Middletown transcript., 1915-04-03

To one who swoons but seldom, the
moment of returning consciousness is
often fraught with great pain and
sometimes with unimaginable horror.
1t was such to Deborah; the pain and
horror holding her till her eyes, ac-
customed to realities again, saw In the
angel face which fioated before her
vision amid a swarm of demon masks,
the sweet and solicitous countenance
Of Reuther.
Reuther, taking her mothers hand
in hers, said softly:
Il knew you we're not seriously Ill,
only frightened by the crowd and their
senseless shoutings. Don't think Of 1t
any more, dear mother. The people
are dispensing now, and you will soon
be quite restored and ready to smile
with us at an attack SO. groundless 1t
is little short of absurd" .,.
Astonished at such tranquility where
she had expected anguish II not stark
unreason, doubling her eyes, her ears
for this was no longer her deli
cate, suffering Reuther to be shielded
from all unhappy knowledge, but a
woman as strong if not as wise to the
situation ns herself-she scrutinized
the child closely, then turned her gaze
slowly about the room, and started in
! painful surprise, as she perceived
standing in the space behind her the
tall figure of Judge Ostrander.
Pardon" she eptreated, forgetting
Reuther's presence in her conscious
ness of the misery she had brought
upon her benefactor. 81 never meant
Il never dreamed"
"Oh, no apologies!" Was this the
judge speaking? The tone was an ad
monitory. not a suffering one, 1t was
not even that Of a man Inundated OF
distressed. "You have had a unfor
tunate experience, but that is over
now and so must your distress be-
Then, as in her astonishment she
dropped her hands and looked up, he
added very quietly, Your daughter
has been much disturbed about you
but not at all about Oliver or his gooC
name. She knows my son too well
and so do you and l, to be long af
fected by the virulent outcries of {
mob seeking for an object upon which
to expend their spleen"
Deborah was glad to sit silent un
de- this open rebuke and listen t.
Reuther's ingenious declarations
though she knew that they brought N
conviction and distilled no real CON
fort either to his mind or hers.
YES, mother, darling" the youn
I, girl was saying. These people hav
, not seen Oliver in years, but we have
and nothing they can say, nothing tina
any one can say but himself, coul
ever shake my belief in him as a ma
= incapable Of really wicked act Fl
might be capable of striking a sudde
; blow-most men are under grea
: provocation-but to conceal su"h
fact-to live for years enjoying tn
respect of all who knew him, with tn
knowledge fostering in his heart OF al
other having suffered for his crime
: that, that would be impossible to Ol
!, yer Ostrander."
, Some words ring in the heart Ion
.. after their echo has left the ear. In
possiblel Deborah stole a look at th
judge. But he was gazing at Reuthe
where he well might gaze, if his sinl
, ing heart craved support or h
abashed mind sought to lose itself
= the enthusiasm Of this pure soul, wit
its loving, uncalculating instincts.
Tell the judge who is as confidel
= of Oliver as l am myself that you al
- confident. too. That you could 4
% more believe him capable of this abor
- Unable act than you could believe
= of my father"
N 81 will-tell-the judge" stammere
=. the unhappy mother. Judge" 81
n briefly declared, as she rose with IL
:" help of her daughters arm, my mir
. agrees with yours in this matter. VIII
= you think, think" And that was g
= she could say.
a AS she fell again into her seat, IL
- Judge turned to Reuther:
n. Leave your mother for a litt
WHILE" he urged, with that rare gent
,e ness he always showed her. Let h
NJ rest here few minutes longer, alol
p with me-"
Of "Yes, Reuther." murmured Debora
IN seeing no way Of avoiding this inel
table interview. Il am feeling be
H. ter every minute. will come soon
70, The young girls eye faltered fro
one to the other. then settled, with
re strange and imploring look upon h
1t mother. Had her clear .intelligen
ed pierced at last to the core of tn
ur mothers misery? Had she seen VIII
If Deborah would have spared her at Il
i'd cost of her own life? 1t would see
so. for when the mother. with gre