The San Francisco call., 1908-03-15

w Thing hidden under her tat
tered shawl. and Zoe drew the
rotten shutters. that barely hung by
the hinges. and fastened them inside
with bits q rain bleached cord that
were knotted through holes n the
wood She also shut the door and put
ID wooden bar across Il
She placed The light OF the stone
1oOr- 50 shaded that not & single ray
could fan toward the door or the
cracked shutters. lest some late return
ing beggar should see q glimmer from
outside and guess that there was some
thing 70 get by breaking IN and steal
Ing, for they were only three women,
one dying. one very old. and the third.
Zoe herself. and two young children,
and some Of the beggars were strong
men who had only lost one eye. OF per-
hzps one han6. which had been chopped
OF for stealing
When the light was burning Zoe
could see thai the sick woman was
awake. and she poured out some milk
from small jug which Nectaria had
brought and warmed i over the Goals
n cracked cup snd held L 10 the
tired lips. proppilg Up the pillow with
her other hand. And the sick one drank
and tried 10 smile
Meanwhile Nectaria spread out the
resi- q the supplies she had brought
d z clean board ths-e we're e small
black loaf and three little fishes Fl ed
IN Oh. such IS could be bought where
food IS cooked al The corners Of The
streets for The very poor. The two
children gazed Al this delicious meal
with hungry eyes.
This Is ali I could buy for the
money" said Nectaria- The milk Is
very dear now
Why do you give Il 70 me- asked
the sick woman. IN Z sweet and faint
voice You are only feeding the dead.
and The living need the food"
Mother" cried Zoe reprozchfuily.
II you love Us DO not talk Of leaving
Us, The Armenian has promised 70
bring z physician 10 see you and 70
give rs money for what you need He
--.u come II the morning. early in the
morning. and you shah be cured and
live. Is Il not as ! say, Nectarisg'
The old woman nodded her head IN
alsFer as she munched her black
bread, buI would say nothing and
would not look up There was silence
for & while.
and what have you promised the
Armenian asked the mother a. last
fixing her sad eyes Oh ZOe's face Did
ever one OF his people give one OF Us
anything without return2"
7 have promised nothing" Zoe an
swered meeting her mothers gaze
quietly. But there was & shade OF e1-
fort in her tone
Nothing veL- said the sick woman.
I understand But i VII come-ir
VIII come TOO soon.
Presently. when The sick woman
seemed TO he sleeping. Nectarta and
Zoe crept softly Il The other end OF the
room sni talked ia whispers
- nar-n~ --.~fa fa-r y said The EI-I
Necraria shook her head 6ouh1tully-
How can any one get vel here
without medicine. without food with
out nre7- she asked ~Yes-she is bet
ter-a ur-le. Il VIII only take her
longer 70 die
So san not die said Zoe The
Armenian has promised money and
help
For nothing he VIII have nothing
Nectaria answered sadly He talked
lcnz with me this afternoon. out n the
street. implored hin 70 give Us g
Ittle help now. iii the danger IL
passe6. because Il you leave her she
VIII die.
he said plainly that until you car
make up y0ur mind we shall have onls
The three pennies he gives rs evers
DAY. and Il your mother dies. so mucf
the worse and I the children die. sC
much the worse and Il I die 50 muct
the worse. for he says you are ths
stron gest OF rs and win outlive Us all
II is true Zoe clasped her hands
against the wall and -pressed her tore-
head against them. closing her eyes
It is true she repeated, IN the ssm'
whisper. I am 50 strong
Old Necrsris stood beside her and
laid one Wrinkled cheek 70 the colC
wall 50 that her face was near Zoe
and they could still talk
ren-e-. 80
li-tie IN. her distress. I shall Sc
you al die before my eyes. one 0!
one
Yet II you leave your mother now.
the cd woman began
she has lived through much NOR
than losing me- answered Zoe n,
fathers long Imprisonment. his sw1u
death she shuddered now from hea'
10 foot
Nec-aria laid withered hand sym
ra-hetically on her trembling shoulder
but Zoe mastered herself after q mo
inenr's silence and turned her face .
her companion
ssYou must make her think that
= shall come back. she whispered
There is no other wsy-unless I CIV
my soul. TOO. That would XIII heI
indeed-she could not live tnrougl
that--
And 10 think that my cid bones ar
worth nothing. sighed the poor ol
woman she took the rags OF Zoe's tat
tered sleeve and pressed them 10 he
lips
Bat Zee bent down. for she was n
taller BY q head, and she tender1
kissed the Evrfnkled face
Hush she whispered. softly. 70
wiz wake her 4 vou cry I must do Il
save you al from death. since car
II wait longer ! shall grow thfnneI
and though I an strong may fall III
Then I shall be worth nothing 70 IN
Armenian
But * IS slavery. childi Do you no
understand that IL is slavery That b
viii take you and sell you IN the mar
ker as he would sell an Arab mare
70 the highest bidder
Zoe leaned sideways against the wal
and the faint light that shone upwar
from the earthen lamp On the Zoo
fsn upon her lovely upturned face an
on the outlines Of her graceful bods
Is Il true that ! am still beautiful ,
she asked after & pause
Yes. answered the old woman
looking al her It IS true You wer
not q pretty child. you were sa1loE
and your nose