Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-04-05
Sing Me to Sleep
BY AGNES G. HERBERTsON

10 The other woman did not repl,
10 10 But for the moving needle she Nigh
he have been carved from stone.
te The old woman looked from tn
m girl to her son, from one dark fac
is to the other. They were curiousl
:, :, alike, those two faces, both shown,
S the impress of strong and stubborn
ID will. They were curiously unlike
too, the varying fires in the girl
!, eyes leaping out to meet sobe
o practically and steadfastness il
y those of the man.
. "Margot, are you ready~ sale
= David.
He waited again, and again the
d needle went in and out, his only re-
ply.
, After pause, "She says she is
| not going back to you," said Jane
Greet unwillingly.
"She has said that to me, toe"
said David Greet-"that is to say,
she has written it. She wrote it In
a hard, cruel letter, which she left
for me to read when l came in"
In spite of himself his voice shook.
He paused for q moment to steady
it, 81 shall not believe that letter,
Margot. 1t was unworthy of you. 1
shall not believe that you mean to
do anything so cruel and wickedp
The words came out with a jerk.
"Margot, / am waiting to take you
home"
She would not answer.
With a quick stride he crossed
the room. "You shall speak to
me" he cried. 81 am not dog that
l do not deserve a word-though
you are not a woman, but stone,
or you would not sit there and re-
fuse to utter it Speak, Are you
or are you not coming homer"
Without raising her eyes, 81 am
not coming" said Margot Greet.
David turned away, breathing
heavily. "There's the weakness Of
strength and the weakness Of weak
ness" he said. "You can give in to
woman because you're stronger
than her, and that's the way went |
about it with Margot. But she
thought it was the other kind of |
way, the weak way, and she's had
to learn different. There are times
when a man must show himself q
man if he's to remain one"
He strobe away, and Jane Greet
brushed the tears from her eyes.
"Well, she's with me-his mother
anyway. Folks can't talk to any
great length" she thought, with a
sigh. Then she went back to the
stubborn girl who was her sons wife.
Margnt waa sittins where aha had
left her, still sewing.
"What are you going to do"
asked Jane. A harshness had crept
into her tone.
81 have already told you. / shall
find something to do, and / am not
going back" said the younger wo-
man.
'1f you are not going back you
shall find nothing to do. You must
stay here with me-" said Jane Greet.
II Gamma have the whole of Keston }
talkin' about my sons wife"
And so things went on. Margot
worked for her mother-in-law only,
md her passivity ate into her very
'oul. But she would not go back to
he man to whom she had not yet
been welded year.
There came a day when Jane {,
Greet met her with an odd look on J
Ter withered face. l
She had not mentioned the name D
# the girls husband since that dark
light, deeming it better so. But to- a
lay she spoke. IL
''He is going away-my son and
our man." she said fercely. ''May- c.
ap the cruise will take him far and
eep him long, Mayhap 1t will take
i'm SO far and keep him SO long
hat he will never return. And to- b
borrow he goes" She went away, d
rying to hide her tears. But the
IDS wife spoke never a word. II
Jane never knew that that night "a
largot went to look at her old 81
ONE. For a few short moments u
ne stood in the darkness looking at m
he windows of the little house
hich had seen her greatest happi-
ess and her passionate rebellion. 10
here was no light in it, and she ma
fought David was out till che heard
i'm begin to sing. That was an old na
lick of his-to sing in the dark,
nd on the old harmonium he could
ok out just the few notes he need de
How well she knew the song! He
ng it with a little break in his 49,
ice, and she knew who had put ~,
at break there: ~
I'VE. am so lonely years arc so long. TT.
want you only. you and your song; III
lrk is LIES shore. love- night Is so deep; ms
ave me no more. love. sing me to sleep 10,
For a moment after the deep voice OILS
ID died away she stood there, one asl
md pressed close upon her breast, 20,
aiken with the conflict between lea
ide and passionate regret. the
But pride won, and she moved at the
It only to 60 back to his mothers
use.