El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-18
The Herald's
Daily Short Story

you described often and often You
are Mr.. Emery, aren't you? Mr. Ste
phen Emery?"
His eyes still on hers. he nodded.
Yes" ne admitted. that's my
name. How do you come to know it!
| Its-funny-that,"
| But she shook her head
| NO" she said, IFS not so funny.
| Bob spoke to me about you often an
| often. an besides he had a photo
| graph Of you that he'd brought back
from America. I've been expecting
| you-sort Of Bob always said that
you'd be sure to come some time. An
I'm glad you've come Oh, but I'm
! gladI"
Unable to understand, he stared at
her.
It's Bob" he managed at last, that
I've come TO see. Where is he? Where
can 1 find him? It's been a long time
of waiting an long journey I've had,
an 1 want to see him now"
She turned away and he saw her
shoulders were quivering.
Come in, please" she returned, her
lor an well talk. But first I must
tell you Bob-Bob's dead"
What? Dead? Good heavens, an I
came all this way to-
He broke off there, and followed her
awkwardly into the room And then
he noticed for the first time that her
dress was black.
And I've got a letter for you. Mr..
Emery"
"a letter%
Yes. one Bob wrote. 1t was a
queer thing about him, you know. that
weeks and weeks before he was killed
he seemed to fancy that he wasn't go
ing to live long. It used to frighten
me. Well, he wrote this letter, and he
made me promise that I'd keep it for a
year in case you came; and if you
didn't come, then / was to try to find
you, but 1 was never to.lread the let
ter myself. Wait a moment please.
and I'll get it for you
He took it in silence, and tearing
open the envelope, read the contents
with narrowed eyes:
g. You'll find it hard to for
give me-" it ran, but for my sisters
sake 1 ask you to do that. 1 was mad
against you that time of the fight,
and l didn't treat you square, but it
wasn't for my own sake that I took
your gold. 1t was for Joan, my sis
ter. 1 got letter from home just
then, and it told how my father was
dead, and how Joan was terribly i'll
and there was no one to see after her.
and no money to buy her wnac she
needed. Well, I'd none. and 1 was
desperate, and so took yours. But
always meant to pay you back. and I
can do that now. My uncle died a
week or two back, and he left me his
cottage and bit of money too and
put it all with the solicitors for you.
Joan'n tell you who they are and
where to find them. Try to forgive
me, for 1 always liked you, Steve. And
for the love of God never breath a
word of this to Joan. She doesn't
know a thing; doesn't guess a thing.
She thinks you and me were pals al
ways. So we would have been If we
hadn't been fools over that woman
Madge. Joan's all 1 love in
the world, Steve, and she's worth low
ing, too. Don't tell her what
her brother did, even If 1T was for her
sake. But l know you won't, for you're
white all through, even though you
did try to kill me once, as nearly
killed you. Don't tell joan"
1t was on that insistent note that
the letter ended, and 1t was with these
words burning in his brain that Ste
phen looked up at the girl.
Slowly he smiled at her, then without
word he twisted the letter up and
held 1t over the lamp, and when the
flame had burned down to his fingers
he let the last of the ashes draw into
the CRATE.
Bob was a fine chap" he said
gravely, "a fine brother andHand a
fine friend He and I had a bit of a
dust-up once, Miss Canning, but it's
all right now, and-I honor his MEM
ory."
He looked at her straightly, and.
looking the Slow flush
mounted to her brow, and saw, too,
something in her eyes which later he
was to know the meaning of, but