The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-02-01

there, hardly breathing, fiat, with
white hands picking at the bed covers,
Graves snatched up d handful of the
baubles and turned. Suddenly two
powerful arms caught him as in a wise
and he looked up into the face of the
middle-aged man.
Come outside, you-you dog.'
whispered the other. Caught In the
act. you dirty sneak-thief! Let me
look at your face: So you would rob
dying woman, would you? I'm 60
ing to strip the hide on you before /
call the police
I didn't know Graves babbled.
A feeble voice from the sick bed
made both start.
'John!" whispered the sick woman
John! It's you, dear John: / knew
You would come home!s
The captor and the captive stood
motionless, thrilled by the pity in the
voice.
John, won't you come here and kiss
your old mother?" pleaded the yoice.
Il knew that / should live to see you
again
The middle-aged man whispered into
the ear Of the thief.
Her son was killed In an automo-
bile accident last week Now's your
chance. I'll let2you so If
You're coming to me, aren't you,
John?"
Yes muttered the thief, and with
unsteady footsteps he staggered to-
ward the bed, found it, and sank down
upon chair. He felt the hand of
the old woman close upon his.
Are you John? Ars you my boy?
cannot see. Tell me that you are
John" the old woman whispered.
Yes, am John" the convict whis-
pered back.
She said no more for a while but
seemed to doze. Gently. by almost
imperceptible degrees, the man in the
room lowered the gas light till 1t vas
only little tWinkling fame In the
darkness. And the thief sat motion
less, his hand held tightly in the light
clasp Of the dying woman
After long time she reused her
self. Johnny, : she whispered, turn
me SO that can put my lips to your
ear And the convict turned the
shrunken old body reverently, and
with new and strange fearlessness.
Then the old woman spoke again, and
SO low and weak were her tones that
he could only grasp them by bending
his ear till her lips touched It.
Johnny" she said, T want you to
be . good boy after am gone.
want you be good FOR your old
mothers sa There nos
body win ever love dou IS have done
nobody IA the whole world, You've
been Wild. Johnny, dear, and people
have said hard things about you and
called you hard names, but knew
that you were my boy Johnny, my
good boy. and that you were good at
heart. Promise me you'll always run
straight, Johnny!n
Graves promised.
Then I can go In peace. Johnny,
dear. Kiss me. The dying woman
half raised herself and Graves took
her in his arms and pressed his lips
reverently to her forehead. And not
daring to stir, he remained thus halt
through the night.
Then longer-till the gray light be-
gan to steal through the shutters,
vying with the low glow of the gas.
The outlines OF the room became ap-
parent, the objects visible. Graves
had almost fallen asleep when the
man touched him on the shoulder and
pointed
The vital fires had burned them
selves out; gently and imperceptinly
the life had faded out OF the old frame.
The dead woman's placid smile
seemed like a benediction
Graves rose up. TIN ready now
he said to the man.
."Go!' answered the man, pointing
to the door: and the ex-conviet shut
fled along the carpet, his face work
ing, his checks stained with tears.
He halted at the door, hesitated. and
bA0ihCA ucaSh o6011. A4C WOAe u ~
the man.
Il don't want to CO." he muttered.
II want you to call the police Say"
he went on, in impassioned accegts,
I've got an old mother like that In
and she's alive and wants
me to come home Do you think IL |
went that I could ever become man
again? I've been In prison three
years"
The mans hand fell on his shoulder,
Just as the head Warder's had fallen.
He seemed sorry for him; 1t was odd,
to come to think OF 1t, how kind men
were to one another.
my dear fellow, ! believe that Pro.
whence sent you here-Providence
which is only another name for God,'
said the man. Go back and face the
world anew In your home town
Why, that was just what the gov
ernor had said!
He held his hand out and the other
took it and grasped 1t warmly. Sud.
lenly Graves remembered. He pulled
out from his pocket a handful OF
rings. He placed them
Upon the dressing table and walked