Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-04-29

looks, kissed me on the forehead. as
with one hand she pressed me back
| into my chair, and then with the other
she lit splint and held it to my
| tobacco.
was done. She always got over
me like that, and after smoking in
| silence for half an hour, 1 was lying
back, with my eyes closed, dropping
of to sleep, when the wife said (what
had gone before hadn't heard),-
Eyes, he's now asleep"
That Of course, woke me up, and II
| didn't lie there shamming and heard
all they said in a whisper!
How came you to make him more
vexed than he was, Luke?" says the
wife, and he told her.
II couldn't do 1t, mother" he said
excitedly. "It was heart-breaking.
She's living in wretched room there
with her daughter, and, mother, when
1 saw her l felt as if-there! 1 can't
tell you"
go on, Luke" she said.
They're half starved" he said in a
husky way. "Oh, mother, it's horrible!
Such sweet, beautiful girl, and the
poor woman herself dying almost with
some terrible disease" The wife
sighed. "They told me-" he went on,
show hard they had tried 10 live 10y
ordinary needlework, and failed, and
that as last resource they had tried
to get the machine"
Poor thingsv' said the wife; "but
are you sure the mother was lady?"
"a clergyman's widow" said Luke,
hastily; there isn't doubt about it.
Poor girl! and they've got to learn to
use it before it will be of any use."
Poor girl, Lukew says the wife,
softly; and saw through my eye
lashes that she laid hand upon his
arm, and was looking at him curiously,
when, If he didn't cover his face with
his hands, rest his elbows on the table,
and give low groan! Then she got
up, stood behind his chair like the fool
ish old mother would.
Mother" he says suddenly, will
you go and see them?"
| Shc uiul L uuSWer LUZ minute, only
stood looking down at him, and then
said softly
'They paid you the first money ~;
"No," he said hotly, 81 hadn't the
heart to take It,"
'Then, that money you paid was
yours, Luke?"
"Yes, mother" he says simply; and
those two looked one at the other till
the wife bent down and kissed him,
holding his head afterwards, for a few
moments, between her hands; for she
always did worship that chap, our only
one; and then l closed my eyes tight
and went on breathing heavy and
thinking.
For something like q new revelation
had come upon me; knew Luke was
flve-and-twenty, and that 1 was fifty
four, but he always seemed like a boy
to me, and here was 1 waking up to
the fact that he was a grown man.
and that he was thinking and feeling
as 1 first thought and felt when / saw
his mother nigh upon twenty-eight
years ago.
1 lay back, thinking and telling NY
self l was very savage with him for
deceiving me, and that wouldn't have
him and his mother laying plots to-
gether against me, and that l wouldn't
stand by and see him make fool Of
himself with the first pretty girl he
set eyes on, when he might marry
Maria Turner, the engineers daughter
and have nice bit Of money with her,
to put into the business, and then be
my partner.
No, says; If you plot together, I'll
plot alone, and then l pretended to
wake up, took no notice and had my
supper.
1 kept rather gruff the next morn
ing, and made myself very busy about
the place, and l dare say spoke more
sharply than usual, but the wife and
Luke were as quiet as could be; and
about II 1 went out, with a little oil
can, and two or three tools in my
pocket.
1t was not far to Benefits place,
| uhu, oh SettlnB W the IlBHt mousse,
asked for Mrs. Murray, and was di-
rected to the second floor, where, as |
reached the door, I could hear the
clicking of my sewing machine, and
whoever was there was so busy over
it that she did not hear me knock; so
l opened the door softly, and looked in
upon as sad scene as shall ever,
L dare say, see.
There in the bare room sat, asleep
in her chair, the widow lady who came