Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-08-07


vaneed 70 the mantle, and saw pinn
ed against the long silent clock !
slip q paper. Evidently il had beer
placed there 10 attract attention.
She shook the dust from il and read
these words:
4 cant stand this sort OF life IN,
longer, Lisa. know m q beast
but love you true. It's not likely
you'll ever forgive me, and I don /
deserve it. I've sold the boat 4.
buy an outfit. bus leave the hous.
and orchard 10 you.
Signed, STEPHEN.
II was like voice from the grave
He had thought she would enter III,
house after his departure and fint
the message. In pale silence Lisa
slipped the paper into her pocket
threw of her bonnet and shawl. and
kindied fire in the rusty stove
Straightway mother and dauphte,
fell to work.
From garret to cellar they swep,
and scrubbed. They opened the
doors 20 the keen spring air, washed
the windows and hung fresh cur.
tains- cleaned and polished every
where. In cobweb closet little
Lisa discovered the old blue china
which had been her mother s dowry.
oh" she cried, as she spread
the delicate pieces on the kitchen
table, II never saw anything SO
beautiful! May I not have my birth
day supper fromit-here- with you,
when the work is all done, mother?'
IF You like, dear, answered the
elder Lisa.
At set Of sun the house was In
order. The newly secured table,
spread with a white cloth and the
blue china, stood in the center OF the
clean floor, ready for supper.
And now. said little Lisa, glee-
fully, we will go home and put on
our best dresses, mother, and bring
over my birthday cake, and the
bread and tea"
The mother submitted quietly.
This day belonged 10 her child, and
she should have her young will in
all things. They shut the house
door behind them, but something
was amiss with the long disused
lnal- Tha -kar rznsald nat aa.nr IA. "A
In vain they tugged and twisted.
Never mind, mother," said the
younger Lisa, impatient OF the time
lost in vain effort. ''let us leave the
door as it is. Nobody will trouble
things here while we are away.
In that old-fashioned community
little was to be feared from tress-
passers. The pair crossed the orch
ard, washed of the stains of labor,
made the fair braids and the dark.
silver-threaded coils of hair sleek
and shining, and donned their Sun
day gowns. Then the birthday
cake and other eatables were packed
in basket and mother and daughter
returned to Stephen s house.
As they stepped again into the
kitchen they were startled to per-
ceive that the place was no longer
tenantless. A shabby, grizzled man
was seated before the freshly polish
ed stove, warming his hands. at it's
cheerful glow. The entrance of the
women brought him TO his feet. He
looked at them in a furtiye, half
ashamed way.
beg pardon he said, address
ing the elder Lisa. II found the
door ajar, and made bold TO walk i'm.
Are any of Stephen s folks still liv-
ing about here p
She put her basket upon the table.
Il ann Stephens wife," she an
swered. "and this is his daughter, I"
jerking a hand toward little Lisa.
The intruder's eyes fingered on the
child.
She doesn't favor you, ma am, "
he said, with an effort.
"No. she is like her fathers pco-
pie, " replied the elder Lisa, coldly.
That's so. fused TO know Steve.
He was a bad lot--quarrelsome,
hard as flint. jealous as Satan. A
saint couldn't live with him.
"You are making tolerably free
with my husband S character. 9th
ers were hard and quarrelsome as
well as Stephen. Where did you
know him?"
"Oh, I've met him often in foreign
parts. For fifteen years he's been
knocking round the world Steve
has-in Ceyion, with the colIies. in
Singapore, in China, getting a bit Of
money together for his wife and lit
tie girl. Once be drove the two out
OF his house, I've heard, and the
mean cuss has gone homeless him
self. ever since. to pay for it. And
served him right
II received Q letter from Stephen
to-day" said Lisa, in q hard, dry
voice. Twas written fifteen years
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