Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-11-06

G0h Va hn kANAA HAAn Va lnoAANNs
His motherr' How she had cher
ished him through all the years Of his
life! How she had worked and shaved
for his welfarei And be was grateful
for It. He loved her as a good son
should love a good mother. II she had
never come between them all would
have been well.
Then came the proud thought: why
should they have wished TO set her
aside for nnother7 She came OF a
great old line. away back. No n in
the wide spnce Of the old La%urentians
could boast of better forbears than
she-men known in the old land for
their loyalty. their fearlessness, their
love Of right. What II the inlquities Of
an erring son were visited upon his
children's children! The blood would
revive. and revive agalnl
A greenwood log In the fire fell with
a heavy thud. and the roar Of It's burn
ing started anew; water oozed from its
sawed front with a Kissing sound and
dropped into the fiery bed.
DOCTOR
The word recalled him. He started
slightly. then sat forward.
III you had known the other way
to the Ridge it might have been pos
sible to get there"
"what do you mean7 What other
wayT'
There's a way around the south
side Of the Hewston hill, Just a wide
fOotpath in summer. under the rock
all the way. It is sheltered from north
winds, but the snow drifts in deep.
It might be done on shoes"
II will try 1t now" he said.
you could not go alone. I would
have to go. toO-to guide you"
your he exclaimed. Impossible!
The very devil is abroadr
"Tve been out In as bad as this be-
FORE" she said. II had no fear then.
and / have none now. It's because I'm
weathered."
A faint light. alternately visible for
a moment and obscured by the clouds
OF driving snow, ser hope to the
hearts Of two people struggling blind
" forward
For two long hours they had match
ed their united strength to that Of the
storm, now vanquishing it again all
but overcome by its mad force.
But they still stumbled on with Eyes
fixed steadily upon the beacon.
The next thing was the hum OF
voices, the soft rubbing OF hands and
feet and a gradually returning con-
seriousness Of identity. Of situation and
OF circumstance.
"Ah. there! She'll soon be round.
Just to think Of It! She always had
grit. Don't you mind how she always
walked her two miles to school. storm
or sunshine. sometimes wading through
snow to the waist1 Never missed a
dayF'
AYE. l do. And I'll tell We this; 1t
may not be Christianllke. and IT'S not
a nice thing to say in the house Of the
dying. but II 1 were Lena Miller I'd
never have done 1t for her"
The girls returning senses caught
the word dying" and she raised her
self partly to ask, with q weak voice:
WAS he too lateY'
"No, dear. He is here to do all that
q be done-to give her relief from
pain. No one can save when the Lord
has called"
A long silence came, broken only by
the tick Of the tall clock in the corner
and the cry Of the great storm without.
Then some one came through the hall.
way and paused az the kitchen door.
LENA Miller is called. She must
come"
For a minute the girl scarcely under
stood. Then, he%sitatingly, ~unsteadily,
she rose. and with assistance walked
to the door of the sick chamber and
there paused.
The room was empty save for the
form Of the dying woman on the bed.
She went in alone. and a hand gently
closed the door from without.
Alone with his mother. lying white
and still! The face. upon which Death
had so surely set his mark. bore a
strange resemblance to his in the dim
light. 1t startled her to see a move
ment Of the lips and to hear the words:
Us It you. Lena?'
The girl bent Over her.
I'm dying. Do you hate meT'
She tried TO answer. but no words
would come. Thera was a tightening
Of the muscles at the throat Weak
almost to the breaking point with phys
zeal and mental strain. she could
scarcely stand. but she caught a rod OF
the bed and steadied herself.
The voice went on:
I'm dying. and I've been a wicked
woman. The penalty has been paid.
The bodily suffering has been great.
but the mental anguish has been dread
full beyond words. | prayed God to
send you tonight, and he has been good.
Girl. I lied to you and to my soni"
She stopped for breath and strength
to proceed. Her voice fast failed her.
81 wrote him a letter. and In that
letter said you had gone away. far
away, to become anothers wife. I
spun the story well. cleverly. Then I
Iaf Won fhfnk ha had marv1ad and NTH