Las Vegas optic., 1914-10-22

yourself for She says that. / wisht
had letter like that from my Jim.
] wasn't always easy with him-and
| wisht he'd said them things, John.
II would be mighty comfort I'll be
over in the mornin to tidy up bit.
Good night"
Without waiting for reply she
moved clumsily down the front wa
and John Marvin watched her 60 with
mingled feelings of relief and terror
She was the last Of the solic.tous
neighbors who had Strengthened up
the house while he had ridden to the
peaceful little graveyard on the hill
where they had laid away the frail
form of the woman who had been his
wife. He dreaded to be left alone.
but he was glad she was gone. for
every word of sympathy had cut like
whiplash.
It was torture as had been those
three days while Lizzies slender form
had lain In the front parlor, the front
parlor" that was opened only for mar
riages and deaths and visits OF great
ceremony. They had come, her old
friends, with words of comfort and of
admiration for his kindness and they
had unwittingly tormented his soul
to distraction
John has hated company, and after
one or two efforts to make her rela-
tives welcome In spite Of his boorish-
ness, she had made her poor little ex-
cuses to them and they, half suspect
ing, half affronted, had stayed away
Now they came unchallenged to
speak In wondering admiration of
her words of praise for him. and Mar
vim was half sorry they did not know
Had they upbraided him; had they
told him that 1t was his treatment
that had driven Lizzie into her grave
as surely as though his own hand had
guided the razor that slashed the
reed-like wrists, he would have been
driven to defend himself, he would
have fought them back and would
have taken comfort in the fight.
They could not guess what CHASTITY
sarcasm their words of praise became.
They could not guess.
Dumbly he turned from the door
and passed into the dining-room
where Mrs. Calder had thoughtfully
set out some supper, sliced chicken,
some Of Lizzies little stock of pre-
serves, fresh bread, new butter, and
a pot of coffee on the back of the
stove against his need.
With a gesture of disgust he pushed
the dishes from him and sat down
beside the lighted lamp to read again
the letter that he had learned by
heart in the last three days.
1t was a pitiful little letter. almost
childish in its phrasing, for Lizzie had
been the worker in her own family
before she had come to be John Mar
wins patient slave.
Her terms at the district school had |
been few, though the other girls had |
gone on to high school and the young
est was even now in Vassar.
In her plain, uniformed hand. she
wrote as simply az sha snnka and hA
could almost hear the tired little I
roice as he read the sentences over
tgain, though he did not need the let +
er to repeat the contents It was
ieared into his brain.
Briefly she told of her determine
ion to make away with herself, allud-
ng to the insanity that was supposed
o be the curse Of her mothers fam
" and Of her fear that she would
,ome to be burden to him. It was
ust the way she had spoken of her
Tread and he had laughed at her.
He could see her now as she sug-
rested the dread possibility, the quiv-
sring lips, the eyes of tired, hurt
title child He had laughed when
le should have taken her into his
rms with the words Of loving cheer
hat would have dispelled her doubts.
But 1t was the last part Of it that
leld his thoughts. She had written:
/ couldn't let that come, John It would
make IT so bad for you Mother didn't
now that it was coming on her 1 can't
ell that II is coming to me, but some.
lines think 1t Is, and | want to 20 away
efore 1t comes.
l don't want you to remember me ns
mother at the last. That was
arribie. John
This morning you kissed me before YOU
rove to town, and you said smiled like
used to when / was little girl I shall /
Ike to remember that, IL we take refnem
rance where l am going, to remember
hat / reminded you Of those happy
appy days
And I want to tell every one how dear
ou have been to me and how kind you
re and how gentle. Some may think II |
TRANCE that 'zlllad myself They may
heir challenger was just in range OF
40 exhaust cock. In fact. not five feet
way from It his face was directly |
pom level with it.
The little valve that operated this
as just at the side Of the engineer.
ressure would set it going. The halt
as causing furnace and boiler to
lake surplus steam at keen rate.
Suddenly, but quite naturally, ii
'oked, The engineer gave a lurch. His
Ibow met the extending valve.
Hiss -ss spluttera blood curdling
srea-4! Straight into the face Of the K
Mexican went a sealdine +