The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-08


 you eventually to the Skidmore level"
 What change has there been III ne He was defiantly curious.
 "A little letting down all along the line" she said. Tn the midst or sucn surroundings one must consciously hoio himself up-or drop. You are careless ln your dress; you are growing rougher In your talk and your manners. And you don't read anything. You told me so. How can a man grow on tne nusAs 9i gossip? And your spiritual life-ah, lad- die. Iaddiev, and her eyes filled-'ft is shriveling up!'
 He tapped impatiently with his heel.
 And of Robr' she burst out Vehem- ently, 'it has taken your ambition away. To think of you wanting to give up your profession!'
 He was stung to the quick by her plain talk. She had held up the glass faith- fully.
 If I am as bad as all that" he said roughly, you'd better let me go to the devil and be done with it."
 You would not have said that to me four years ago."
 The more they talked the more she saw to her dismay, that he was in earn est "You married for love. Why shouldn't I?" he asked doggedly
 "Oh, love." she cried impatiently. This is not lovel Love must have some foun- dation. You are infatuated, that's all- infatuated with her beauty. When that is gone what will be left? She is hope lessly your inferior. She will be clog to you always. And think of the folly of it, Rob. You happen to be here at time of life when young men think or marriage. You are thrown accidentally with this girl. Because you have the stirrings of passion within you, you think you are in love. Conquer 1t, Robert! It would mean misery to you both.'
 "Ive promised to marry her. mother. Would you have me break my promise?'
 Her very lips whitened But she would not give it up.
 'Yes" she said resolutely, q would. Better a broken promise than two broken lives. This marriage would wreck you both. She could not hold your love. You would make her wretched Tell her plain- Iy that 1t was a mistake. And then"
 ''Mother,' he said rising, i've may as well end this. have been engaged to this girl for a year. We are to be mar ried at Christmas. If the mine shuts down I'll have to go in with John Skid more. 1 have cast in my lot with these people,
 She sat perfectly still. She felt almost as if he had struck her. His choice was made. It was for this she had spent her life.
 TO bear, to nurse, to rear,
 To love-and then to lose.
 The words came to her suddenly and kept saying themselves over and over.
 To bear, to nurse, to rear,
 To love
 and at that word she felt the touch of clinging arms about her neck and a soft cheek pressed against hers. She heard again sweet little voice saying. ".I lo'es you deely, deely, deely. mama.'
 md tIa... fA loco
 q should have told you before, mother, but"
 ''Yes, dear,' she said gently. q know. We won't talk about it any more now. Good night"
 When he was gone she locked the door and went to her trunk, tossing things about with nervous haste. and bringing from the depths box of old pictures the faded kind that are nearest our hearts. She turned them over eagerly. almost frantically, until she came to tintype with a pinkish mat around it. A sweet child face with curly hair and great solemn eyes looked at her.
 She threw herself on her knees and sobbed over it-the bitter sobs of middle age that rend the soul She kissed the lips with passionate tears; she touched the curs and patted the baby cheek as if it were a living thing-and knew
 ''This Is the one I worked for she whispered. brokenly This is the one that loved me. He's dead now. My little lad. My little lad,'
 Weeping endured for a night: with the morning came. not joy, but joys best substitute-a settled purpose.
 Through that vigil Mrs. Etheridge faced the thing that loomed before her, turning 1t often, and viewing it from every side. As the belated dawn struggled over the mountains one conviction cleared itself before her spiritual vision. This infatu- ation was a madness of the blood. He had fallen under the spell, not of wicked woman (eyen in her anguish she was iust), but of a weak and beautiful one. He would wake from it some day be- wildered, but in his right mind. If the awakening could only come before 1t was too late!
 In her despair of the night before she had determined weakly to give 1t up. to go home and leave him to work out his own destruction. Now she shut her lips together and spoke sternly to that cow ardly self: "No! have stood by him in every emergency of his life and he needs me now as he has never needed me before. I'll save him in spite of him. self.
 When she appeared at breakfast she her own well-poised self, as Robert saw with unspeakable belief. Admiration rose within him to see how she held her.