, 1911-11-09

p v.

WtuTlly Oue udy. mere l We
Ill been for nearly a month and
- I've found out nothing. l
don't believe l ever will find out any
thing of myself against Mr.. Temple"
The housekeeper started and eyed
her c%uriously.
Even If you don't find out anything.
dearie." she said stolidly. you may be
pretty certain that your husband will
be set free Mr.. Temple may be in
dicted now any day. and everybody.
all the papers, say the cfrcumstantial
evidence is so strong that he must be
convicted. He's surely guilty" Mrs.
Mason. as all who knew her we're
aware. once having formed an opinion.
held to it.
Il dom want Robert cleared on cir
cumstantial evidence" protested Anna.
THAT'S not what I'm making this
fight for, | know what public opinion
Is. It's tickle: it cries 'HosannahY on
Palm Sunday: II cries 'Crucify!' on
Good Friday. l know the sway of
the press can make or unmake a man
Just now it's making Robert and
breaking Mr. Temple, but after the
clamor will come doubt l want the
proof of Roberts innocence In my
own hands. 1 don't want any senti
menta vindication for the father of
my boys"
The father of her boys! Yes. 1t had
come to ne Just that. Unconsciously
she had said 1t. To keep herself to
her duty she had fallen pack on that
last reserve of a woman's strength.
her mother love.
And how hungry she was growing
for them. these boys of hers! 'Oh. |
need them. she exclaimed in a sud
den outburst-"I need themI Do you
know. without them even my prayers
have come to be stricken and palsied
things Without them the great scheme
of the universe seems to have got gro
tesqueiy mixed. i~rrationally jumbled.
With child in her arms a woman
feels always less like a speck of sand
under the eye of the Infinite. the In.
comprehensive. It's the u~nbreakabl e
link of the Human o binding us to
the feet of God. I suppose Anna
leaned forward over her machine and
buried her head in her arms.
A light was d wning upon Mrs. Ma
Boh-d llsni Nul'H sue uTtiutu. Slo
came over and stroked the buried
head.
What beautiful hair you have.
child,' she said fatuitously. not know
ing what else to say
"Uh-huh," murmured the young wo
man whimsically Its pleasant to
feel soft and smooth. isn't it. yet of
fering a slight resistance to strokingi
It's modern. independent hair
This mood would never do The
prim New Englander saw it. II say.
Anna. what you need is to have a lit,
tie visit with your children. Mr.. TEN.
Pile will excuse you for a day. | know
You can run out to see them. and
"Oh. but l can't-I can't. you see"
cried Anna in an extremity of desire
and duty. "a day. Why, just in
that very day the evidence I'm seek
ing might come-a letter. a telegram.
a telephone message. Look here.
Mrs. Mason" Opening a drawer of
her desk. she took out a handkerchief.
One corner Of it was tied in a hard
knot over may tiny scraps of paper.
"As Mr. Temple was leaving the
room Just before o came in he tore
up this letter and threw 1t in the waste
basket. you understand? You ask me
often Why | am so white in the morn
ings when | come down to breakfast
" ell it's because haven't slept It's
because I've been passing the night
trying to piece together just such
scraps as these. Always-always with
no result
Nothing works against him. Every
thing-every little bit of evidence
works for him. A little side light on
his splendid fighting qualities here:
another on some unknown patrician
act of kindness to some fellow being
there. oh. It's horrible. horriblei As
l say, the whole of life seems to have
got mixed-jumbled. Yet l must go
on hoping against hope for the chill
dren's sake"
"Dearie. l m what I'll do. I'll
run out myself tomorrow and see
them and fetch you back direct word.
Would you like it?"
For reply, in an abandon of crate
fitness. Anna drew the elder oma
down to her and kissed her again and
again.
That afternoon, taking a stroll In the
garden, Annals heart felt lighter. and
her dimples stirred incipiently. remem-
bering Mrs. Mason's promise.
Tomorrow she said softly. stop
ping for a second before a rosebush
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A