Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-12

love leaping FORTH conceived that there was only one
spot where she might hide her crimson face and
that was against his shoulder. He trembled with
the touch of her, while she trembled in an agony of
shame over her thoughtless words. He drew her
closer and held her so, unressting until he found
the voice wherewith to murrnur unsteadily.
Little love, can't we play that 1 am the SOM"
And so the story had begun she promising ali,
but so ignorant of what she promised that he saw
that the spirit of maidenhood within her was too
strong and wild for him to take into captivity until
time and love should somewhat have tanned it.
Therefore, he set himself the task of waiting He
waited, making Jessica very happy, yet thinking
ever and agafhat the roots of her happiness would
strike deeper could the years indeed fall from him
until he became as the son. While he waited a
great change came into his fortunes and, taking
Jessica's face between his hands, he had said:
Dear child you cannot marry poor man as
well as one old enough to be your father. l am
going away, leaving you free-free, do you hear,
little girl!" He paused, for the struggle of renun-
citation was bitter within him. Even then he would
not, could not, show all that he felt. A moment
later he resumed. Il shall not come back until
can take care of you,-take care of you properly,
little Queen Jessica "
Then she had wept and protested that she would
go with him; but he would not, for the way was
far down into Mexico where there was much digging
for gold but home making place for SO delcately
bred girl as Jessica Then had she protested that
she would marry him before he went she with no
knowledge of the meaning of the bond, and SO
beads OF cold sweat started to his forehead as he
answered:
No. Jessica, I have no right to tie you like that
you who have had so little chance for meeting real
men of your own years. And when am gone, re-
member that you are free" ~
will be true" stanchly declared Jessca. her
true gray eyes wet with tears and all through the
long days and nights of the four years,
while he worked and deved, and when
he rested, he could hear her saying:
1 will be truel'
Whenever she wrote to him she signed
~ herself !" Your Jessica." And always
when her letters came, he would turn
at once to the last page to see if she still
made use of the word of four letters; and
3 then he would kiss the signature, Your
Jessica, with great passion as the
young son might have shown,-aye, with
<~ greater, for young could have
4ks73 been so afraid of losing her.
"a The years had gathered in number
without his quite realizing the speed of
~ time; for second passion had come
49, upon hm,-the passion for wealth to
- lay at Jessica's feet What had at length
FS brought him to the sense of her possible
- need for him was the death of her father
IT, and mother, the two deaths coming
a11k3 almost together. AT this time, however,
~ he forty miles from railroad;
&Hr58 there had been delay in the mails, and
49, he did not hear the news until six months
~ after Jessca had written. Then he had
IJzY found way to send her thousands of
49, dollars and the message that he would
~ come at once but now there trouble
with the poems, difficulty in leaving the
49, mines, and SO, although he strained in
the harness and went nearly mad over
the delay another six months passed
- before he started for the States.
- Jessica had not written to tell him that
- the money lay in the bank untouched.
e - She told him that she had taken the
position matron in the Old LadieSs
4 Home; yet in such way that he did
not understand that by this means her
spirit of independence was earning for
her her daily bread
+1,1 t,o,,e