Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-01
THE VILLAGE IDOL

| or to send us some word, an blmeoy tne Pv'O
office people sent back my own letter IL na.
never reached you. l didn't let on to mothei
for fear of worrin her, but | didn't know wna'
to do. Fin'ly. one night, it come to me to Wrltf
to your EMPLOYERS bout you. Some weeks later
got a Letter from them an they said sue
ems voice fatered and he turned his lace away,
"They said you were in prisonr-that you nau
taken some money an they had 10 Puiiien S'"'
it want the first offense. -,
INV Godl then you've known all along. Did
you tell mother?" ,u
"Why should l? 1t would have killed her.
wouldn't have told her even II sne oeen n
strong; there was no need to grieve her. But
was sort of dazed. If you'd been in my place
you'd have known how to act; somehow L
couldn't think, an every day she got weaker.
Then suddenly it come in fash-as II the Al
mighty had put it into my mind-to write a leu
ter as if you'd done it yourself. 1t was easy
enough to make the writin' look like yours-you
know we wrote nearly the same hand; thaO WI Was
the only thing / ever did as well as you L, me
hard part was maxim the sense the same. but
knew mother'd read with her heart an noI
her head so she wouldn't the difference;
pertended your employers had sent you "esC
on important business that you were the only
man to go; an I said how proud an sorry you
felt all at the same time-proud to go, an soiiy
that it was takin' you so far from nome an
filled I'D the rest with the little love-words women
sayin'. It didn't seem noways wrong TO cheer
her for the little time she'd left: ! can't make
It wrong to this day. Why, boy she pickeu, =, up
consid rable an seemed real smart again one
was so proud of your bein' trusted llke unaC, sne
had to read the letter out to the nelghoors when
they come to sit with her. L haoh v"I S n ~
to tell er not to speak of it, she lust hau 10
speak of it or she'd have burst. An they were
mighty pleased if you'd belonged to them they
couldn't have felt prouder. That Christmas she
was falin fast, but she all a-quiver, expect,
in news from you, so made up another leuGe[ an
put in some money, with little tag with Merry
Christmas on it pinned to one corner. meant
she should ret something that would be handy
/ couldn't buy anything down to the store tnout
the neighbors KNOWN"
"How did you manage about the letters!
81 just pertended they come Guildhaven way
letters are always sent there or to Mohatt 1or
the folks round here; / chose Guildhaven because
it's farthest off an our people don't go there
often. They never spcioued, an don't to TINS
day.
"Well, was tellin you of that Christmas-her
last Christmas, you know. Id kind of feehn
she wouldn't live for another, so l wanted to
make it extra bright for her. an oh! boy, it did
seem as if / was all raw inside thinkin' bout
where YOU were at that time. / wanted to
write to you, but somehow I couldn't bring my
self to send letter with Prison marked on it.
But Marin was as happy as child, she smoothed
out that two dollar bill an crumpled it up again
an then smoothed it out with little lovin' pats;
she'd all the neghbors in, tellin' her bout the
notions down to the store. You see she couldn' t
90 out herself but she listened an planned an
spent that two dollars again an again. Fln'ly
there come along one O them peddlin' chaps, an
she up an bought photograph Album. 1t was
the biggest an purtiest one in the village, an
she set heap by it, an always showed it to the
folks when they dropped in, children an all.
There want many pictures in it, but yours was
there an often when / come back from work L
found her holdin' the book an talliin' soft to
you with such look of peace on her face
Things went on bout the same till spring; then
she took to her bed an Yes, she was happy
to the last. fond of me, of course but lovin' you
like she always did Your name was on her
lips when she come to die
There was painful silence in the room. The
old wall-cock licked slowly, ponderously, as If
conscious of the Importance of minutes that hold
ioy and heart break life and death, in their keep
ing. The fire burned low; in its warmth the
tired dog lay dreaming of the summer sun and
green meadows; his paws twitched now and again
as if he were running race in his sleep.
"Go on" Anthony said, from behind his hands.
'There aint much more to tell. After it was
all over an | could get away, | went to find you
but when | reached the prison your time up
an they couldn't say where you'd gone. So l
had to come back. An all the folks were so
curious they focked round with million ques-
tons. Bless you, they didn't want to hear bout
the city an the queer sights there, an they
didn't want to hear bout me; it was Just An
What could I do? You
wouldn't have had me shame mother an father
an tell where you'd been, would you? / didn't
know for true where you were, so l had to make
up something; besides I felt you'd do great
things. seem as twas in you. The trouble was
I couldn't paint em bright enough, bein kinder
slow of speech. That's all. As time went by an
you sent no word, ! had to pertend I got let
ters from you; I couldn't have the neighbors say
you were purse-proud an puffed up with success.
An when the town does anything, like buildn'
the school-house for instance, why / put your