The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-02
Our Daily Sport Story

, ing her sanity. This was an unusual thing. This girls honesty he would have staked anything on, and he prided himself on knowing human nature. What do you mean? he said. You must explain yourself"
 You remember the linen that was missed. and some of the silver-you were all puzzled. and couldn't account for 1t. I am the thief"
 What are you saying, girl? And why are you confessing now? What
 made you take 1t. then, in the first place. and why not return it now?" T can't return 1t because I sold it. That's why I took it-because I want ed the money I didn't see any other way. and I wanted to go away. I want ed to see the mountains They seemed
 to call me-when I saw all the people | here day after day going. I wanted to go so many years-all my 1ife-and I lose me everything but somehow I felt
 if I had the mountains to remember the rest of my life. I could stand 1t. in prison or anywhere"
 But if you had only kept still. you | would never have been found out" "Oh. 1t is so hard to make you under
 stand" she said. Don't you see that | l never meant to steal and noc pay the penalty? I meant all the time to pay | the penalty. I don't think could have done such thing and never confessed. Oh. haven't you ever, in your life, want l ed something so much. and wanted 1t 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 1t has been with me. I don't think I could help having that feeling about the | mountains. It must have been born in
 me-that-that feeling for them. My | mother loved them and always said that
 in prairie country she was sure she
 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 I grew up and new CT remembered seeing them, but all ways. always I longed for them. And so many times I planned to go.
 worked and worked. and saved and l saved, and always there would be | somewhere for the money Once father had stroke of paralysis, and there | was a doctors bill. and again my sis | ter's baby died. and had to be buried.
 and then again another sister was go- ing to be married and she loved pretty | things, and I couldn't bear to be selfish and use the money for myself. That's the way 1t has always been, and we've always been poor. l worked for wages that were barely enough to keep my soul and body together. It seemed to
 me that could never see my noun
 tains. There was no other way. I felt sometimes as if I couldn't live very l much longer If couldn't see them just once. Especially of summers after 1 came here, and saw so many tourists. It seemed to eat into my very soul the desire to go Then I thought of | taking the things and selling them | knew 1t was wicked, for I've always | been an honest girl, but l told myself that there was no other way. I would see my mountains, and then I would | come back and tell you all, and you ! could do what you will with me--send | me to prison. I suppose I know that will be right. and I am ready to go." She stopped and looked at him with | that glorifed light still in her face She looked like one who has seen the glory toward which he has been jour- | neying since the morning. and Is satis- l fled with a mighty peace at evening ! The manager looked at her, and knew | that she spoke the truth. For a mo- | ment there was silence.
 T think I see-a little-how it has
 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. T have stolen. Mustn't l. oughtn't Ito pay the penalty?"
 Well, if l can arrange 1t to the sat-
 isfaction of everybody 1t will be all