Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-18
. The Fighting Hope .
From the Play by
WILLIAM J. HURLBURT


had no need to spare ones cclors, you
know" She turned to him with an
adorable smile.
/ II know" He was at one with her
, now. responding intuitively to the play
Of her emotions "And the stars left
,, their courses to fight for you. and the
winds Of heaven We'd with each other
to prosper your galleons-wasn't it liEe
thot?" He looked at her; she was
scarcely listening: she was watching
the sunlight catching on the tops OF
the Palisades. 1t was just as we'll; he
WAS safer in his inspection Of her so.
"Uh-huh! Like that" she said. her
ears mechanically following his words
II dare say" she went or musingly. lit
must he that we pass the enchanted
palace while we are asleep. Surely.
at first. it is before us-we can see it
Elisten!ng in the distance. like the
peaks yonder. We shall reach it to-
morrow. next month. next year. And
then one morning we wake up and
and it is behind us. We've passed 1t.
and we can't turn back. We must go
or" Her voice ended in little half
sob.
The sight Of tear trembling on her
lashes cost Burton Temple hundred
conflicts with himself He felt sud,
Gen warmth behind his eyes and in
his throat. All he Gid. however was
to look big. hold his tongue and envy
| the dead their enforced responsibility.
"1-Tm not often agitated." said
Anna. rising, with an odd. starry
display CT oversentiment." Bat be-
fore he could have spoken: 81 must
really go in now. I've promised Mrs.
Mason to play a game Of pachisi, OF
cribbage. or something" she faltered.
So Temple, e!aborately ccmmiserating.
escorted her up the red gravel path.
Anna was growing excessively un
easy For quite two hours now she'd
been anxiously expecting Mrs. Mason's
return from WestEe,d. What could be
the matter? At the very least it must
elder friend came i'll s,ni:.ing!y, disarm-
ing all fears. 81
And how's tho new nurse getting
on with them? Does she make Robbie
wear his rubbers eniwet days? Is his
cold quite gomez Is Harold's finger
well again: Have they hid that hor-
rid penk nife?' Anna was untying
Mrs. Mason's veil and pouring out her
questions in torrent.
Mrs. Mason assured her that the boys
were both we'll ard happy. that the
new nurse was doing beautifully and
that. except for few hours when the
rascals had her locked in the chicken
house. she was haytng acne time -
"Ol, che won't mind an ,tnconse-
quen tial thing likeqthe chicken house"
laughed Anna. handing Mrs. Mason her
veil pins. 'when once she's used to
those boys. They locked their mother
in one day, and had to spank them.
poor little dca:s Oh. but I'm sick with
longing for them-sick!'
II know, cearie," soothed Mrs. Ma
son. patting her on the back, "But
I've something else to tell you. You
couldn't guess why was so late com
ing back? No? Well. I've been Up to
see Robert"
"iou havc! Anna started never so
slightly Isis he we'll? Is he keep
ing up? What did he think about my
being here:"
ooh, he's well, and he's keeping UP.
They're all very good to him. They
feel be is UP there through miscar-
rage of justice. They treat him kind
ly. They've made him what they cali
Il 'trrsty.'"
Anna was listening with strained at
tentiOn.
you explained to him. didn't you
Mrs. Mason? You made it clear just
why left home? You made him un-
1erstand that l am in position here
to find ont the truth that will convict
the man who has done this thing:"
Mrs. Mason p!ucked several inagi-
nary threads off her skirts to hide her
confusion.
'At first, you know" went on Anna.
II thought it best not to let him know
NUOuL lily uONAuS lcAt AO"C. NLS"
he would worry about the boys. But
few days ago managed to get him
word 1 felt the time had come. And
now. what does he sayT
Mrs. Mason still faltered. Her COIL
science would not permit her to tell
less than the whole truth; nevcrthc-
less. she longed for some fashion in
xvhir1, to nY1r II gently
"well, he said, dear-be turned
white ard said he didn't want you to
remain in this house. Said it didn't
look quite right; that he'd rather have
you home with the children than here
In Temples house"
Anna smiled indulgently. 'Poor
boy! Hes afraid the work will prove
too hard for ne. It won't. I'll fastcn
the crime yet. though it may break my
neart." The final words were almost
choked. She walked across to the win
dow and stood staring out at the grim
prison there. It was q little trick she
had learned whenever she wished to
steel herself in the fight she had ur-
dertaken. Presently she turned back
10 dumb, pathetic perplexity In each
gray eye.
"Oh, II I could get back to the con-
dition in which entered this house
the clear air where there are no OBJ
scursties, no mysteries"-