Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-01-12
tiful young mother Of Miner Hastily
Anna brushed away q bit Of undue


Anna brushed away a bit Of undue
moisture In her lustrous eyes. "How
she used to preach love and ideals to
me, End how you used to preach duty
and principles! Have you still that lit
tie yellowed book compiled by your
great-grandmother filled with clippings
concerning the duties of motherhood.
the goodness of woman and the incon-
stancy of man? l remember the mar
gins Of the book were strewn with
old recipes for the dressing Of meats.
the preserving of fruits. the brewing
of cunning cordials, all of which struck
me rs ministering to at least one con-
stancy In man-his devotion to good
dinner, eh?" Anna laughed at the rec.
objection.
Eyes, still have it. And speaking
Of dinners, have you grown to be n
good little housewife? / suppose your
husband-but, by the way. you haven't
yet told me your husbands name"
A vivid crimson surged to Annals
face, her slim neck, her little ears and
open brow. Then she threw back her
pretty, patrician head proudly.
my husbands name is Robert Gran
ger"
They stared for an instant at each
other, woman to woman. Then Mrs.
Mason gasped:
Robert Granger, the man
The young wife looked Mt her old
friend almost sternly.
"The man who Is in prison serving
term that Burton Temple should be
serving. Oh. Mrs. Mason. what have
I done? You must guard my conf
dence sacredly-you must! You will,
won't you-yOu willY' She was white
now and wide eyed with the import
Of 1t all.
"Why. yes. dear; of courseof
course. But tell me. don't under
stand Why are you here?'
II am here, Mrs Mason. to find
some evidence that will clear my hns-
bands name and that will send the
guilty man to Sing Sing in his place"
The soft insistence with which she
pronounced her purpose was more
startling than any violence could have
been.
"How did you get Mary Graham's
position?" pursued Mrs. Mason.
"You see. Mary and have been
friends. real friends. for years. We
studied stenography in the same
school ten years ago. We've kept up
with each other ever since. When
when oil this trouble came l asked
her to help me. to see II she couldn't
find some clew. something that would
help somehow. 1t seems like a merci.
full providence that she had been sent
here. She tried. but she couldn't.
Finally she suggested that come my
self. She made plea of Ill health,
and SO it was quite simply managed,
you see"
"But the children, AnnaT
"Oh. 1t nearly broke my heart to
leave them! But l had to, you see.
There's no one else to do the fighting
for their fathers honor. If can only
find some evidence"
"You think there is hope Of finding
sonnet"
"Oh, there Is hope. But I've got to
fight for It: and. dear God. I'm going
to! I'm going to meet this Burton
Temple. and I'm going to fight him.
IN be his faithful secretary. but IN
spy upon him; Ill be his shadow.
There must come some unguarded mo
ment when his mask will fall I'll do
his bidding. oh, yes. my hands riding
his desk. He'll know what it is to
have an outraged mother spying at
his sidew
'S-sh-h, dearie! Some one will hear.
You're overweight"
There Is something almost tigerish
In mother love, isn't there. Mrs. Ma
son? That's how I feel sometimes,
quite like tigress. l wonder II you
can understand the agony Of 1t when
my boys ask me about their father.
Where's fatherT why does he stay
20 longT 'When's he coming home ?
And I have to look into their baby
faces and lie to them. When they give
me their morning kiss I lie to them.
When they say their prayers lie. l
even let the little tots lie to God. And,
oh. the questions they can ask! OF
course I know that God. being God.
viii understand-that he alone can
make allowances for a mothers love
and lies, but the most miserable part
Of 1t Is that soon these lies will be
no good Now I can delude them by
some trumped up story Of travel and
foreign lands. but soon at school they
win be told. they will be tainted.
oh. the torturew
Mrs. Mason, wishing to distract her
attention from this tragic note, said:
'But their father, tell me a little
about him. know. however unjustly
he may be suffering at present. that
he is in reality a strong. forceful man,
man who can do big things l al
ways knew my little Anna would mar
~ man like that"
There was slight pathetic uplifting
OF the lovely eyebrows. then an indie
scribably delicate smile. with just the
faintest hint Of sadness. as Anna Gran
ger slowly shook her head.
mo. Bobs isn't that kind at ALL"
she said. Hes of the gentle. sweet,
appealing sort. not forceful, and he'll
never do big things. but there are 9TH
er qualities which can make up for
forcefulness, don't you think? And
he's clever. He was advanced rapidly
In the Gotham Trust company. Only
sometimes when I'm very tired and
spent-I long for the lion strength. It's
dreadful for woman Us young as
am to feel so utterly weary
She walked unthinkingly over to the