Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-03-04
THE MAN IN The MASK.
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TO light the paths or the late
wayfarer Even the electric lights
seemed to have forgotten to throw
their CHEEKY glow over the scene.
Down the darkened highway stealth
| lily crept the deep shadOwy form Of a
man on mischief bent His clothes
were rough, his hat drawn low down
over his eyes, and the collar of his
coat was turned up, although it was
not very cold.
Now and again he would stop and
! listen, and when the solitary police
man walked his beat near 1T once,
he darted into a nearby doorwa
Cautiously, keenly, he lOol | at
every house until he came to e a
little more pretentious than the r>st.
Producing skeleton keys. he silently
unlocked and opened the side door,
let himself in and, by the aid of
dark lantern, he swiftly made his way
! toward the dining room. There, he
knew, was the sldeboard; on it would
! be some valuable silyerware, well
worth his pains and he thought the
/
He was hard up for money, they had
plenty and could spare a little just as
we'll as not
But for the very people that house
now sheltered he, too, might be hap
by, loving, loved and above all, hon
est. His wife should wear the silks,
the yelvets he knew Mrs Markham
now Haunted Often had he cursed
her as she had passed him on the
crowded street, drawing her rich skirts
more tightly about her. lest they should
become contaminated by contact with
him. Him! What was he to her?
Nothing worse than nothing!
Just such thoughts ran through his
feyered brain while hunting for the
dining room door. Into the room he
went, and cast his light around At
the farther end hung a picture, over
the mantel shelf. Going to the shelf
he threw the rays upon it, and sud
denly started back He looked at the
picture again. 1t was likeness of
himself, How came it there?
"Oh, God of heaven" he murmured,
what does it mean? Is she here?'
At one side was smaller picture AS
the tiny ray of light fell upon it he
saw the picture of child, with his
own brow, eyes and general express
sion
My God, thou who hast been so
good TO me. spare my baby now! oh,
don't take my only comfort, my only
one. My baby, l cannot, cannot part
with you"
From the other room. a low. sweet
voice In agonized, pleading tones came
>obbingly to his startled ears,
Father in heaven. bless my baby's
papa, he who never saw his child; send
him back, oh God! Tell him, Lord.
II love him now after all these long,
heartbreaking years of silence just as
mach as when l married himr
As the sweet tones became fainter
and fainter and more broken. the man
in the mask fell on his knees. With
folded hands and bowed head. he muir
INJURED; My little faithful wife. 1t is
to good to be true. She has kept her
love for me. thank God but she must
never know how low | have fallen.
Please God. l will turn about. will
swear it. | will be honest from
henceforth," And picking up the little
lantern he silently turned, looked once
more at the pictured face of the baby.
and, making his way out, he shut and
locked the outside door and dfsappear-
ed down the silent street, a wiser. a
better man.
At first, for many a long month, it
was hard. uphill work trying to be
honest but those pleading words, that
sweet, wee baby face, We're his guild
ing stars his guarding angels,
one day a sweet, sad-faced little
woman was hnrrying along the st-eat
and uuknowingly, she dropped her
glove.
There happened along just behind
her tall. handsome man dressed in
weu-httlng. new-looking clothes who
rs luck would have il. was none other
than the gentleman whose counte-
nance, when he first appeared 10 Ms
and a black mask lie saw the glove
fall. hurried forward and picked il up.
But the crowded street was no Mace
for the blessed. tender meeting he hop
ed would follow the return of the
dainty little glove
1t is said that drop your glove.
you'll meet your love" and when the
i little lady turned To answer the re-.
spectfnl words of the gentleman who
had touched her arm it proved no I'M
truth in her case. 1t was just in front
Of the house
= Pardon me, madam, but l believe
this glove belongs TO you. as you drop
pet IT," he said. The words sent 4
e thrill through her entire being. Eag-
erly she glanced up. Charley, Char