Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1908-03-05
For HisSake
~ sue MoNamara

COpAS ~ AAuhahANAAAO WIZ A6thcA
curious about Mrs. Courtney. Why
such pale, sad-eyed little woman
should spend SO much time earning |
and making gorgeous clothes which !
she never wore in the village was .
little beyond them.
All the year round Mrs. Courtney
worked In the dry goods store as one
OF the salesladies. Although she was
very gentle and very gracious, there
was always faint reserve and dig
nifty about her through which no one
could penetrate. And always there was
the far-away shadow of sadness in her
eyes.
"And what beats me-" said old Mrs.
Poplam. the village gossip, didn't I
drop in there Wednesday night after
prayer meeting, and wasn't she sew
ing away on the SWEETEST silk dress
ever laid eyes on. 1t looks mighty
queer. Has any one around here ever
seen her wear them?"
There was a hint of frost in the air
and the sun was dying in the west one
night late in October, when Mrs. Court
ney hurried in at her gate. It had
been hard day at the store. Yet
with feverish eagerness, without TAX
ing the time to prepare her usual plain
little supper, she set to work on some
flmy, fluffy material which she hauled
down from the dresser drawer.
Because they mustn't be merely
nice clothes, DEAR" she whispered to
herself. They must be lovely, extrav-
agant; the kind of clothes a woman
who has everything would wear. II
they weren't the very finest you would
be sure to suspect. They must be
just as lovely as the ones had. be-
fore-before-"
Needless Of the costly stuff she held
in her lap the woman buried her face
in 1t with heartbreaking sob.
The next day, unconscious of the
surprised stares Of the villagers, she
took a train for the north. A big
trunk, bearing all the fine clothes,
went with her. After riding all day
she arrived at a big city. Here she
fastened at once to a hotel. When
she emerged from her room she was
/, transformed from the plain little wom-
an who had entered it to a blooming
:, beauty. A skI1lful maid, hair
: dresser and the sumptuous clothes
5 had made her again the woman she
> used to be.
ITO the penitentiary," was the quick
order she gave the hack driver.
! The gray-haired warden was used to
admitting women visitors. He looked
d approvingly after Mrs. Courtney. This
i was the third year the pretty, we'll
e dressed woman had come to see No
81 1909, in other words, James Courtney
doing 20 years Tor forgery.
. In the cold, grim little stone cham
Der Mrs. Courtney waited. She coult
scarcely breathe for the pounding Of
her heart. She closed both eyes anG
+ held her hands to her breast to quiet
e 1t. Then she was conscious of a steI
in the corridor. There was low
cry:
I "Maidal"
1t was his voice, the voice she had
hungered for through the barren, pitt
,, less year. 1t was all gone, the heart
] ache and the torture. And she was
here, safe once more in the encircling
shelter of his dear arms. Through the
; dazed blur of tumult in her brain her
hands stole to his face, tenderly
: caressing each supken feature.
What? Bring tears and signs to
y this one hour Of the year? Leave only
l. an added memory of sorrow and pain
/. to this man whose whole existence
a was now but gray shadow?
So she laughed and was gay, though
her heart was breaking. It was all a
u part with the lovely, extravagant
:. clothes. the clothes he would remem
a Der with happiness when she was
}. gone.
s "And Jim, dear she was saying. "a
l. have such fine. paying position
q Just enough light work to keep me
q from being idle and getting too lonely
without you"
}. The brave voice broke for a mo
ment, but when she raised her face
I from his shoulder she was smiling
n through her tears.
Sorry, madam, but times up" said
l. the guard, respectfully.
q The big gates changed behind them
Jim stood silent, straining his ears to
catch the last silken rustic of her
skirt. When he turned his face again
I toward the dark and gloomy. corridor
8 he held his head high and there was
l. an unwonted look In his eyes.
| Aa..-s q. rk..x>A