Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-07-23
CHAPTER XIV.
p1NGa AND A FEATHER.

II~I he anSeIS tear SCalueu ldcs
Hill flashed into dazzling beauty.
Hi "Oh, Freckles, forgive me-!
~ she crieG. "I've been through
so much that I'm scarcely myself or
wouldn't be here botherIng you when
you should be sleeping. OF course you
couldn't You're too good knight to
remember q thing like that. OF course
you are! And when you don't remem'
Der, why, then It's the same as If II
never happened. Oh, Freckles, I'm SO
glad! I'm so happy! It's dear Of you
| to not remember, Freckles; perfectly
dear! It's no wonder I love you So
The wonder would be II I did not.
should like to know how I'm ever go
ing to make you understand how much
love you!"
Pillow and all, she caught him to
her breast, and then she was 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 1t up be-
fore him.
"For the love Of life! Me little
mother" he painted, did you hear
that? Did you hear It? Tell me, am
/ living or am / dead and all heaven
come true this minute? Did you hear
it? You are only pictured face, and
Of course you can't talk, but the SOU
of you must be somewhere. and sure
ly in this hour you are near enough
to be hearing. Tell me, did you hear
that? ] can't ever be telling a living
soul; but, darling little mother, that
gave your life for mine, can always
be talking Of 1t to you! Every day
we'll 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 the ocean and went into
the fire after you"
Freckles' voice trailed OF, 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 az
fairs, with heart filed with misgiv'
ings, undertook the interview on
which Freckles insisted. His fears
were without cause. Freckles was
the soul OF honor and simplicity.
Have they been telling you what's
come to me?" he asked without even
waiting for q greeting.
"Yes," said the angels father.
"Do you think you have the very
worst of 1t clear to your understand
lng?"
Under Freckles' earnest eyes the
man of affairs answered soberly, Il
think I 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 bis
eyes, and he reached out his hand.
Then III angels father understood,
and he clasped that hand and held 1t
In q strong. nrm 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. should
like, at the proper time, to regard her
marriage, II she has found the man
she desires to marry. not as losing all
l have, but as gaining a man l can
depend On to love as son and to take
charge of my affairs for her when l
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.
"Terencc, I'm sorrier than l have
words to express about that" said the
man of affairs. But II it's up to me
to choose whether ! give all / have
left in this world to man with a
hand of his body or to one OF these
gambling, ti1pllng. immoral spend
thrifts of today. With both hands and
feet Off their souls and q rotten spot
| In the core, l choose you, and 1t 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 me father all OF
her fortune and her house because she
knew that his father would be cutting
him, OF, and that me uncle had also
set aside for me what would be me
fathers interest in his fathers estate.
"Whatevar the sum is that me