The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-04-04
CHAPTER XXI.
SEEKING A RIRTuRIouT.

H into the cOyerlet. HIS chi
HI pointed ceilingward and nj
IL head rocked on the pillow
wait a bit. angel" he begged. "B
giving me a little time"
The angel rose with controlled fea
lures. She Datned ms face. straIgnren
ed his hair and held water TO his lips
II seemed an age before be reached 70
her. She took his hand and leaneC
her cheek upon 1t.
''Tell me, Freckles," she whispered
softly.
"If 1 cam" said Freckles. in biting
agony. ITS just this. Angels are from
above. Outcasts are from below
You've a sound body and you're beau
tifulest of ALL You have everything
that loving. careful raising and money
can give you. | have 50 much less
than nothing that | don't suppose
had any right TO be born. It's sure
thing-nobody wanted me afterward
80. OF course, they didn't before Some
OF them should have been telling yo,
long ago."
IF that's all you have to tell.
| Freckles, I've known that quite
awhile" said the angel stoutly. MIR.
Mclean told my father. and he told
me. That only makes me love you
more. to pay for all you've missed"
Then I'm wondering at you" said
Freckles. in voice OF awe. Cant
you see that If you were willing and
your father would come and offer you
to me. couldn't be touching the
soles of your feet. In love-me, whose
people bra wled over me, cut off me
hand. and throwed me away TO freeze
and to die. Me, who has no name
Just as much because I've no right
TO any. as because | don't know 1t.
When | was little. l planned to find
me father and mother when | grew
up Now 1 know me mother deserted
me. and me father was maybe thief
and surely a liar. The pity of me
suffering and the watching over me
has gone TO your head, dear angel,
and It's me must be thinking for you.
If you could be forgetting me lost
hand. where | was raised, and that |
had no name to give you. and If you
would be taking me as ! am. some
day people such as mine must be
might come upon you. | used to pray
livery night and morning and many
times the day to see me mother. Now
l only pray to die quickly and never
risk the sight of her "Tain't no ways
possible. angel. It's a wildness of
your dear head. Oh. do. for mercy
sake, kiss me once more and be let
ting me Gop'
Not for a minute"' cried the angel.
mot for a minute. If those are all
the reasons you have. There are
thousands of young couples who come
to this country and start a family
with none of their relatives here. Chi
cago is a big city. and grown people
could be wiped out in a lot of ways,
and who would there ever be to find
to whom their little children belonged? |
It's all so plain TO me. oh. If could |
only make you see!'
She buried her face in the pillow and |
presently lifted 1t, TRANSPORTED
Now | have IT," she cried. "Oh. dear |
leart! | can make 1t so plain! Freck-
es. can you imagine you see the old
.imberlost trail? Well. when we fol-
owed 1t, you know, there were places
where ugly prickly thistles evergreen
he path. and you went ahead with
'our club and bent them back TO keep
hem from stinging through my cloth
ng. Other places there were great
Inning pools where lovely. snow white
lies grew. and you waded in and
altered them for me. Oh. dear heart,
ont you see? It's this. Everywhere
he wind carried that thistledown. 9TH
r thistles sprang up and grew prick
IS and wherever those lily seeds sank
lies bloomed. But. Freckles. there
-as never place anywhere about the
imberlost. or in the whole world. :
here the thistledowu tioated and
)rang up and blossomed into white ,
lies. ThistleS grow from thistles and
lies grow other lilies. Dear Freckles.
link hard. You must see It, You are
~. straight through! You never. new
could nave drtrted from the thistle
itch. :;
Where did you get the courage TO
, into the limberlost ana face its ter :,
rsi You Inherited it from the blood I
n brave father. dear neart. Where i
d you get the pluck to mold for over 7
year job that FEW men would have
ken at alli You got II from n plucky Z
other. you bravest OF boys. You wad- i
single handed INTO man almost Z
nee your size and fought like a 4
mon, just at the suggestion thar you !
uld be deceptive and dishonest. -
,uld your mother OF your father have
zen untruthfulf Here you are. so
lngry ana starved out that you are
ing FOR love. Where did you get all
at capacity for Iovingf You didn't >
herit IL from hardened. heartless
ople who would dlshgure you and
rposely leave you 10 die. that's one
re thing. Yet You will spend miser-
lie years torturing yourself with the
sn that your own mother might nave
I on that hand. Shame on you. Il
eckles. Your mother would have
ne this :,
Ihe nngeI Deliberately turned back -