The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-06-11
Libby, The Unloved

sne NdS asleep, WAen she called uuaV-
eringly TO her
libby" she said, you mustn't he
thinkin' hard of Dave. lie must have
thought it for the best"
Libby was used to caring for ma
and she needed care now.
Yes. ma" she answered; I'm sure
he must"
1t was not until the morning of tho
fourth day that the silence between
them was broken. Libby got IN to
take down the old clock. when She
heard a strange noise behind her and
turning, she saw that mas head was
down low in her hands, and She wos
rocking passionately back and forward
and crying as though her old heart baa
broken.
Ma did not get up at all next dav
Perhaps she was i'll, or perhaps it was
only that she did not want to On ont
in the sltting-room and see how nm
like home it looked. But the next
day she did not get up either, and Lib
by went to town for the doctor He
said the excitement had weakened her
and did not seem very certain she
would ever get up again. That night
Libby wrote letter to Dave asking
him again to let his mother die on
the old place. A week passed and
an answer had not come. and still
ma had not left her bed The packing
was all done. 1t was the first of Nav
and she was just waiting-she did NOT
know for what.
Her whole soul rose up against mov-
ing ma from the old place now. when
her days We're so surely numbered.
and so she sent telegram to Dave.
telling him his mother was ill. and
asking, leave to stay little longer.
There came a reply from his partner.
saying that Dave was away and would
not be home for two weeks.
That night the old woman raised
herself and sobbed out the truth.
Its Dave that's killing me. It's to
think Dave sold the place and turned
me out to die."
And then the way opened before Lib
by, and she saw her path.
The disinherited child wrote a letter
that night, and to it she signed her
brothers name. Out in the world they
might have applied to it an ugly word,
but Libby was only caring for ma.
She was a long time about it, for It
was hard to put things in Dawes
round, bold hand, and it was hard to
say them in his silky way.
1T amt that I'm goin' to die" she
said, when Libby came in and found
her crying; but | was thinkin' OF
Dave. l keep thinkin' and thinkin' of
him when he was little boy, and how
he used to run about the place, and
how pretty he used to look; and then.
just as l begin to take little comfort
in rememberin' some of the smart
things he said, have to think of what
he has done, and it does seem like
he might have waited till" But
the words were too bitter to be spoken.
and, with a hard scraping sound in
her throat, she turned her face to the
wall
Libby put her hand to something
in her pocket and thought of last
nights work with thankfulness.
About eleven o'clock she entered the
room with the sheets of letter in her
hand.
Ma, she said TREMENDOUSLY, there's
letter just come from Dave"
Il knew it'd come-I knew it," And
the voice filled the room with it's tri-
umphant rims. Then there crept into
her face an anxious look. What did
he say
Hes sorry about selling the place,
ma He really thought you'd like it
better in town. But he's fixed it up
for us to stay. He says you'll never
have to leave the place"
Il knowed it knowed it well
enough. You don't know Dave like
do. But read me the letter"
She aid read it, and the old woman
listened with tears-glad tears now
falling over her withered cheeks.
You can just unpack our things"
she cried, when it was finished, land
get this place Strengthened out. The
idea of your packin' up, and think
we was goin' to move to town! Nice
mess you've made of it! Jest as If
Dave would hear of us leavin' the
place. l always knowed you'd never
preciated Dave"
Before morning broke ma was dead
Happy, because she had back her old
faith in Dave-the blind, beautiful
faith of the mother in the son. And
Libhy-the homeless and unloved-was
happy, too, for she had finished well
her work of caring for ma-London
Answers.