The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1913-09-26

IG~5E>Ay she 1elL competent W uc-
CSsYSS) cline the proposal Of mar
riage she had received. Il haven't
even a name: the name l call myself
is a lie. Ralph is a noble a l love
him with all my heart. but l can never
be his"
What talk is this said Father
Abram. You said that you remember
your parents. Why do you say you
have no name: l do not understand
Il do remember them said Miss
Chester. Il remember them too well.
My first recollections are of our life
somewhere in the far south. We NOV
ed many times to different towns and
states. l have picked cotton and work
ed in factories and have often gone
without enough food and clothes. My
mother was sometimes good to me: my
father was always cruel and beat me-.
l think they We're both idle and unset
tied.
lone night when we were living in a
little town on a river near Atlanta they
had a great quarrel. 1t was while they
were abusing and haunting each other
that l learned-oh, Father Abram, I
learned that 1 didn't even have the
right to-don't you understand? l had
no right ever to a name; I was no.
body.
II ran away that night. I walked to
Atlanta and found work. I gave my
self the name of Rose Chester and have
earned my own living ever since"
BETTER than sympathy was Father
Abrams depreciation of her woes.
Why, dear, dear. Is that all?" he
said. File, fe. If this perfect young
man Is a man at all he will not care a
pinch Of bran for your family tree.
Dear Miss Rose, take my word for it it
is yourself he cares for. Tell him
frankly. Just as you have told me-
II shall never tell him." said Miss
Chester sadly. And l shall eve
marry him nor any one else"
But they saw a long shadow come
bobbing up the sunlit road. And then
ann a shorter one bobbing by it's side,
and presently two strange figures APP
preached the church. The long shadow
was made by Miss Phoebe Summers,
the organist, come to practice. Tom
my league, aged twelve, was respon-
sible for the shorter shadow. 1t was
Tommy's day to pump the organ for
Miss Phoebe. and his bare toes proud
~ spurned the dust of the road.
Miss Phoebe. in her lilac spray chintz
dress. with her accurate little curls
hanging over each ear. courtesied low
to Father Abram and shook her curls
tremendously at Miss Chester. Then
she and her assistant climbed the
steep stairway to the organ loft.
In the gathering shadows below
Father Abram and Miss Chester lin
gered. They were silent. and it is like
ly that they were busy with thei,
memories. Miss Chester sat leaning
her head or her hand, with her eye.
fixed far away. Father .Abram stoo(
IN the next pew, looking thoughtful,
out of the door at the road and thu
ruined cottage.
suddenly the scene was tranSfOrmet
for him back almost a score of year
into the past. For, as Tommy pumped
away, Miss Phoebe struck a low has
note oH the organ and held it to ties
the volume of air that it contained
The church ceased to exist, so far IA
Father .Abram was concerned. TIL
deep, booming vibration that shoe
the little frame building was no not
from an orean. but the humming O
the mill machinery. He felt sure tina
the old overslot wheel was turning
that he was back again, a dusty. merr
miller in the old mountain mill. An
now evening was come, and 500
would come Agiaia with flying color:
toddling across the road to take hi
home to supper. Father Abram'
eyes were fixed upon the broken doc
of the cottage.
And then came another wonder.
the gallery overhead the sacks of f1ol
were stacked in long rows. PerhaI
a mouse had been at one of them; an.
way, the jar of the deep organ not
shook down between the cracks Of til