The San Francisco call., 1904-03-13

showed SlBIS vi ldllSuSs VI any ~A'-A-S~ -
left the room.
The girl turned back to the bedside
and took the chair. Lucy had taken
from the dirty envelope worn anu
faded paper, which she slowly unfoloeo'
AS she did so, she looked at her daugh-
ter with sunken eyes and said:
These are my marriage certificates.
Mariposa, again thinking that her
mind was wandering, tried TO smlle'
and answered gently:
Your marriage certificate, dear. You
were only married once"
II was married twice" said Lucy,
and handed the girl the two papers.
Still supposing her mother slightly
delirious. the daughter took the papers
and looked at them. The one her eye
first fell on was that Of the original
marriage. She read the names with
out at first realizing whose they were.
Then the significance of the Lucy Fra
ser" came upon her. Her glance leaped
10 the second paper. and at the first
sweep Of her eyes over il she saw 1t
was the marriage certificate of her
father and mother, Daniel Moreau and
Lucy Fraser. dated at Placerville twen-
ty-fve years before. She turned back
10 the other paper. now more than be-
wfldered. She held it near her face, as
though it were difficult 10 read, and in
the dead silence of the room ii began
10 rustic with the trembling of her
hand. A fear Of something hideous and
overwhelming seized her. With pale
Iips she read the names, and the date,
antedating by five years the other Ger
tificate.
Mother" she cried. in a wild voice
of inquiry, dropping the paper on the
bed
Lucy. raised on her pillows, was look
ing at her with a haggard intentness.
All the vitality left in her expiring body
seemed concentrated in her eyes.
I was married twice" she said slow
ly.
, But how? When? What does it
\ mean? Mother, what does it mean?"
7 was married twice" she repeated.
In ST. Louis to Jake Shackleton, and
in Placerville, five years after, to Dan
Moreau. And I was never divorced
from Jake. II was not according TO the
law. was never Dams lawful wife.
The girl sat staring, the meaning of
the words slowly penetrating her brain.
She was too stunned TO speak Her
face was as white as her mothers. For
2 tragic moment these two white faces
looked at each other. The mothers,
\ with death waiting TO claim her, was
void of all stress or emotion. The
daughters waking to life was rigid
with Mortified amaze.
Propped by her pillows, Lucy spoke
again: her sentences were short and
with pauses between:
Jake Shackleton married me in st.
Louis when / was Is. He was soon
tired Of me- We went to Salt Lake
City. He became a Mormon there, and
took a second wife. She was waitress
J in a hotel She's his wife now. He
brought us both TO California twenty
five years ago. On the way across, on
the plains of Utah, you were born. He
is your father, Mariposa."
She made an effort and sat up. Her
breathing was becoming difficult, but
her purpose gave her strength. This
: was the information that for weeks she
\ had been nerving herself to impart
/ He is your father" she repeated
! That's what 1 wanted to tell you
Mariposa made no answer, and again
she repeated:
stand? Answer me.
"Yes-I don't know. Oh, mother, it:
so strange and horrible. And you sit
ting there and looking at me like that
and telling il to me. Oh. mother
: She put her hands over her face fl
l an instant. and then dropping them
II leaned over on the bed and grasped heI
mothers wrists.
You're wandering in your mind. It's
Just some hideous dream you've had in
your fever. Dearest, tell me it's not
true. 1t can't be true. Why, think Of
YOU and me and father always together
and with no dreadful secret behind US
like that. Oh-it can't be true"
Lucy looked at the papers lying
! brown and torn on the white quilt
Mariposa's eyes followed the same di
4 rection, and with a groan her head
sank on her arms extended along the
bed Her mothers hand, cold anc
light, was laid on one Of hers, but th'
dying woman's face was held in it
quiet. unstirred apathy, as she spok'
again:
Jake was hard TO me on the trip
II He was a hard man and he never loved
me. After Bessie came he got to dis
like me. I was always a drag, he said
1 couldn't seem to get well after yol
were born. Coming over the Sierras W.
stopped at a cabin. Dan was ther'
with another man, a miner, called
Fletcher That was the first time
ever saw Dan"
Maripcsa lifted her head and her eye
fastened on her mothers face. The in
difference that had held it seemed
breaking. A faint smile was on he
lips, a light of reminiscence lit its gra!
I pallor.
He was always good to anything
that was sick or weak. He was sorr.
for me. He tried to make Jake stol
longer, so I could get rested. But Jak
wouldn't He said I had to go on.
couldn't, but knew 1 must, il he sait
it. We were going to start when Jak
said he'd exchange me for the pair o
horses the two miners had in the shed
So he left me and took the horses"
Exchanged you for the horses? LET
YOU there sick and alone%