The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-04-13

~ Zos<< %N
"AH, YOU POOR, POOR LITTLE MoTHER!"
HE SAID GENTLY.
got frightened and left me in darkness
somehow. Oh, it was dark, and IL
was cropping! heard my children call
Ing, and I could not reach them be-
cause had failed, because I had CIV
en- them father who was thief. And
then-then saw the flames reckoning
In the CRATE, and burnt the proof Of
their fathers guilt-burnt it to ashes."
"You burnt His sentence would
not finish ITSELF The woman buried
her face in her hands that she might
not see the agony in his eyes.
Temple continued to stand before
her, graphing slowly with the horror,
which doomed larger and darker, as it
closed in on him. He stared from her
to the safe, then back again. He, too,
drew his hands across his eyes to cut
out the picture Of the woman who
sank now on her knees before him,
sobbing bitterly, convulsively.
II didn't think, you see. I couldn't
think" she moaned. II saw only my
boys names branded through life."
Still he did not speak.
'Oh, why-why don't you say some
thing? Why don't you curse me?'
, A vast, overwhelming pity surged up
in Temples heart. Suddenly he forgot
himself, his own horrible future, in
the picture Of the woman he loved 50
abased
"Ah. you poor, poor little mother!"
he said at last very gently: He laid
his hand on her bowed head. ''Please
get up" he said hoarsely.
Anna rose and stepped back, her
hands clasped closely against her
breast. A light, akin to worship, shone
In her eyes as she looked at him.
'That's what you have to say to
me-" she breathed-"that? It is like
the magnanimity of Cod I came into
your life, deceiving you, spying upon
you, cheating you. I've destroyed the
one priceless thing that stood between
you and prison, and now your thought
is for me-my suffering and shame!
1mpulsively she raised his hand to
her lips and held it there for an in
slant. 1t was not a caress, but a bene-
diction.
"Oh, you prince Of princes among
men," she said reverently, II have no
words In which to tell you how I hon
or you"
Temple smiled sadly, remotely.
IL think can understand why
you came, why you deceived me, why
you did this terrible thing. You were
fighting for your children and the man
you believed in, and you fought to the
bitter end. It was natural, suppose.
I think understand"
"No" Annals voice was low. but
steady now, and she spoke with a sort
Of interpretive finality. mo. It was
not wholly natural. II had to fight
to do 1t all. It wasn't easy, this de-
cetving you, this spying upon you.
had to 60 against my instinct every
time-give the lie to my impulses.
From the moment saw you must
have been believing in you, I think.
And every day since I've been here
I've been believing more and more.
No, you see. it wasn't wholly natural
1 was fighting against hope"
"But the hope fought, too, didn't It,
dear? he asked solemnly.
A light leaped into her eyes.
AYE" said she. 1T was a fighting
hope. It fought. and it has won." she
whispered half to herself with trem-
bling lips. looking far, far past him.
And 1t was joy to the man to see
the smile in her eyes. II know now
with every faculty what my heart
must have known from the first. I
know that I-yes, know" she shud-
dered, "but I mustn't say IT,
"You love me!'' cried he. 'tNo, don't
nay It," he swallowed painfully. but
It will be a comfort to think some
times that scrap of the very best
that is in you is mine. That can do
no harm, can it?'' a.
She could not answer for fear that
her heart might tear from its moor
ings.
When she spoke it was an eminent
~ practical thing she had to say:
There's some way at least, thank
God, In which can repair a little the
injury have done you. When your
case comes up for trial can give my
testimony, I can tell what became Of
tnat letter. can repeat it, word for
7EE11Ti y. 800 z----- -.