The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-11-21

suite, Wanda, with elaborate care, was
shutting the door behind her.
Blake glanced quickly about the
room.
Yes" said Wanda, answering the
question in his look and jerking her
pretty head back in the direction of
the rooms she had just quilted. In
there. | wouldn't worry if | were you"
Jim Blake's grim face took on a
light as incongruous as the play Of
sunset rays on a mummy. The mask
of age and defeat seemed to melt be-
meath it. He took an eager step to.
ward the inner door.
Just a minute" Wanda halted him.
you asked me to wait. II you don't
need me here any longer"
YES" hesitated Blake, trouble fit
ting across the new light in his eyes.
Il wanted to ask you-to-not to let
Tom know about this. His sister"
"Ill never tell him." she promised.
81 sem him away SO he wouldn't find
out"
You're white. clear through" grudg.
ingly admitted Blake. will you do
one thing more?
"What?"
Bring him back to me-"
"If | meet him again." she assented
primly, "IIl send"
81 didn't say send" corrected
Blake, Il said bring"
That's different. L"
I'm out Of politics. My " game
has broken me at last. I'm old. l
know 1t now. I never did till tonight.
I'm old and l want my children around
me-"
"Tll tell Tom." she agreed, sOftened
despite herself by the new suppliance
in a voice that had before been
turned to the uses Of %entreaty. "Ill tell
him. I'm sure he'll come back to you
when he understands. Good night,
Mr.. Blake"
There's another thing" he broke
in roughly, staying her departure, "a
thing that isn't easy to say"
Then, why say it,"
Because" he groyled, like all
things that aren't easy to say, it's a
thing that's got to be said. Miss kel-
ly, hasn't tonight pretty nearly squared
the old debt between you and me?
You and yours have suffered a lot at
my hands. But, after what's hap
| pened here this evening, l guess you'll
admit, as far as suffering goes. you
haven't got much on me. Haven't /
paid? Won't you say we're sQuare?"
"We're-we're square, Mr.. Blake"
she returned in a tone she could not
make wholly steady nor impersonal.
And" pursued Blake, "and-Tom?"
That's different, too" she faltered.
o."
The jangle of the telephone inter
rupted her. Blake, who was beside
the desk, picked up the instrument.
Hello" he called into the transmit
ter. "Ye-yes-she's here. Who
wants her? Oh! Yes, put him on this
wire"
He lowered the telephone.
Some one to speak to you, Miss
Kelly" he reported.
Mechanically, she took up the re-
%ceiver, and, by long habit, her voice
took its professional drone:
"Hello!" she called.
Then, turning on Blake. in surprise.
she cried:
why, it's Toni"
EYES," drawled Blake. 80 I gath.
cred from the name. I'm glad. Glad
clear down to the ground. For both
of you. Tell him so, won't you"
=
The winter sun was butting its way
over the eastern skyline. The dawn
was bi%tter-cold, mercilessly clear.
And into the track Of the first white
glittering rays walked a tired man. A
man who that night had won a mighty
victory. A victory that foreshadowed
the richest gifts his country could be-
stow. Before him the future stretched
bright as that winters dawn. AS daz-
zlingly brilliant, and as cold and stark.
ly empty.
In Matthew %Standish's ears, as he
returned toward the l~oveless abode
that he hated to call home, still rang
echoes of the pandemonium that had
broken loose in the house when the
Mullins bill had gone down to defeat.
There is only n lasting victory"
he muttered %disjointedly to himself,
as he moved onward in the dazzling
ice-cold trail of light. AT the last, it
won't be the worlds applause that the
worlds great men will remember. 1t
will be the love smile Of a Woman.
And-I shall never have known that
memory. What is the rest WORTH"
! (THE END.)
>i)i)a)