The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-11-26
MOTHER ANSER
By MARGARET SULLIVAN BURKES

Ccopylrht BY Joseph B Bowies)


1t was a blue-eyed maiden, grace /
full as a fairy, who first convinced Syl- !
vester McCraeken of the fact that |
there were other women in this world /
beside his mother. He loved Louise |
Selwin, and to his great, strong ma
ture, love was a serious thing.
How lovely she looked one summer
evening as she lounged in saucy ease
by the yine-wreathed window, gazing
out into the night. while he stood out
side, unseen by her, gazing in at what
seemed to him the golden day Of his
whole existence. A meteor unusually
bright, shot across the sky, and clap
| ping her hands with delight, she
sprang from her seat quite upon the
window sill, when she perceived Mac.
"Oh, did you see that? 1t was
| real star, for l was looking at it burn
! ing steadily up there. when all at once
| it started from it's place and was lost
in the distance. Oh, am sure now
there are lost stars. and believe that
| l must have witnessed the flight of
one of them. Say, Mac, did you see
it?"
mo; / saw none OF the stars out
side; / was looking at a brighter.
purer star within, which l hope will
never, never be lost Do you know,
little one" said he. vaulting over the
window ledge, what a tumult you
have created in my heart? l have
learned to love you so, that il all the
stars of yonder heaven were blotted
out, it would not be darker than my
existence would be without you
A perplexed face was turned stead
lily away from him. His avowal had
come so very suddenly, that, taken by
surprise, she was casting about for a
way to gain a little time for the
expected reply. She had, long ago,
learned to love this magnificent man,
and was now inwardly wondering what
he found in her to deem a fitting ex-
change for the grandeur she saw in
him.
Speak to me, Louise" he went on,
and tell me if you can consent to
shine for me alone; to be my dear lit
tie wife?"
Half provoked at his persistence.
half frightened at being thus sudden
ly brought face to face with so seri-
Gus a question, half bashful, too, and
altogether thoughtless, a sudden in
spiration of mischief prompting her
with an idea, she burst into a merry
peal of laughter.
What have you found so amusing
in my proposition, Louise? l regard
the matter under consideration as far
too weighty for such unusual mirth.
ooh! oh! oh! l was just thinking
, you know, that then, when 1 grew old
I-oh! oh! ohl-should be-Mothol
McCracken, you know"
You'd better be that than Mothel
Goose" he burst forth, stung to th'
quick by this irreverent allusion to hi
honored mother, by one, too, whom
he had regarded as little lower thar
+ the angels. Then without anothe
word he strobe from the room, from
the house, out into the darkness
starless night
Realizing what she had done, Louis
threw herself prone upon the sof
in an agony of tears.
oh! why did / say that? And hi
mother must be such grand woman
> too, to have such a son. If l ha
only known her personally 1 neve
could have said such a thing, l know
He adores her, too! Will he ever fol
give me?" then the natural hopeful
ness of her nature asserted itseli
Yes, know he will. He is too gran
to stoop to mean spitefulness. He Wi
be back tomorrow"
|, And wiping her eyes, she fell into
= pleasing reyerie over the scene tina
= would be then and there enacted
But he did not come back to-mol
; row, nor the next day, nor the mex
He had received a pressing offer {
e a very advantageous business come,
ton in distant city, which was th
real cause of precipitating his pr
l. posal.
/ A terrible plague was visiting tn
a City of M where Mac had mad
l. his new home.
5. Louise. who had mourned her foil
after she had heard of his removal. s
II far beyond any hope of regaining hin
d till she had finally accepted the fat
E. with all the philosophy she could sur
e mon, heard this news with alarm. He
I. nature. far from being frivolous. wa
I one of unusual strength.
!. II will go to M" she exclaime
~ to herself They need never kno
q till it is over, but l must be With
call if he should be sick. For oh,
hin, I drove hin, tharai