be Set free, \ great joy huoyed me up for Che lou-. weary journey home.
 When at last thc stage set me Clrn iu Che familiar village postotice, : was so weary aul wasted u1 one seemed Co rreoeu,zc mc. but looked at me In a p.tyiug way could not understand. aul ,o [ d.d not speak tc any one. but ,,a-eerrd down Che h.l Co the old farmhouse. trying in vain Co scent tac supper or Che clovc piu6s. | did not know my precious mother had been d.aI almost year. hut when | reach cd ,lc gate | fClt thc change. lt hung bv ore hinge and >waycd and crcaked with a dismal sound that seemed Co me I.s, tic eroanine of a ghost lt weak. rncJ uc so that ! lal Co rest awhile before going down tHc long walk. still lined by my mothers flower beds. But. oh. how neglected they looked, AS | n.urod Che porch [ saw a red calf tied to lilac bush. o1c that my mother had herself planted vu Che day she wa. bride. ald ta,u | seemed to know that suc was some War kills women as we'll as men. She thought her or.y boy was dead. and she had uotiiH- t1 live for.
 rlt was too gOOl house Go bc lonS luccDureL and pr Miller had rented @ t, 70 needy rNuily ut foreigners. re- qu,>.Iu. that uy rO0m should hc lttt iu,t a, my mother had n-t arranged il The woman wlo occupied It allow. cd me Co g1 right up to my own airy chamber. where everything was sacrcd- ly familiar How dcl.c,ousiy soft aad clean tl. he'd seemed and | cried my. self Co s,c.p
 Tic first thing | heard .n thc morn ue was u.t thc chirpus %, thc robins. as iu Che o,1cn dune. but the loud haw! iuc ,f tbat steer calt under my wic dow. covered my head with Che bed clothes and was Che poor weak baby over again. When awoSe later iu Che day. good pr Miller was sitting by my bedside. Uc helped mt dress and took me home ,u breakfast. where Che talk. ing as well as Che cooking was all United States. but somehow wasn't hungry and lonccd to ask what had be- come ot Martha.
 ! soon found out Her father was go,ue Co IlolyoEc the next day Co hear her vule.l!ct ry. and hc took me along with him. It was a bong drive but we took it slow and easy, and hal my lu of fresh afr and recovered my ap- petite We were a little late to the exhibition and found the chapel al- ready crowded. but thc good doctor finally succeeded In getting a seat well up .n front. and there. right before us. was Amherst Jim. just as slim and white as ever He fingered his watch chain and pcttcd his muStochc and made his diamond glistcn and dcyour- cd Che platform with his eyes. just as he used to in the old r.l schoolh-usc when Martha was going Co speak hcr piece. Now he was a fuil nodgCd phy- s.ciau and Dr. Mllcr's partner We had long time Co wait. The essays were lengthy and learned. and Mar tha's was Che last The other gradu' atos wore white. but she was all in black. with a crapc collar. | looked cGcsti0niugly Into her fathers face. I'c put his arm around me and whls' pered. "Shc wears mourning for your mothcr-0ud for you"
 For my mother and for mc-oh. the pain of lt. Oh. the joy of It. And. whether it was the pain or the joy or the crowded room or the way Jim look cd at Martha. | cannoutcl. but some how everything slipped away Into nothingness
 When [ came back Co consciousness. the folks were all gone, all but pr. Miller and his daughter, and Martha was holding me as handy as she Is holding that blessed baby now, ana | was just as quiet and submissive.
 Remarkable Self Control.
 Hes a man of remarkable self con frol thcv gov"