The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1905-10-05

could stand it, in prison or anywhere"
But if you had only kept still, you
would never have been found out"
"Oh it is so hard to make you
understand" she said. Don't you see
that l never meant to steal and not
pay the penalty? / meant all the time
to pay the penalty. | don't think I
could have done such a thing and
never confessed Oh, haven't you
ever in your life, wanted something
so much and wanted it so long, that
you felt you would be willing to give
up everything else, even the rest OF
your life if you could only have that
one thing. That's the way it has been
with me. l don't think l could help
having that feeling about the noun
tains. 1t must have been born in me
-that-that. feeling for them. My
mother loved them and always said
that in a prairie country she was sure
she could never live. She had been
born in the mountains and they were
a part of her life. After awhile my
father left the mountain country and
my mother died-we all thought of a
broken heart. And | grew up and
never remembered seeing them, but
always, always l longed for them. And
so many times | planned to go. |
worked and worked, and saved and
saved, and always there would be
somewhere for the money. Once
father had a stroke of paralysis, and
there was doctors bill, and again
my sisters baby died, and had to be
buried, and then again another sister
was going to be married and she loved
pretty things, and | couldn't bear to
! be selfish and use the money for my
self. That's the way it has always
| been and we've always been poor |
red for wages that were barely
enough to keep my soul and body to-
! gether. 1t seemed to me that | could
never see my mountains. There was
no other way. | felt sometimes as If
| couldn't live very much longer If
couldn't see them just once. Especi-
ally of summers after l came here.
and saw so many tourists. 1t seemed
to eat into my very soul-the desire
to go. Then | thought of taking the
things and selling them. | knew II
was wicked, for I've always been an
honest girl, but | told myself that
there was no other way. would see
my mountains, and then | would come
back and tell you all, and you could
do what you will with me-send me
to prison, | suppose. | know that viii
be right. and | am ready to 60"
She stopped and looked at him with
that glorified light still in her face.
She looked like one who has seen
the glory toward which he has been
iourneying since the morning, and is
satisfied with mighty peace at even.
ing. The manager looked at her, and
knew that she spoke the truth. For
moment there was silence.
81 think | sea little-how it has
BEEN" he said. IL believe | under
stand. We will arrange this between
ourselves, and you can go back TO
your old place in the morning"
For the first time she faltered.
"But-but would that be right?" she
said. II have stolen. Mustn't l.
oughtnt Ito pay the penalty?"
well, IL | can arrange 1t to the
satisfaction of everybody K viii be all
right-in this easel guess" ne said.
You can work it out. you know"
"Oh, how good, how good you are"
TIE manager turned away hastily
from that radiance in her face.
Don't mention it," he said, shortly.
FAnd If that's all, you may go now"
he said.
The next day in the noisy dining
room. in her black dress. her white
collar and cuffs and her little white
apron. she served interminable little
dishes OF meat and vegetables and
desserts to hungry travellers. In her
face the glory still fingered.