Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-03
q The Fighting Hope .
Novelized by
VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
CONTINUED from Yesterday

Continued from Yesterday
'Oh. It 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
some?"
"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.
III be his faithful secretary, but III
spy upon him; I'll be bis shadow.
There must come some unguarded mo-
ment when his mask will fall. III do
his bidding, oh, yes. my hands rifling
his desk. He'll know what it Is to
have an outraged mother spying at
his side"
"S-sh-h. dearie! Some one will hear.
You're overweight"
There is something almost tigerish
il mother love, isn't there. Mrs. Ma
ron? That's how I feel sometimes,
quite like tigress. wonder If you
can understand the agony Of it when
my boys ask me about their father.
where's father?' why does he stay
so long,? 'When's he coming homer
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. I
even let the little tots lie to God. And,
oh, the questions they can ask! OF
course I know that God. being God,
will understand-that he alone can
make allowances for a mothers love
and lies, but the most miserable part
Of it 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
will be told. they will be taunted.
Oh, the torture!'
Mrs. Mason. wishing to distract her
attention from this tragic note, said:
But their father, tell me a little
about him. I know. however unjustly
he may be suffering at present, that
he is in reality strong, forceful man,
a man who can do big things. al
ways knew my little Anna would mar
~ a 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 4 woman as young 40 l
am to feel SO utterly weary
She walked unthinkingly over to the
big bay window. There beyond the
blue flowing Hudson the grim prison
walls smote her vision.
"Oh. what was saying!' she cried.
with little penitent sob. II feel like
a traitor to Robert. Poor, dear boy.
suffering up there for another's crime.
He may have his-his weaknesses and
failings-which Of US has not? But
at least he's not the sort ever to be
guilty of theft. and he's just the best
father and husband in the world For
get what I said, Mrs. Mason. Yo3
will. won't your
ITO be sure. dearie-to be sure.
think you're noble woman. Anna-a
model wife. And what's better.
brave mother" She studied quietly
with herself for few seconds, while
Anna gathered her poise. Possibly
providence had decreed that she re-
main under this uncongenial roof for
the sole purpose Of watching over this
poor, motherless girl. Then:
"You see. dear, when you came l
had just decided it was my duty to
leave Mr.. Temple. Now l am going
to stay and help you in your brave en-
deavor. I'll stay at least till his moth
er gets back. She's abroad now. and