Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-03-14

90 uDouI ~!
Burning TINT missing hand, I never
Ia ndied nnor nun" said the surgeon.
and she seems perfectly devoted to
him. why cannot ho have herr"
why" echoed Mclean. "why2
Well. for n good many reasons. 1 told
you he was my son. You probably know
that he was not. A little over year
ago | had never seen him. IIe Joined
one Of my lumber gangs from the road.
He IL n stray, left at one of your homes
fcS the friendless here IN Chicago.
When he grew up the superintendent
bound him out TO brutal mum He
ran away and landed In one Of my
lumber camps He hns no name or
knowledge Of legal birth The angel
we have talked of her She has ances.
tors reaching back to Plymouth Rock
and across the sea for generations
back Of that She g an ldolized. petted
only child. and there Is great wealth.
He sees 1t more plainly than any one
else could. There is nothing for the
boy but death If It is the angel that Is
required to save him.
The angel stood between them.
well, | guess not" she cried. "If
Freckles wants me all he has to do Is
to say SO, and he can have mel
THAT he will never say" said Nc
Lean at last, land you don't under
stand. angel. don't know how yon
came here. I wouldn't have hnd you
hear that for the world. but since you
have, dear. you must be told that it
isn't your friendship or kindness
Freckles wants 1t is your love"
well, l do love him." she said sim.
ply.
McLean's arms dropped helplesslv
"iou don't understand he reiterat-
ed patiently. ut isn't the love OF
friend, or comradc. or Il sister. that
Freckles wants from you: it Is the love
OF sweetheart. And If 70 save the
life he has offered for you you are
thinking of being generous and i'm
pulsive enough to sacrifice your future
in the absence of your father it will
become my plain duty, ns the pro.
tector IN whose hands he has placed
you, to prevent such rashness. The
very words you speak ard the manner
in which You say them proves that YOU
are mere child and have not dreamed
what love is"
Il have never had to dream Of love-"
she said proudly. Il have never
known anything else in all my life
but to love every one and to have
every one love me- And there has
never been any one so dear as
Freckles. If you will remember, we
have been through a good deal to-
Eether. ] do love Freckles. lust as
| say | do. don't know anything
nbout the love of sweethearts. but |
love him with all the love in my
heart. and think that will satisfy
him."
surely it oughtw muttered the man
Of knives and lancets.
"As for my father" continued the
angel. "he at once told me what he
learned from you about Freckles.
I'VE known all you know for several
weeks That knowledge didn't change
your love for him particle think
the Bird Woman loved him more.
Why should you two have all the
fine perceptions there are: My father
is never unreasonable. He won't OK.
pect me not to love Frnckles. or not
TO tell him so. if the telling will save
him"
She darted past Mclean into
Frcckles' room. closed the door and
turned the key
Freckles lay raised on Il fat pill
low, bis body immovable in Il plaster
cast. his manned arm. as always. hid
den. The angels heart achcd at the
change in his appearance. He seem
ed so weak. 50 utterly hopeless and
had been one tong terror.
For III" first time she tried putting
herself in FrcckleS' place What would
1t mean to have no parents. no home,
u name: No ne That was hN
worst pi AT. 0'at was to be lost,
indeed utterly and hopelessly lost The
angel lifted her hands to her daZed
head and reelcd as she tried to face
that proposition She dropped OH her
knees by the bed, slipped her arm UNI
dor the pillow, and, leaning over
Frccklcs, set her lips on his forehead.
He smiled family.
"Dear lrccl;lcs." she said, "therc ia
a story In your eyes this morning.
tell me:'
Freckles drew long. wavering
breath
Angel" he begged, "be generous.
Be thinking OF me Il little I'm so
homesick and worn out. dear angel.
he giving mr. back me promise. Let
me go?"
"Why. Freckles." faltered the angel.
"YOu don't know what You are asking.
Let you GO cannot. love YOU
better than any one, Freclles. think
you are the very finest person ever
knew. have our lives all planned
want you to go to be educated and
learn all there is to know about sing.
ing just as soon as you are well
enough. BY the time you have COM
pleted your education l shall have
finished college. and then ! want" she
choked on IT a second, II want you TO
be my real knight, Freckles, and come
TO me and tell me that you-like me--a
little have been counting on you
for my sweetheart from the very first.
Freckles can't give you up unless
you don't like me. But you do like
me-just a lttlc--don you. Freckles:"