Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-06-06

80 much that I'm scarcely InyS..i %.
wouldn't be here bothpring y"r whom
you should be sleeping. or con"~, vo,
u You're 90 good 81 knlsh' III
remember Il thing like that. Os course
you are: And when vrn, don't r4nnpln.
Der, why. then it's tue same as if it
never happened. Oh. i~>rv"kles. I'm so
glad: I'm so happy. Its lear Of you
to not remen,lui. F'rsrkipS: perfectly
dear. It's 10 wonder love you SO.
The wonder would he if | did not. |
should like to know how I'm ever 60
Ing to inake you understand how much
l love you"
he breast. and then she vas gone.
Freckles lay dazed With astonIsh-
ment. AT last his batting eyes rolled
about the room. searching for some
thing approaching the human to
which he could appeal, and. falling on
his mothers portrait. he set it up be-
fore him.
"For the love OF life! Me little
mother" he painted. did you heat
that? Did you hear it? Tell me am
! living or am l dead and all heaven
come true this minute: Did you hear
It? You are only a pictured face, and
of course You can't talk, but the soul
OF you must be somewhere, and sure
~ In this hour you are near enough
to be hearing. Tell me, did you hear
that: l can't ever be telling a living
soul; but, darling little mother, that
gave your life for mine. l can always
be talking OF it to you! Every day
Well talk 1t over and try to under
stand the miracle OF 1t. Tell me, are
all women like that? Were you like
me Swamp Angel: ii you were then
I'm understanding why me father fol-
lowed across b ocean and went into
the fire after you"
Freckles' voice tra1led off. his eyes
dropped shut, and his head rolled back
from sheer exhaustion. Later in the
day he insisted on seeing Lord and
Lady O'More. but he tainted before
the look OF his own face on that of
another man.
The next morning the man Of af-
fairs, with a heart filled with misgiv-
ings. undertook the interview on
which Freckles insisted. His fears
were Without cause. Freckles was
the soul OF honor m simplicity.
Have they been telling you what's
come to mew he asked without even
| Uaitinp fop q rrnofinr
YES" said the Angels father.
"Do you think you have the very
worst of it clear to your understand
ing?"
Under Freckles' earnest eyes the
man OF affairs answered soberly, Il
think l have, Mr.. O'More."
That was the first time Freckles
heard his name from the lips of an
other man. One second he lay over
come. the next great tears filled his
eyes, and he reached out his hand.
Then tn Angels father understood.
and he clasped that hand and held 1t
in a strong, 1rm grasp.
Terence, my boy" he said. "let me
do the talking. l came in here with
the understanding that you wanted to
ask me for my only child. I should
like. at the proper time, to regard her
marriage, if she has found the man
she desires to marry, not as losing all
l have, but as gaining a man 1 can
depend on to love as a son and to take
charge of my affairs for her when I
retire from business. Bend all Of your
energies toward rapid recovery, and
from this hour understand that my
daughter and my home are yours"
You're not forgetting this"
Freckles lifted his right arm.
Terence. I'm sorrier than I have
words to express about that" said the
man Of affairs. But if it's up to me
to choose whether l give all l have
left in this world to a man with a
hand off his body or to one of these
gambling, tipping. immoral spend
thrifts of today. with both hands and
feet off their souls and a rotten spot
in the core, I choose you, and it seems
that my daughter does the same. Put
what is left you of that right arm to
the best uses you can in this world.
and never again mention or feel that
it is defective as long as you live.
Good day. sir"
Zone minute more" said Freckles.
Yesterday the angel was telling me
that there was money coming to me
from two sources. She said that me
grandmother had left M father all of
her fortune and her house because she
knew that his father would be cutting
him off, and that me uncle had also
set aside for me what would be me
fathers interest in his fathers estate.
whatever the sum is that me
grandmother left me father, because
she loved him and wanted him to be
having it, that I'll be taking. Twas
hers from her father. and she had the
right to be giving it a she chose. Any.
thing from the man that knowingly
left me father and me mother to go
cold and hungry and into the fire In
misery when just a little would have
made life SO beautiful to them and
saved me this crippled body-money