Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-05-13
The girls Miss sophy Draw

was her son after all, and this was
the turning-point Of his life. She put
her arms about him and kissed him.
God bless you, my boy" she said.
He stood immovable as a log.
Don't let us have any fuss" he
said. You'd better sit down. You're
shaking all over. Well, that's ALL
There'll be no wedding hubbub here.
1 don't hold to spending money in
feeding lot Of guzzling fools. The
Crawfords have regular blowout in
the morning. But you don't want to
go, reckon" uneasily.
II should like to see you married"
timidly.
"Oh, nonsense. There's no sickly
sentiment about me. I'll have Sophy
home by supper time. You'll have to
see to things here"
He lighted his candle and turned to
by the way she was here month
ago"
"Yes." Mrs. Taney remembered dis
tinctly the gross-featured, black-eyed
young woman, who had staggered
through the farmhouse in her cheap
silk and gilt jewelry.
''She came to look at her new home
well she rather took fancy to the
south chamber. You'd better tix 1t up
for her."
"My room, William?"
"Yes. It's all the same to you. OF
course you can go up to Letty's."
Lefty, who had been at work in
/, side, came out, and threw her arms,
| sobbing, about her mother. She knew
that 1t had been her mothers room
for thirty years. All Mrs. Taney's
children had been born in 1.-THE baby
died there.
William stopped and came back,
saying:
Now, look here. It's just as well
to speak plainly at once. I'll have no
opposition from you, Lefty, nor from
from any other woman. I'm the
| head of this house. My wife shall be
mistress Of it. She brings me a snug
bit of money and I'll not have her nor
her family insulted in it."
my son."
But he stalked off to bed.
There was no time the next day,
for Mrs. Taney or Lefty to even think
Of the coming trouble.
| While they were hanging out
clothes that afternoon, Mrs. Taney
heard a tap, three times repeated, on
the orchard fence. Letty's face color
ed. She dropped the clothes and ran
behind the apple-tree. AS she came
back her mother saw her thrust
note into her pocket. Mrs. Taney
grew suddenly sick at heart. Lefty
with a secret Lefty carrying on a
clandestine love affair?
| While Mrs. Taney stood doubling
whether to ask the child for her con-
fidence, Lefty had disappeared. A few
moments later, the girl went down
the road in her clean dress and sum
bonnet.
Mr.. Burke, coming over the fields
that afternoon, with his hatchet and
bag of specimens, was amazed to see
Lefty standing on the road in earnest
conversation with a man. "a coarse
red d-jawed, beery felow," was his an
CRY verdict. The fellow talked long
and earnestly. Then he took Letty's
hand ana pressed it fervently. Burke
turned his back on them and struck
across the hills. The girls mother
should hear of this at once, he said to
himself, decidedly. Then he slacken-
ed his pace. What was it to him
| Why should he vex himself about this
| girl Or NEEDLE in her love affairs /?
He went slowly back to the hills. But
the blood rushed with a strange beat
through his veins.
In an hour Lefty was back at work
with redoubled vigor, to make up for
lost time. Her mother scanned her
innocent, meek face with breathless
terror
Surely there was no guilt there. She
would not doubt her; she would not
ask question.
II have dressed the table with flow-
ers," the mother said, land made a
cake-a real brides cake. hope
William won't be angry. But this is
so different from weddings in Vir-
ginia. oh, Lefty, If you and l could
only go to the old house and sleep for
one night in the room which was mine
when l was child. think just that
thing would give me years Of llfe"
'There they come" cried Lefty, as
the big Crawford carriage was seen
dashing up tn road. She grew very
pale and shrank back. The girl had