The Washington herald., 1909-07-04
"ALL THE sCARLET WOMEN IN % WORID,, sFZ So b

J here an waited for Mary Frances. know
/ in ef she lived she'd De obleeged Ter come
/ back soon or late. Tn feelin' were so
/ strong sometimes I'd git up endurin' III
night an open tn do 'specting ter find
1 her outside
/ AT last one evenin' We're settin' out
\ thar on tn bench smOkin when ] heerd
I somebody calm me Thinkin' 'twere
/ Marthy, ! looked inside an seen her nod
I din in her cheer afore the FIRE. Then /
I turned round an seen q woman standin'
/ thar by tn gate. She We're all mlsted up
/ with tn shadders, bet her face were so
\ white no darkness could hide IT,
" Thank God" sez I runnin' ter let her
/ In. hits Mary Frances" Bet when !
reached out my arms ter her she drawed
\ back an cried in 'er high. thin voice:
Don't tech me. Pappy' I'm er lost
woman an sho' 'nough acrost her Inno-
cent eyes thar We're a damned look. ez
I plain ez III mark Of Cain.
No yo' hain't, honey sez 7. pleadin' ;
I 'yo' air jest er pore young lamb thet were
stole oUten tn fold"
I'm tn scarlet woman" she cried.
startin' back down tn road. an mer feet
takes hold on hell With thet she looked
! back over her shoulder an give me OF
tUrrible mad laugh. Then she stopped an
I
Pappy an Marthy'H know sin hev
made mer dress so red
Hit hain't red. Mary Frances sez 7.
uyin' ter calm her.
Yes hit air, an we all come tegether'
sez she, beckonin' back in tn dark
Who2' ast her, not KNOWN bet thar
mout be some one with her.
q" All tn scarlet women IN the world
Pappy I tried ter drive them back. bet
they lowed we had ter 60 together now.
An / hev brung 'em Ike tn locust inter
our valley. An weu rot hit. dry hit up
Ike III desert Tharll be no shade. no
kiVerln' fer nakedness, nothin' bet thurst
an famine an sinful sickness"
Her face set Ike she'd saw er vision
then she dropped on tn ground ez ef she
were dead, an I gathered her in mer
arms an brung her inter IN house.
we took OF them garments she thought
were so red Marthy combed her ha'r
down smooth an plated hit an. we laid
her In tn little bed thar IN tn shed room
whar she used ter sleep An hits tn
truth. mister. I prayed mer God she mout
never come ter her senses. nor onder-
stand what had happened ter her. From
thet on Marthy set by her day an night
pattin' an pettin' her same ez ef she'd
been e. sick baby. From her happy. wan
derin' talk we knowed she'd been ev'v
whar with thet man ez his wife. Then
her voic'd change an she'd be comm
home from some fur-off place, an ali tn
time she thinked them scarlet women
were followin her. nor she couldn't dodge
em. no matter which road she took.
But her mind cleared at last. One
mornin' she opened her eyes. looked e~-
bout her, an whispered.
I'm dead. fur I smells tn thyme on
tn mountains at home An thar were a
terrible sweet look on her face, ez ef she
were talkin' out Of heaven ter me.
'Yo' haln't dead. Mary Frances. bet
yo' hev been sick sez ]. tryin ter keep
back from cryin
'Pappy, am ter homer she ast.
Yes. honey. yo' air ter home
Don't tell nobody" she whispered.
I won't seZ I. kissin' her little thin
hands, bet she drawed EN- er way an
shet her eyes: an tn tears come through.
So I knOwed by thet she remembered.
Il hain't never been so clost ter heaven.
mister. ez some claims ter bel hev alters
been-1oo much Ar marital nan in mar