The record., 1914-07-23

his scratching
fountain pen e
even casually notice his neighborlI
little visitor.
Finally. the man looked up from thu
finished sheet. pushed back his som
brero, wiped the sweat from the bant
of fair. white skin that ribbed hi,
tanned brow. and. with a sigh so deeI
drawn that It started a quiver Of greer
movement on the rug. read over the
letter he had written and now held IL
his thin brown hand.
1t began with brusk tenderness:
"Dear:-At last the verdict's In
and instead Of the expected hanged
by the neck until he shall die a sen
tence OF Imprisonment for life.
For your sake. ! carried the case tt
the highest court Of appeal. Went te
Los Angeles and had the great vii
Hard look me over. Both lungs have
healed. Provided stay put-go on ir
the same sun-baked rut of the past two
years. there is no reason why l should
not rival Methuselah in hoariness OF
age. My life the forfeit II breal
parole and attempt an escape.
And so. sweetheart. we come to the
parting Of the ways. my way and yours
ought to have given you up long ago
But at first I thought it would be foi
such a little while that it would not
matter. and afterward l hoped against
hope that l should be able to go back
to civilization and you.
Now I release you, little girl-insisi
that our engagement end.
''Good-by, dear. and God bless you
You need not answer this. l shall un
derstand when your letters stop com
ing. No. do not offer to go on writing
as friend to friend. l could not quite
bear that now. NORMAN"
Silently. without q quiver of the
srim-set lips. he folded the letter
slipped 1t into q stamped. addressed
envelope. slowly sealed it, then, his
head bowed in his hands. he began tc
sob-with o mans anguish and the
abandon of a little child.
The days dragged by. heavy.weightet
with a sense Of prison chains.
Norman had boasted that he still hat
his work. But he could not write. Hs
could not think. He could only fever
ishly wait for the letter that he hat
asked her not to write.
Yet not until two weeks had passed
and he knew at last that she had taker
hir, ot hio x,,orI Ala ho racli,o xo th<
full measure of bitter disappointmen,
how much he had counted upon one
more letter from her.
The east-bound overland was due II
An hour. and he was going on 1t
He stood on the station platform
misunderstanding from excitement
and haste of packing. every now ant
again casting stealthy glance ovel
his shoulder as though afraid of being
watched.
With the caution of the real pris
oner breaking Jail. he had only bough
a ticket to O nearby point.
The kind-hearted meddlesomenes.
| Of his neighbors, the tyranny Of the
doctor under whose thumb he had beer
30 many months. were capable Of go
ing any lengths Of interference wheI
1t came to q matter of what they con
sidered his own good.
| A whistle sounded. A fare Of ligh
swept the gathering night from thu
track. He snatched up his suit-cases-
impatiently dropped them again. Tht
locomotives headlight flashed from
the wrong direction. He had forgotten
that the west-bound train passed ter
minutes before his own.
The pufiing engine paused for breatl
the usual short. hurried instant OF al
express. A black parallelogram of ,
trunk was tossed from the baggage
car. The black figure of a woman pas
senger got on the Pullman.
The express gave a creak forward
ratified, rumbled, and roared into th'
awaiting blackness.
The new arrival stood hesitating, ,
nervous, lost-child air about the slight
shadowy figure. Norman took a Quicl
step to her assistance. The blurred
light Of the station lamp softly en-
wrapped her.
He started back. a cold fear clutch
ing his heart. The brooding Of the las
hideous days had been too great
strain-his mind had suddenly giveI
way!
But the woman did not start back
she ran toward him with glad cry Of
"Norman!"
1t was not the hallucination of
nervous breakdown. It was Nan. MAJ
her dear flesh and blood SELF MAI
In Eden. Nan on the platform besid
him. Nan in his arms.
And you are really glad that In
here?" she tremulously laughed, whe
at last he opened his arms wide enoug
for her to look up into his radian
J face.
After l started was SO frightened
But ! had to come" She hid he
scarlet-swept face in the old restin
place. 1T was the only way l coul
make you understand. you dear. foo
ish stupid, YOU"
And then he knew that q woma
never really loves until she makes
sacrifice for the man.