Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1907-05-09

ccpt NJ certain great moments Wnon
he could help her over rough places
and feel her golden weight upon his
arm--would be to startle her. and then
all at once no would awaken from
dream to find her gone. He thought
he would feel very badly then. for
probably he would never be able to
get back into the same dream again.
SO he was cautious, resolving to make
the thing last until II came true OF
itself.
Once when they followed the stream
down, in the late afternoon. he had
unused himself so full o. the wonder
OF her that he almost forgot his eau.
ton In an amiable impulse 10 let her
share in his feelings.
You know" he began. you're like
as II | had been trying to think OF a
word wanted to say-some fine. big
word. fancy one-but I couldn't
think of t. You know how you can't
think OF the one you want sometimes,
only nothing else will do in place OF
II, and then all at once. when you quit
trying to think, It flashes over you.
You're like that. / never could think
| OF you, but | Just had to because
couldn't get along without II, aud then
when | didn't expect It you Just hap.
pened along-the word came along
and said itself"
Without speaking she had run
ahead TO pick the white and blue col
umblnes and pink roses. And he.
alarmed at his holiness. fearing she
would now be afraid of him. went
forward with the deep purpose OF
showing her a light, careless mood,
to convince her that he had meant
nothing much.
The little bent man at the house
would look at them with a sort Of
helplessness when they came in. some.
times even forgetting the smile h.
was wont to hide his hurts. He was
impressed anes each time he saw
them with the furnishing power OF
such vengeance as was left to the
Lord. He could see more than either
OF the pair before him. The little
white-haired boy who had fought him
with tooth and nail so long ago, TO
be not taken from Prudence, had now
come back with the might Of q man,
even the might Of lover, to take her
from him when she had become all
OF his life. He could think OF no
sharper revenge upon himself or his
people. For this cowboy was the
spirit incarnate of the oncoming east,
thorned on by the Lord to ayenge
his church's crime.
Then in the night would come the
terrors of the dark, the curses and
groans of that always-dying thing be
hind him. And always now he would
see the hand with the silver bracelet
at the wrist. Haunting in his face
the shivering strands OF gold with
the crimson patch at the end. Yet
even this. because he could see II
was less fearful than the thing hi
could not see, the thing that crawleC
or lurched relentlessly behind him
with the snoring sound in its throat
the smell OF warm blood and tn,
horrible dripping OF II, whose breatl
he could feel on his neck and who's,
nerveless hands sometimes fumbleC
weakly at his shoulder. as It strov'
! 10 come IN front Oh nun.
He sat sleepless In his chair will
candles burning for three nights whei
Follett. late in August, went of I,
meet a messenger from one Of hi
fathers wagon trains which, - said
was on it's way north. Fearful he wa
the meaning of his presence, he wa
inexpressibly glad when the Gentil
a hn 49,
OF the night.
And there was now new goad o
remorse The evening before Fo
let's return he had found Prudenc
I'm tears after a visit TO the village
With 4 sudden great onrush OF pit
J he had taken her in his arms {
comfort her, feeling the selishnes
strangely washed from his love. as III
Q sobs convulsed her.
g Come. come. child-tell your II
J. Their what II is" he had urged hei
IS and when she became a little quite
n she had told him
n oh, Daddy, dear-rye Just hear
s. such an awful thing. what they tai
l. OF me IN AMAZON. and OF you and IN
e mother-shameful!"
y lie knew then what was coming
{, he had wondered, indeed, that thi
o talk should be so long in reachin
Q her: but he waited silently. soothin
" her
9 They say whoever my mother wa
you couldn't have married her-thI
II Christina Is your first wife. and th
d temple records show Il. And. oil
Is Daddy. they say II means that | al
W a child OF sin--and shame-and
made me want to kill myself
e. Another passion OF tears and sol
's had overwhelmed her. and all bI
Is broken down the little little maj
a. Yet he controlled himself and soothe
a. her again TO quietness.
n ut is all wrong. child. all wron
u You are not n child OF sin. but
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