El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-14
= One WOman's Story =
BY Virginia Terhune Van de Water
CHAPTER XVII.

when n told her moLhef IHdI
4 one could not expect a man to
write as often. as a woman does
I Certain it was that for the months IOI-
lowing that statement Gordon Craig's
| letters came only once a week Iney
contained always the same excuse
( that he was "fearfully busy and that
! he knew Mary would not be veXed II
he did not take time from his Work
to write often After all, she under-
stood him so well that h would
that if she found writing to him a
burden. she must not feel that she
must communicate with him when she
was worn out.
Just send me a line telling me
I how you are every week or two ne
suggested, and promise to let me
know if you are i'll But I cannot
bear to nave your letters TO me add
to your already ~Overheayy cares"
The girl smiled as she read Even
vet she unused. he did not appreciate
how much she loved him, how the
I thought Of him was the only bright
spot in her sOrdid life, that he and her
mother were all the beings she had to
love. But he did know her Wei
enough to believe that h understood
his not writing oftener. Did she not
know that he was FOR her
working with all the strength OF his
young monhoOd I omake a home for her
and to hasten the time when he could
claim her and take her away from
] all this u-nhappiness and -uncOngen1al
! I'LL IL ~ ~ -
But she knew, an, she knew! And
! she loved him the better for not re
minding her that it was for her that
/ he was tOiling and sacr1I1cnS nmSelL-
"Of course I understand n wrote
to him in reply to his half pOl1gy Tor
his one letter a week habit I know
all about il, dear Gordon Explana-
lions between Us are unnecessary.
can read between the lines and nnd
there that which you do not write
/ that which I respect You for not writ
( ing. Each Monday evening now brings
me a letter from you Keep on send
ing me a line so that I viii get 1t then,
and I shall be satisfied. Somehow it
gives me courage to go back to work
each Monday. after a Sunday at home,
If I know that when 1 return at night
I shall find your letter in the box
me on a single Monday since you went
away"
Why should she make any more pro-
/ testations2 She was not by nature ef-
fusive. and she could not write what
was in her heart
This message to Craig must have
crossed mis- epistle to her. a hastily
penned note, containing no news, say
ing merely that he was well and
still at it, up to his neck in work"
But I have the satisfaction OF
/ knowing that I am making good" he
added, and that is a comfort to any
man. I hope that by this time you are
doing as well as you deserve"
There was something in this note,
or lack OF something, that made the
/ reader vaguely uncomfortable Surely
next Mondays letter would be more
satisfactory.
But next Monday no letter came
Yet on Tuesday there arrived q post
card, aging We'll as usual, but fear
fully busy 6. c.
that Mary DanfOrth had ever known
She looked forward with an eagerness
which b could not explain TO Craig's
next letter Sh a a presentment that
matters were coming to a joyful crisis,
that soon he would tell her what she
already expected, that she might ex-
She sat in the office late on Non
day afternoon, thinking. She had
completes her work for the day. and
now only lated for her employers
ruary, and the snow had begun to fall
early in the Afternoon The light on
her desk rendered the outer darkness
blacker than usual. The Wind struck
against the panes with a sC-ce that
made her SILVER. She decided L ask
Mr.. Pearson if she might not 20 hoIze
now WithOut waiting for him to sign
the letters he had dictated to her She
knocked at the door OF her employers
office and it was not until she had
Obeyed his to come IN" that
she remembered that Mr. Fletcher had
called to see him an hour ago, and was
still in conversation with him. Bowling
graVely to the visitor she preferred
her request to Mr. Pearson
surely you may so" was the kind
reply. hope you have overshoes-
It's a bad evening"
Thank your She said. She re-
membered suddenly that when she had y
left home hat morning the weather
had been mild with the t~reaeherOus
warmth that February sometimes
brings for a day or two. and that she
had fOOliShly worn thin shoes and a
light jacket. Bert Fletcher, watching
her. may have seen a shade Of dismay
cross her features
Excuse me. Miss Danforth,s he
said, but it is sure an awful night
1 am not fixed I'D for 1t myself, so
I'm calling a cab to take me as far
as the elevated road. Let me take you
along"
The look in his eyes was again like
that of a kindly dog. Mary thought
She was tired, and was in a hurry to
60 home An impulse made her an
sWer frankly:
Thank yOui I viii be glad to 90
as far as the elevated in your cab"
Bert Fletcher could not afford to be
e-xtravagant but he decided quickly
that he would blow in the price OF
a cab all the way uptown" for this
girl whom he admired more than he
bad ever admired any other woman
But it was not until he was seated
beside her In the closed conveyance
that he remarked:
I'm going to take you all the way
to your home. Miss DanfOrth. TOu
must let me do it Just this once. Now
say you won't. for it's fierce
walking. and you need to be AIKEN
care Of"
So worn was the girl that she found
II pleasant to be taken care of "just
this once" She ecalled this pleasure
with a sudden revulsiOn Of feeling as
she looked in the empty letter box at
the door OF the flat building to which
Fletcher had escorted her She hur-
ried up the one flight OF stairs to
apartment and opened the door
with trembling fingers. But the tray
on which her mail was always laid
when Mrs Danforth received it was
empty.
No. dear" said the mother YEARLY.
as she came out OF the kitchen and
met her daughters inquiring gaze,
No letter from Gordon again today
Continued in Next Issue.
been thus treated the water is dipped
and the seeds are spread out to
dry. After this they are sifted through