Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-09
FRANCES A. HARMER

And iust as he was almost elate with the strength
and fervor of his resolve sheilah came BACK from
Newport weary of luxury, of subsection, OF associa-
ton terms Of unbearable inequality WIN inc rcn
and the great.
Her grief at the loss of her little brother and sister
her indignant pain at not having been summoned
to do her share of nursing sincere and deep sne
took her old place at the notion counter ana ssept
beside her mother the hard straw bed across the
foot of which no MORA now tossed in restless sleep
But Sheilah was young, and not deep, or stern OF
her back and her tears shed, she looked to his COM
ing with beating heart 80
Her savings had provided her mother with the
mourning out of which the poor especially the poor
of the Old Country, extract certain satisfactlon
Sheilah more modern, content with WHITE
chambray and stock touched here and there with
black ribbon She knew that she looked we'll, and
she Ionged to read the old assurance in Pats eyes
When he came Mrs. Moriarty greeted him, and then
left the lovers alone
SheiIah lifted shy eyes to Pats blue gaze.
We'll Pat I've come back" she said
Your mother'll be glad, he answered graveiy
"Shes good woman, Sheilah."
Sheilah felt the tears dim her eyes
She's very good she agreed Then silence i Sns
looked at the line of roofs against the sky.
do you remember coming to see me?" she asked
at length "Do you remember what you said PatT
81 guess don't forget" he replied sheepishy.
Sheilah turned to the window and faced MIN. 10
you remember what you said about being queen OF
little placer" she went do you know, Pat II
didn't think so then but-now-that sounds-nice
Her cheeks famed in the gathering dusk She
turned away to see the sky line still sharp and
clear and waited-waited till Pats slow brain should
have realized her words but Pat stood in dumb agony
holding himself to his VOW
He had no words for her. and Sheilah sank, sobbing
into the chair by the table
"You don't care--you don't" she wept "Oh. go
away then-go away. Why do you ntay to shame
me?"
The dignity of his honest intent, the dignity of his
own sacrifice gave Patrick O'Meara the look of
prince. All embarrassment left him. AT the SOUND
of his voice. Sheah lifted her head.
"Ye're not to say | don't care, began her lover
"Yere never to think that Sheah, mavourneen But
I've seen your mothers life and I've seen, In me
minds eye, what my wife wd beL aao a. WE tod
me true! She'd have to wash and bake and SCRUB
and iron. Shed have to rise early and sleep late.
And there'd be children-and-they make life hard
for the woman I'll not bring you nor any woman
to it. Sheilah. I'll never have wife!
He said the words solemnly and Sheilah shivered as
she listened The Injuries she had loved the r1nes
that had made her pleasure suddenly shriveled away
before the fire of her longing for the man who re-
nounced her, for the CLASP. of the arms that would
not hold her. the touch of the lips that no longer
sought to touch hers She rose stretching OUT trem
bling hands
like you enough, Pat-not to mind!
He shook his head.
mot now We don't mind,' he said gently. II re-
member what ye told me- sheilah once before ,a ~. ye
fat and the furniture. and the new clothes would
make it not so badi see that now Sheilah, though
didn't then. A womans life-a poor womans life
is cruel hard and I'll not bring you to It,
There was sad fnality in his tone that made ar
gument pleadings futile. Sheilah stood trembling,
her happiness falling in ruins about her, while she,
helpless could but watch its fall.
"I-I-ke you-enough-not to mind she whis-
pered her tears falling
might not fold her against his own will. While so
they stood the door of the inner opened, and
Mrs Moriarty came out
be meanin'" she said and Sheilah knew by the words
that her mother had been living through her
courtshi2 An listening to hers But ye think too