Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-26

FRFCkLES
Gene S@raGG@m-
Porter
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PACE
CHAPTER XIV.
RINGS AND A FEATHER.

8IN00 AND "A (EAJdk0s
n HE Angels tear stained fact
flashed into dazzling beauty. :.
"Oh, Freckles. forgive M!
~ she cried. 1--WE been threas. :.
30 much that I'm scarcely myssf o'
wouldn't be here hcthering yea "neu
you should b sleeping. OF course you
couidnn. You're too gooS . knisnt ;"
i. remember a thing like tnat. Or Course
you are! And when you don't r'in .e !.
Der. why, then It's the same 40
never happened. oh, Freckts' :" 50
glad. I'm so happy! It's lear OF 70"
TO not remember, Freezes; perfectly
dear, IT.. NO wonde- love you So
The wonder would - II did not l
.hor,d Iike to kp,~ how I'm ever go
inr to make 70. understand bow much
p,,,ov "a all. she caught him to
s.- n,o..f. and then she was gone.
a.rsIdes lay dazed WITH ast0ntsh-
~ At last his batting eyes rolled
.0out the room. searching for some
thing approaching the human to
which be could appeal. and. falling on
his mothers portrait. he set IL up be-
fore him
"For the love Of life! Ne little
mother" he painted. Ibid you hear
thaty DID you hear TT FELL me. am
/ living or am l dead and all heaven
como true this minute: Did you near
It? You are only pictured face. and
of course you can't talk. but the soul
OF you must be somewhere. and sure.
y In this hour you are near enough
to be hearing. Tell me. did you hear
thatf ] can't ever be telling living
soul; hut. darling little mother, that
gave your life for mine. can always
be talking OF 1t to you! Every day
we'll talk It over ana try to under
all women like thaty Were you like
me swamp Angel: II you were then
I'm understanding why me father fol-
lowed across the ocean and went into
the IRE after you"
Freckies' voice trailed OF. his eyes
dropped shut. and his head rolled back
from sheer, exhaustion. Later In the
day he inststed on seeing Lord and
Lady O'Moeo. but he tainted before
the look OF his own face on that OF
another man.
Tue next morning the man Of at
1airAAs with q heart filed with misgiv-
ings.f undertook the interview ON
which F'reckies insisted. His fears
wer0 wItuUuv ~-AArSeAtes-Afaa
the soul of honor and simplicity.
''Have they been telling you what's
come to meY he asked without even
waiting for a greeting.
"Yes," said the angels father.
"Do you think you have the very
worst Of it clear to your understand
fngy"
Under Freckles' earnest eyes the
man OF affairs answered soberiy, Il
think 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 filed his
eyes, and be reached out his hand
Then q angels father understood.
and he clasped that hand and held 1t
in a strong. flrm grasp.
Terence, my boy" hs said. ''let me
do the talking. 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, IL she has found the man
she desires to marry. not 10 losing all
i have. bot ~ gaining . man can
depend On to love % son and 70 take
charge Of my affairs for her VIXEN !
retire from business. Bend all Of your
energies toward rapid rscovery.. ana
from this hour understand that ny
daughter and my home are yours"
You're not forgetting thisz"
Ereckies lifted his right arm.
Terence. I'm sorrier than I have
words 70 express about that, ;" said the
man Of anaira "But II It's up to me
60 choose whether give al have
left In this world to q man With
hand Oh his body or to one OF these
gambling. tippling. immoral spend.
Thrills Of today. with both hands and
feet on their souls and q rotten spot
IN the core. choose you. and It seems
that my daughter does the same. Put
what - left you Of that right arm to
eA0 OHDS G0eo SVO lS0o Al N0AD "VAs0S
and nsvsr again mention or feel that
It II defective ~ long 40 you i've.
Good day. sirg'
"one 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 me father all Of
her fortune and her house because she
knew that his father would be cutting
him on. and that mo uncle had also
ret asids for me what would DO me
fathers interest IN bis fathers estate.
Whatever the sum b that me
grandmother left me father, because
she loved him and wanted him to b
having II. that Ill b taking. Twas
hers from her father. and she had the
right 20 be giving It % she chose. Any
thing from the man that knowingly
left me father and me mother b 60
cold and hungry and into the IRE In
misery when Just . little would have
made life 70 beautiful to them and
savod mo this crippled body-m0ney
that - willed from me when ~ know
I was hvins. Of hts blood and on char
lty anong strangers, don't touch. not
Il ffoeae. stafve and burn tool lf
ineesTSS ::s:.s e.e..:s he.!4ee thet enA