The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-23
Copyright 1906. by Anna Katharine
Green Rohlfs. All rights reservodJ



loved mo and felt my fear more than she
oid others Could I bear go live with bier,
knowing what her shawl hie2 II could.
she would Doe good % me. but r couldn't
she would 90 what she could TO get me
honest work ia some other place I didn't
answer at first. blt 7 did before she had
I1t her shawl on again. told her that
] would forget everything bat her good
smile. and stay with her a little while.
j stayed three wears. helping hor by going
about and selling tle tatLng work size
made
"slc could make -besutifui patterns ana
50 neat. but shc couldn't SOIL thorn on
account of her awful appearance. So
was veiv useful O. her. and felt was
farninf my meat and drink and the Kind
looks and words which made them TASTE
good. u taught mc i9t going around.
! Saw people. and how they lived and
what was nice and what wasn't WAS
only sorry thar Mother Duda couldn't 90
too She loved pretty things go. But she
never went oct except at q YER, early
hour in the morning. So early mat ID was
ftiA dark. II seemed "a terrible hour 20
me blt she always came in with smile.
ana whcr one day asked her nhr She
said because she saw So many other roor
creature out at this same hour who we're
~orse 70 look az than she was. This
uidn Trorl possible 20 me. and once
won't ont with hcr TO sec. But I never
went again. such faces as we met such
oefprni ty-nen who never showed thcrn-
selves by d1y-woruen who loved beauty
ana We're A.deous We saw them on
street c0rners-comiug up cellar steps
sinking in and out OF blind alleyr-reve-
where 10 was highland they ehranl from
each other but not from the policeman.
They were not afraid % his eve. they
were used 10 him and he 70 them After
had passed dozen such miserable c-ea-
sures. ] feit myself one - them and never
wanted &C so. out NJ this hour again
Don't YOU believe this part az nv
story" she suddenly asked looking up
into Mr. Ransom troubled faco2 ask
the policeman who tr7mps about those
streets every night; he'll tell you"
The question on Ransom g lips died
What use Of asking what She could not
hear.
Y wish I knew what YOU were think
Ing" she now murmured softly. SO softlv
that hc hardly caught the words But
Z never shall I never shall. I VIII tell
you now how / became deaf" She prom
ised, after a moment OF wistful gazing.
''Is there any one near? Can ANYBODY
hear me2' she continued with a sus-
picious look about her.
He shook his head. 1t WIS tho first
movement he had made since she BEGAN
her story.
This apparently reassured her. Tor she
proceeded at once 20 say:
Mother Duda had never told me any
thing about herself II scared ne then.
when one morning I found sitting 1T the
breakfast table a man who she said was
her son. He was big and pale looking.
and had a slight swelling on one side %
his neck which made me sick. but I tried
20 be polite though I did not Ike him
at all. and had "A sudden feeling OF hav-
ing no home any more That was the
hrst day The next two were worse For
he didn't hate me as I did him and
wouldn't leave the house WHITE I was
there, saying he could not bear 10 be
away from his mother. But he skipped
out quick enough after I was gone so
the neighbOrs said and sometimes
think he followed me. Mother Duda
wasn't Ike her old self at oil. She loved
him. hc was her son: but she didn't like
all he did. She wanted him 10 work; he
wouldn't work. He sat and stared a me
as the gypsy king used to stare. and II 7
grew red and hot IL was from shame
and fear and horror g the great throat
! saw growing from day to day. and which
would some time be like his mothers
He knew didn't like him, but he wasn't
good like Mother Duda and told me one
day that ne was going to make me his
wife, whether ] wanted him to or not,
and talked about "A great secret and the
big man he would be some dav This
made me angry. and I said that all the
Oigness he would ever have would be in
his neck. At which he struck me. right
across the ear. hard, so hard that I fell
on the floor with a scream. and Mother
Duda came running Tie was sorry then,
and threw down the thing ne had in his
hand; but the harm had been done and
was sick a month. and had doctors and
awful pain. and when ] was well again
I couldn't hear n sound with that ear.
Hans wasn't thcre while I was i'll:
shouldn't have got well il he had been:
but hc came back when ! was up again.
and was very meek, though he didn't