Evening star., 1914-02-04
THE EVENING STORY.
HER SON.
Copyright. 1a1a. hx W. werner..

fCopyrght, 1911. hy W. Werneri
Il never saw how much like his father
Hugo is getting TO be-" said Mrs. jerks
She had risen to go when she caught
sight of a photograph on a side table
and paused to examine IL Being very
rtcar-siEhted she had 10 bend close to the
picture. and her sharp. Overfiushed fea-
Iures contrasted startlugly with the
clear, smooth young face under her
scrutiny. The photographer had done
well by Hugo and given a good account
If him.
fTugo's mother also looked at the pic
tIre. She stood very firmly on her two
small feet, and although they ached no
one could have guessed it from her face
Her hands, cEiSped before her. seemed to
be clinslnS jp invisible something that
supported aud strengthened her. She ap-
pearcd to hn hoidinG herself in, tn hc
guarding hcrssif even in expression, But
'I"r eyes. ii oI,e could read them, told the
story which her face and manner denied
They were blue eyes, faded with tears
and dun with endurance. iu the face of
an old woman And now, as they looked
AT Fuso's picture. they were full of pas
>ionate love and yctlruing.
Yes" sighed Mrs. jerks. Hugo is ter
rrhly like Mr.. Creston-on the outside
What hc is inside ] suppose we'll have
10 leave for time to tell. / hear he hasn't
settled on anything vet
No, he hasn't He's looking around
It's Il pretty big business choosing one S
lifework and it isn't done in hurry,
NoU know
That's so" Mrs jerks sighed asain.
Well I'm sure I wish him success. Any
one a. handsome as he Is ought to be
able To win his way any>> here Good
by, Matilda. Do come to see me"
Il Will thank Won. promised Mrs
Creston. Her hand held her callers for
an instant. then they parted. leaving he
hind a setsc Of forluaiity that almost
amounted to GOODNESS.
Having shut thr front door. Matilda
trestpn came back into the parloT and
SAT down in chair near the side table
thereon Hugos picture stood The doors
between tn" rooms were open and the iu-
terror Of the house below was within
'ange Of her vision. The general effect
WAS attractive. but it easily could be
seen thG rugs and curtains were drop
ping to pieces and the furniture was de-
crepit Matilda Crcstou had lived in this
house among these poor sticks of fur
nttlIre ali her married life. which had he
gun twenty-five wears ago She knew
where every darn and break and mended
place was. She knew. also. every secret
ard SuhterfuEC Of her lon. endedvor to
keep IN appearances-an endeaNor almost
sirkcning sometimes in its hopelcssness.
-Nud there. in the midst of all this con-
-l"meratiou of poverty and inability. set
Hugo : marvellous picture, like Il diamond
,-tught in u tanSle of filthy rags. Her
glance went to it wtstfully. He had such
2 high. noble look, and Vet his father
h;,d had that same look when she mar
ried him. And Sophia jerks had said he
Was like his father. and she knew that
with each word she was piercing the
heart of the woman to whom she played
the friend
Matilda Crestou knew that in her heart
Sophia jerks was no friend of hers, nor
bad been since. twenty-five years before.
she had married George Creston- Sophia
had wanted George herself, and though
sht had been wife many years now, and
had raised children and had seen what
he had come to, she had never forgiven
Matilda for taking him away from her.
Yet she kept up show of good will.
She called regularly, and always gave
Matilda d little gift upon her birthday
and at Christmas. Outwardly they were
on the best of terms.
There was truth in what Sophia had
said about Hugo and it cruelty sharpened
Matilda's fear. Fer long time she had
seen the likeness to his father growing
upon Hugo, and now other people were
seeing it. too. She opened little drawer
in the table and from a number of old
photogra pms selected one. This she placed
side by side with Hugo's and studied
both. Yes, the faces were practically
IDENTICAL and both were wonderfully hand
some. Hugo's father had been just
full of promise as Hugo himself was now
Nhen she first knew him. She had mar
ricd him confidently. Life had seemed to
mean so much. Then. suddenly, every
thing began to go to pieces. In the crisis
Hugo had been born For twenty-one
wears now he had been her hope, her
pride. She had trained him so carefully.
He should he a good man. a successful
man. He should, indeed, be all things
his father was not She would find rec
onpense in him: God was just good.
But for Two years she had had mis-