Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-11-03

y the fates may go. Others have
their modes of life changed
for them. Helen Gray belonged to this
latter class. 1t happened before the
dour incident of a snowy day in mid
winter, and it happens now. But you
may read and know.
Long ago, OF long it seems now.
though but few years have passed
since then, Helen played with her doll
under a great elm tree which shook its
branches in front Of Southern home
and cast its shadow across the broad
eeranda and Corinthian pillars. a
few years went by and Helen's skirts
heightened, and her hair, which in
former summers had been left to curl
was knotted on her head. and she put
In her time with hammocks and books
when the great tree threw its shadow
along the house. Then she had callers,
Helen did gentlemen friends of her
early youth, and gradually they fell
away to two who became suitors and
rivals. One was long of face and hair
which was straight-and talked of
authors and flowers. The other was
tall. had smiles for everything, his
curly hair dancing over shining face.
Mrs. Gray liked this dandy of the
South Helen was more favorably i'm
pressed with the former. Their names
were Frederick Hudson and Harold
Stetson. Frederick was young at
torney Of the town. and Harold-well,
he had nothing to do, and did nothing,
for his father was rich
Helen's gown touched the floor and
trailed far out as she came down to
dinner one Sunday afternoon, the day
she was to tell Harold his pleadings
had been heard and his prayers grant
ed. 1t had been a long struggle, and
had lasted more than year. Freder-
lex found in Helen's face and voice the
thing that kept him so long. That
which he saw came from the heart and
he knew 1t,
The mother won
When the bells rang out for Christ
mas Helen and Harold walked slowly
I'D the aisle of the church while the Or
gan piped out its wedding march,
Bright were the lights and rich the
gowns: beautiful were the flowers and
sparkling the gems that night. And all
the tears were tears of Joy and all that
was said were congratulations. But
In the back of the church sat young
man, somewhat by himself, and
watched the march to and from the al
tar. and who had heard the words that
made the two one for all time After
the procession had passed out of the
door he. too, rose and went away 1t
was Frederick Hudson, lawyer, but
the place knew him no more, for that
night he went away into the North
and snow
One night in the early spring follow
ing the wedding Harold was brought
home oy his companions. He was
breathing hard, and when Helen
stopped over him the men laughed and
she smelled liquor on her husband.
From then on he drank hard and sat
late before the green cloth. After a
time old Mr.. Stetson died and Harold
was left with the mills and the estate
of his father. But he ran through it
all like the fire that got in his cotton
gin. and had nothing Neither did Helen
have n thing to add, for she had given
him all she had and all her mother had
left, even to the house with the elm
tree where the girl had spent her baby
hood.
As for working. Harold knew little
and cared less The young man thought
If he could get away from his asso-
ciates he could get to work, and even
if it was that of a day laborer II
would be the entering wedge" 1t
was that which caused them to sell
off the household furniture and the de-
sire to get away from all who knew
them that drove them to Chicago
where for a time they struggled
against fate, and where Harold fell
among those who We're like the asso.
ciates he had left. He got to drinking
and gambling and one stormy day the
woman was summoned to the morgue
Harold was there, dead. The police
had found his form in doorway. His
grave was in the potter's field.
After the funeral-simple in the ex
treme-Helen sat down in her single
room and asked herself what she
should do. Shows oeat upon the win
dow, and the fire burned low IN the
stove; nothing was in the larder
Never before had the woman been hun
CRY, but she was starving. Yet she
went to bed with the intention to agair
apply for work In the wholesale
houses.
Without breakfast Helen slipped
down the stairs and looked OF
the outer world. Shows were
flying and the wind was com