The record., 1914-12-24

| MS q G a c II Ct
fountain pen tt
even casually notice his neighhorl.
litila visitor.
Finally, the man looked up from III,
tinicrod sheet, pushed back his som
brcro, wiped the sweat from the bant
OF fair, white skin that ribbed his
tanned brow, and. with sigh so deeI
drawn that 1t started Il culver of greer
movement on the rug. read over tho
letter lie 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 sen
tence of Imprisonment for life.
For your sake. carried the case tc
the highest court of appeal Went tc
Les Angeles and had the great vii
Hard look me over. Both lungs have
healed. Provided stay put-go on IL
the same sun-baked rut OF the past two
years, there is no reason why should
rot rival Mcthuselah in hoariness OF
age. My life the forfeit if | breab
parole and attempt an escape.
And so. sweetheart, we come to the
parting OF the ways, my way and yours
l ought to have given you up long ago
But at first l thought it would be fol
such littfs while that it would not
matter, and afterwa l hoped agains,
hope that sholk Cle to go bach
to civilization and ~,
Now release you, girl-insisi
that our engagement enS\
"Goodby, dear, and Goo IS you
You need not answer this. IA' un
derstand when your letters stor IN
ing. No. do not offer to go on wriN.
as friend 10 friend. / could not quite
bear that now. NORMAN"
Silently, without culver of the
grim-set lips, he folded the letter
slipped it into a stamped, addressed
envelope. slowly sealed it, then, his
head bowed in his bands, he began te
sob-with mans anguish and the
abandon of little child.
The days dragged by, heavy-weightet
with sense of prison chains.
Norman had boasted that he still had
his work. But he could not write. He
could not think. He could only fever.
ishly wait for the letter that he haC
asked her not to write.
Yet not until two weeks had passed
and he knew at last that she had takeL
him at his word, did he realize to the
full measure of bitter disappointment,
how much he had counted upon ont
more letter from her
The east-bound overland was due ir
an hour. and he was going on it
He stood on the station platform
Notwithstanding from excitement
and haste of packing, every now and
again casting a stealthy glance over
his shoulder as though afraid OF being
watched
With the caution Of the real pris
oner breaking Jail, he had only bought
a ticket to a nearby point
The kind-hearted meddlesomeness
Of his neighbors, the tyranny of the
doctor under whose thumb he had beer
SO many months. were capable of go
ing any lengths of interference wheE
1t came to a matter of what they con-
sidered his own good.
A whistle sounded. A flare of light
swept the gathering night from the
track. He snatched up his suit-cases-
impatiently dropped them again. The
locomotives headlight flashed from
the wrong direction. lie had forgotten
that the west-bound train passed ten
minutes before his own.
The putting engine paused for breath
the usual short, hurried instant of an
express. A black parallelogram of a
trunk was tossed from the baggage
car. The black figure of a woman pas
senger got off the Pullman.
The express gave creak forward
ratified, rumbled, and roared into the
awaiting blackness.
The new arrival stood hesitating,
nervous, lost-child air about the slight
shadowy figure. Norman took a quick
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 last
hideous days had been too great
strain-his mind had suddenly given
way!
But the woman did not start back
she ran toward him with a glad cry of:
Norman"
1t was not the hallucination of
nervous breakdown. 1t was Nan. Nan
her dear flesh and blood self. Nan
in Eden. Nan on the platform beside
him. Nan in his arms.
And you are really glad that I'm
here?" she tremulously laughed, when
at last he opened his arms wide enough
for her to look up into his radiant
fGce.
After started | was so frightened!
But ! had 10 come" She hid her
scarlet-swept face in the old resting
place. 1t was the only way l could
make you understand, you dear, fool
ish stupid, you"
And then he knew that a woman
never really loves until she makes a
sacrifice for the man