Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-10-03

went on for six months; then came
the end. Involved In money diflcul-
ties, debts OF honor, gambling debts,
driven beside himself, reckless, des.
perate, this poor, misguided boy rob.
bed his employer, took a large sum
VI money from the safe. to Ghich he
had always had access. This was
Dol discovered by the man he had
robbed. who taxed him with It., pri.
vately, but sternly, and threatening
ly, and my poor boy. madly letting
his quick temper get the best of him.
answered ~insolently. High words fol-
lowed. Robert solemnly asserted that
the lawyer struck him first; how.
ever, Robert picked up a heavy chair
and felled him to the ground with II.
And in "A weeks time he died from
the effects of the blow Her voice
faitered, she paused; I could only
press her hands In silent sympathy.
You a guess, dear, what followed"
Ho was arrested, tried, and con.
demned to Is years Imprisonment,
which In this state means solitary
confinement, Oh, child, child, shall
| ever forget that morning--it was
the first day OF June-when he stood
in the prisoners dock, so young, so
rarely handsome, and listened with
a white, set face and quivering lips
to that sentence? I nearly went mad
then. | fell on my knees with wild
sobs and means; then | tainted, and
when | had recovered they had
taken him away
II saw him once again to bid him
farewell. | was calm then with the
calmness OF woe too deep for utter.
ance. He also was silent, numbed
with a terrible, sullen despair. Dear
| said to him, ~pillowlng his head on
my breast rs | had 80 often done.
the years must pass. | will pray and
walt for you In our little home, and.
should Heaven spare us both, some
day you will come to me, there to
begin a new life together And, dear.
| have been waiting Is long years:
have counted each day. each week.
each month of them as they glided
by. and now, but two more years re.
main. and my waiting will be over"
She paused, her cheeks grew soft.
ly flushed, her eyes sparkled with an
Intense and rapturous joy. Two
years she repeated, only two years
of waiting"
Only two more years; but one
had hardly past when Miss Molly's
cheeks grew paler and thinner, her
step slow and languid. This vas
the beginning, and from that time
her health began steadily to decline,
and, with bitter pain. | realized she
was slowly fading out Of life.
One evening. as knelt beside her
easy chair, where she now sat all
day, she laid her thin hand gently
on my head and said: Dear, you
know that | am going to leave you
before long," | hid my face in her
lap, and burst into tears. You must
not grieve too much. my child" she
went on. 1T Is Gods will; | shall
not be here to make his life happy
and bright; but | shall live to see
him once more, my boy, my Rob.
ert.
The weeks and months glided by:
daily she grew weaker. Trailer grew
her hold on life. The year was near.
ly up; but never thought she would
live to see It; but she did. The
first day Of June came, such a sunny,
beautiful day. l had been with her
all night, and when the first rays OF
the sun shone into her room, a ra.
diant smile lighted up her sweet
white face, and | heard her whisper:
The years OF waiting are over" She
hardly spoke the rest of the day, but
lay with a listening look on her face,
and the faint smile lingering about
her lips, My heart was nearly burst.
Ing with sorrow and suspense. She
could not live through the night, |
knew. All! would he come, or would
she have waited so long In vain? The
day wore on; | was sitting beside her
holding her hand, when I heard the
front door open. and a mans step
in the hall and upon the stair.
thought 1t was the doctor returning.
when a low cry from Miss Molly
caused me to turn. With a super.
human effort she had raised herself
in bed, and her great blue eyes were
fixed with a look | shall never forget
upon the door.
Hush" she whispered, he is
coming" A moment later the door
was thrown open. and a man stood
upon the threshold. A man prema.
turely aged, with bent shoulders.
gray, close-cropped head. and a
worn, haggard face, bearing the re-
mains Of great beauty. His eyes saw
nothing, save the figure on the bed:
then he bounded across the room, and
caught her in his arms. Molly, sis.
ter" | heard him murmur. Her head
sank against his breast with a sigh
of utter peace and content. MY boy,
my boy she murmured, the wait.
ing is over" She smiled once and
then died. saw the worn, handsome
face of the man grow as white as
the smiling n on his breast. MY
God" he cried aloud, dead, gone"
Then, as his heavy sobs echoed
through the room, | stole away, the
tears falling over my cheeks; leaving
them alone-the dead, who had wait.
ed so long-the living, who had come
late.
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