Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-22
THE HAND OF ANGELINA
Continued from page 8

He watched her face closely. He expected
to see it flash quickly with bitter hatred.
But she only smiled family, and replied with
the lovelight in her eyes deepened, Il
knowed it, Luke
A wonderful relief swept through the
breast of the man on his knees. @How-
how did you find it out?' he asked breath
lessly.
3That night when you was layin' in our
house, the night after yore brother had shot
you by mistake, you talked some out o yore'
head stammered Angie. 4But it don't
matter-to me-about you bein' a Over
ton. owe you every breath I'm DRAWN.
every drap O blood in me- all that l am or
ever will be. And l believe in payin' my
honest debts, Luke.
@But-but is that the reason you let me
Like you-jest accuse l happened to save
yore life?" begged Luke.
@No-no!' declared Angie, almost vehe-
ment1y. "I'd loved you anyhow. Any
woman would, if she had the sense of a
cricket
Happier, Luke took his place at the girls
side. @Does any o the rest o yore folks
know who l amp he asked.
@Not as l know Of" was Angles answer.
@They was all asleep when you done that
thar talkin' that night"
After a moment of silence Luke told his
sweetheart, 3Im sorry for my folks. I'm
awful sorry for EN- Mother she kept us all
straight while she was alive; but she's gone
now. For several years I've hated to live
jest with men folks, eatin things half cooked,
sleepin' in beds which was made up every
Sunday mornin'. 1t hain't like home. I'm
a home mani love home. l wanted to
marry, and l had swore that l wouldn't
marry no woman who wasn't as good as my
netherlands the standard l set myself to
go by. went to Nawth Ca liner to look COR
woman who would help me make home.
l found lots O nice gyrls, same as did here
in Tennessee; but none of EN- didn't seem
quite as good as my mother was. 1t was the
way that you smoothed my hair back, Angie
She used to do that SO much with me and
my brothers and with Pap. 1t was the first
thing she done when we was tired, or
troubled, or sick. So when | woke up the
night after Thurst shot me, / felt down in
me that you-that you
He choked and ceased speaking. Angie
looked down, her soft brown eyes misty and
filled with tenderness, to where fern had
become caught between her bare toes.
There came voice from a point some
fifty yards above them. 1t was the voice of
gaunt, bearded, eagle-eyed Bill Ward, and
it was shaken with some uncommon emo
ton. When he heard it Luke Overton told
himself that Bill Ward had found out the
secret-and he had; for Old Granny had
told him.
@Come to me, Angie!'
Angie went trife pale with apprehension.
She looked into Luke's face, tried hard to
smile, and left him. Luke saw them talk
together for moment; then he saw Bill
Ward take his daughter by the arm and 60
hurrying homeward with her.
lust before shutdown Luke went walking
slowly up between the rows of old
fashioned flowers that grew between the door
of the Ward cabin and the gate. He be- j..
lieved that he was to be cast out of this
household also, and he was afraid; but his
suspense drove him on. He saw that Bill
Ward, his bearded face as inscrutable as
face of stone, sat yard inside the doorway,
smoking.
Ward did not speak. Luke dropped warily
and silently to the doorstep, waiting to hear
Ward denounce him. For few minutes he
sat motionless, still, and he was aware of the
fact that Bill Wards eagle eyes had never
left him during that time. Then he felt thas
he must speak.
"Whar's Angler"
@Gone-her and Old Granny said Bill
Ward, man of few words.
Luke sat up straight, his eyes suddenly
flaming with a sort of desperate anger. 50
thax, bo5 cont ,,o;a from, hin, ,-bap h,