The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-05-10

spreading palms and wicker chairs, she
received her summer guests. Grace had
gone sailing with q party Of friends, and
she could at last see him alone. After
20 years Of love-secret love, that she as
an honorable wife tried to suppress-to
outlive-and now-she was free again.
She came quickly toward him. holding
out eagerly and cordially her graceful
hands that in the days Of long ago he had
covered with kisses and pronounced
divine"
"Ah, GraceI How natural you look,
he said, dropping back into his seat after
the first greeting, IF you will pardon
trite old saying, you must have found the
1 fountain Of perpetual youth" And she,
with bright woman's tact, seated her
4 self where the light fell over her Shout
1ers, softening the lines Of her face, and
I making halo Of her sunny hair. They
talked Of old days, Of old friends, familiar
+ scenes, ard the death and marriages OF
mutual acquaintance, and anon supped
Il an iced beverage which snowy becapped
and aproned maid produced at exactly
the right moment-but of their old rela-
tionship never a word was spoken.
To her. that was sacred-to him, well
haste was dangerousl
A flush stole over her face, her eyes
Frightened and laughed as they had not
done since they last looked into his. She
was transformed, ransported-happy
again With the old enthusiasm of
youth. she was recounting an incident
when she suddenly realized that her
words fell on deaf ears. He was gazing
~,4Yf frvxra ~ tto hoo from, iab crroT1c1
a tall, slender young girl Her hat in
hand and the breeze tossing wealth of
: light wavy hair around her face, the like
of which he had not seen since-well. for
20 years.
Russell, this is my daughter Grace
Miss Bernard. Mr.. Hudson"
He had almost seized her hand, then
: looked from one woman to another. Was
/ this his long lost sweetheart? No, it was
! her daughter.
The days that followed we're mixture
: Of Joy and pain. hope, doubt and happi-
= ness Mrs. Bernard realized as she never
/, had before that to be with Russell Hud-
f son was pleasure akin to pain. Not
word Of love had been uttered-scarcely
4 a looK. but day after day he came to take
i her, in company with Grace. for drive,
sail, lunch Of stroll Every moment was
e to her one of keenest delight, and to her
4 surprise ard satisfaction, Grace had been
$ civil enough to him-even gracious-and
2 he for the mothers sake, of course. had
r shown her the kindest, most fatherly at
Y tention. True. he didn't look fatherly,
! put then she knew his age.
b The summer was drawing to close.
b The white and gray seagulls no longer
" sat idly on the tops of the danger piers
J. far out in the bay. The hotel was prac-
r .ically deserted. and a chilly wind blew
s from the east all day-still Mrs. Bernard
! fingered at her summer home She
II would sit for hours enseonced in cloak
q On the bare veranda looking seward,
d dreaming and re-living the summer
If hours speIe with Russell Hudson. He
n had been so attentive, so kind and con-
If slant. it could mean but one thing. she
d old herself, he loved her still. She
: prayed for strength to carry the weight
It Of her girlhood, her wifehood and her
a widow-hood love. Above that to her was
at the grandest passion she had ever known.
ve save that love which had been sent with
her first and only child.
RI OF course it was tiresome and awfully
" dull for Grace, and at last the mother
ID had decided to return to the city on the
morrow,
- Russell Hudson had told them he must
~ shortly leave for a hasty business trip to
= England and would come that day to
-, make his adieux Mrs Bernard felt that
the parting would be sweetened and pal
lated by certain avowal which he was
" certain to make-and then-how would
81 she ever tell Gracei Her face burned
- and she closed her eyes and felt dream
e ing again Her reverie, however, was in
E'e terrupted by familiar voices and the sud
=, den appearance through one of the low
81 Darlor windows Of Grace and Russell
nc Hudson. as he stepped lightly out on the
ne veranda holding by the hand the blushint
eF girl Mrs. Bernard laughed softly at tn,
~ pair.
=, What is the matter now, Russell
~ You are always teasing that childl"
: Its just this" seating himsel
- and with his disengaged hand taking
/ that Of Mrs Bernard, while Grace tn
Younger n,odestly averted her face, g
hope we haven't taken you too much b,
- surprise, but your little girl is so muc
e like her mother used to be, have quit
: naturally learned to love her. and ar
-, -, going to ask you to let me take care c
her in the future-Eo-" interruptin
~ Mrs Bernard as she started to speak
~ Il am anticipating your protest-yo
~ need rot be separated. for you can liy
with us-we-"
T., Mrs. Bernard rose to her full heigh
- and looking intently at the two wa
) silent for moment. while the second an
- migAtiest battle of her life was fought
II the woman's love contending against Il
80 god-lke passion mothers love. Ga
ing into their eyes she saw for her chi
the happiness which she herself hs
been denied, and clasping their hands
her own, she murmured TREMENDOUSLY:
80 Take her, RUSSELL could not ha'
chosen one deemed more worthy thu
49,