The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-12-05

| look once full In It's face. To 80 that
| meant death or freedom, she knew;
| and there were times when she cared
| little which 1t might be. At every
point size strove to face the thing she
| feared; and at every point it eluded
| her, and stood, unseen, but felt, lit
| tie further down her path.
Years afterward, when she married,
| the footstep which had dogged her life
began to track the man She loved;
tnen It followed the child. The day
time ceased to protect her. Through
the long summers In every lightning
fash It's lean finger threatened them
both; and when the wild western
winds shook the house 1t leered at her
through the storm. Day and night It's
power grew with her love, and tho
she still struggled 1t was without hope.
But one night as she ley in her bed
thinking mothers thoughts about
the child asleep In the crib beside her,
the little one awoke, crying out in sud
den fear. AS she turned to soothe her
it thrust itself with quick, noiseless
step between hex bed and the crib.
She felt through her soul the horror OF
the unspoken threat. but she leaned
toward the child and quoted it. Then
something new and strong rose up
within her, and through the darkness
she looked full where she felt it's face.
You shall never touch the child,
she said. Il will fill her life SO full OF
love and courage that there will be 10
room in 1t for you to come. You may
darken my life as you will, but the
child shall never know that you exist -
1t drew closer, and as she faced It's
nearing presence she knew that It's
face was distorted by a thousand pas
sions; but the child's hand lay in hers,
and tho she trembled, she smiled in
the dark.
Often the man she loved was called
from home, end through the long
nights and stormy days of that wind
cursed country she fought with 1t for
the child. When the boy came she had
a double strength, and with the baby
she knew herself invincible. They
grew up happy and unafraid; for If
terror threatened their childish hearts
it vanished before loves magic touch.
Love filled their days and nights, and
ruled their world, and gave them wis
dom for an impregnable defense. Alb
sorbed in this struggle the woman
fought her own fears no longer, and
thought of them only when she must.
Her consciousness of it became focused
in a determination to keep like con-
sciousness out Of her children's lives.
The years passed by. Never once
had her old desire been granted to her
to see the vague terror take the tan
gible shape of danger before her eyes,
that she might face her fear and find
in its actual presence either the free
dom for which she longed or the death
to which she had once been Indifferent.
But one morning when the man she
loved was away from home and the
children were at school she glanced up
from her sewing and saw two men
come in at the gate. Either OF them
might have been 1t made visible to
the eyes of day SO evil were their
faces. The old house was a detached
one, set in large yard, and there
was no one on the place at the moment
except herself and the housemaid. Ac-
customed to forestalling the fears Of
others rather than to thinking of her
own, she went herself to the door;
the maid, she knew, would be fright
ened. She opened the door a little
way, and in answer to the younger
mans demand for money replied that
she had none to give him. The man
swore a great oath, which was echoed
by his companion. She had opened
the door such little way that they
knew the house was empty save for
women.
1--WE will come In and see what you
have got" said the man, "and what
we want we will take" He set his
shoulder to the door.
A sudden rage rushed upon her and
swept her out beyond all knowledge of
uCl oClA. oAC AuASo LAlC OoCA VAAS anu
stepped up close to tho man, her eyes
blazing into his. She spoke in new
voice.
Il will give you 10 seconds to get
outside that gate, she said. Now
CO."
They turned and fled. She stood
and watched them as they ran down
the walk, under the Pickering shad-
ows Of the elms, her anger was hot
within her. Then she leaned against
the doorway, trembling, for she caught
suddenly the sound of a stealthy step,
which fled before the men, and knew
that three passed out at the gate. The
mems shoes clattered on the brick
walk; but the sound that rang to heav-
en- was the hurrying tread Of the ST.
lent football, whose terror had filled
her life She stood listening through
the clear sunshine until 1t ceased,
knowing that it ceased for all time.
Then she turned and went into the
house with the light of freedom on
her face.-The Independent.
An AHahIa vc,i%h