The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-05
CHAPTER XIII.
Continued

SAAAt AHAt <AA4
Continued
7 mo more than a brother ought to
love a sister. Yes, he loves me as much
as that, / think, but not a bit more, as
I'm a living woman"
{ "And yer don't love HING"
: NO." she replied firmly; she knew
that if she allowed her voice to falter
blood would be shed in the house that
night.
Swear it." he said. "Say May God
strike me dead if I love him."
She repeated his words.
sGod strike me dead if I love him!"
False as was the oath, Divine for
giveness was registered in its utter
ance.
"Make-Belieye," he said, and his
voice, before so fierce, grew weak,
s.you've saved me from becoming a
murderer"
eyer didn't come to steal as well?"
she asked.
NO." he replied, 81 am no thief now.
I've kept the promise I give yer to
lead a honest life. It's been hard
lines. Look here" and he turned out
his pockets, which did not contain a
copper, "and my Christmas dinner was
a hunk Of bread and cheese. Who's
that unlocking the street door:"
Its MI. Dexter. He mustn't see
YER. Hide behind that table. Quick,
quick! When he's gone to bed I'll let
you out Of the house."
He threw himself behind the table,
and she drew the cloth down so that
he was concealed from sight. Then
she ran to the door and called:
as that you, Mr.. Dexter"
eyes, Make-Believe," he replied, as
he assembled the stairs, 'it's me-"
When he entered the room she saw
that he had brought back with him
O heavy load Of grief.
"My wife is dead" he said.
She took his hand, and he drew her
to him, deriving comfort from the con-
tact.
Ibid she die afore you got there,
sir?"
"No, she lived long enough to tell me
her secret. It is that-it is that-Make-
Believe, which has converted this
night into a night Of sorrow. Before
we were two months married she left
me, as I have told you, and in the law
full course of nature she gave birth to
q SONNY son! She concealed it from
me out Of spite. / am almost afraid
to tell you the name Of my son."
Don't be afraid, sir-tell me"
at is a man I warned yer aginst,
and who yer know we'll"
She gazed at him in amazement.
sNot Foxey, sir?
Eyes, Foxey, to whom my wife, who
Is no more, gave that name out OF
some kind Of strange malice. God
knows, I did her no harm! Marrying
her was a folly, not a crime, and I
haven't deserved to be SO punished"
A star of hope and light glowed IN
the heart Of Little Make Believed
Christian star Of charity and love,
shining on the promise Of a life
snatched from evil ways, from crime,
from prison walls, from sinful death!
Her voice grew solemn.
"You should be glad, sir, not sorry,
that you have found your SON.
"How can I be glad, Make-Believe?
If he was a man I could be proud Of,
that I could take to ny heart"-his
voice was choking; he could not pro-
eeed.
"You mustn't forget, sir" said Lit
tie Make Believe, telderly, "that this
Is a day Of charity and forgiveness.
There's none Of US so bad that we can't
be made good if q loving hand is laid
out to US! We can't help the way
we're born, can we, SIR"
mo, Make-Believe, no."
: "It amt our own fault sometimes
that we grow Up bad. I don't see how
some poor creatures can help it. And
let me tell yer, sir, Foxey amt what
yer think he is. There's a lot Of good
Il him that you'd never suspect If yer
wasn't told. You get him to give yer
q promise, and he'll keep it if stsrva-
ton stares him il the face"
you're saying this, Make-Believe,
to try and comfort ne. Dear child! If
every. one had 4 heart like your'n it
would be a better world than it is"
II don't know 50 much about that,
sir. But it Ant of ne we're speaking,
its Of yer son as'll live to be 4 bless.
Ing to yer. Why, sir, jest think, now,
when VIC first knew him he wasn't so
very old, was he"
"No, he was only q bit Of q boy"
: "As'd never been taught anything
good. AS had 70 father-and no moth
er to speak of. But she's dead and
gone, and VIC mustn't say nothink hard
of her. She's gone to q better world,
where we all hope to so one day. Her
life wasn't q rosy one, sir-fur from 1t!
When you was out I saw 4 poor wo-
nan dragging her feet through che
snow, and though I never saw her be-
fore as I knows on, and shall never see
her again, I couldn't help crying ct the
sight of her. MI. Dexter, I don't think
rs ever il my life 1 saw as much Of the
inside CT things as I do now It's
come upon me all il a minute, and l
believe as God has pat it into my
head"
Dear Little Make-Beiieve!"
"Ah, sir, if it hadn't been for that
if it hadn't been for my make-believ-
inc-I don't know where l should have