The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-11-04
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MARY MIDTHORNE
GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON.
Author Of -oranstArk" -Truxton King stG
copyright Isl1 BY Doad ca.
uH iii M

.... 81
You win always be mother to me-"
said he gently.
.'Tell me again of her-the other one.
have to get II all clearly in my mind.
It's vague now" .".a 49,. 49,.
She repeated the story Of how he
came into the world and into her Tttc-
session almost Immediately after that
event Now she told II clearly, con-
cisely, not distractedly as In the night.
She was a woman Of few words, and
always had been. Her prayers were
short, morning and night, She could
not have made them long.
adam came to my husband one day
| and said that Lucy Barlow was In
trouble, She WAS expecting baby. he
implored Henry to take her up to Hall
fax on the Lanigan. She was the dear
est, sweetest girl in all Gloucester, /
will say that, laddte. Her father was
the captain Of a whaler and was away
for many months out OF the year. Her
mother was dead. so Lucy spent most
Of her time with an uncle who lived
here in Corinth. In the summer time
! she went to Gloucester to visit an aunt.
Bat while she was here, we saw great
| deal Of her. She met Adam Carr at
our house. He was already married,
and he was very young-too young for
| the woman he was married to. He
wasn't more than 20 or "a and she was
So. They were not happy together
| Well, OF course, he fell in love with
Lucy. That's the long and the short
of It. -.
"They Just couldn't help themselves,
1t was that right and natural. Well
I my husband asked me what we should
| do to help her, and said at once that
would go up to Halifax with him on
the next voyage and take Lucy along.
Your father-I mean Adam Carr, Of
Icourse-was boarding with us at the
| time. His wife lived In Gloucester. He
persuaded Lucy to go with US, prom
| Using to come UP as soon as he could
| arrange to do so. He was mate on his
| fathers fishing schooner and couldn't
| get away at that time. 1t was his plan
to get divorce from his wife, but just
how It was to be done can't say. 1t
| never did happen, but II didn't matter
in the end. She died a few years later
It's Gods pity she couldn't have died
| before Lucy had her trouble. We took
Lucy away on the Lanigan. was to
stay with her through II all, and the
Lanigan started back to Corinth. She
went down with all on board just in
side Eddy's Islands on the awful night
| you've heard of-oh. but / can't speak
Of that! My husband was lost.
| ST left Lucy there and came back
| here to wait for the sea to give up my
dead. My own baby was coming. All,
1t was a dreadful, dreadful time, my
/ months after the wreck, Adam Carr
came to me with letter from Lucy.
| She wanted him to come to her at once,
| went with him by steamer. We got
| there just before you were born. Lucy
died the next day. Three weeks later
my baby came--a girl baby, and my
| only one. My little one died the day 1t
1 NNao hVIf 20 nj
"It was then that Adam Carr sug-
gested that I be mother to you, that you
be known as Henry Payson's boy as
| long as you should live. He begged 30
hard and wanted my own baby so
much that well. 1 fell In with his
plan. That is how you came into the
world and how you became John Pay
son, son OF Henry Payson, lost at sea
months before you were born. have
tried to be good mother to you, laddie,
| all these years, and now"
He leaned over and kissed her, the
| tears streaming down his cheeks. She
broke off n the middle of the lament
to stroke his hand and murmur words
| Of comfort.
Then. as If moved by a common i'm
pulse, they arose and stood together at
| the side OF the man in the bed. He was
staring straight up into their faces, and
| there was unmistakable intelligence IN
those bloodshot, bulging eyes. They
drew back appalled,. He knew! He
had heard and he understood!
Suddenly John stepped forward and
tenderly laid his hand on Adam Cars
| forehead. He bent forward and said:
TITS all right father. It's all right"
| Adam Carr's eyes closed slowly.
1.-THE New York doctor will be here
| at 2, and the nurse ALSO" said the son,
as much for the stricken mans benefit
as for the Widow Payson.
| The outer door was opened, and
someone entered the parlor. An odd ex-
preston came into John Payson's face.
His jaw fell; a look OF utter dismay
grew In his eyes.
"why--why," he began blankly. at
don't believe told Mary that yau are
not my mother. 1 didn't think She
must think that you-you are"
Someone was rapping on the door
casing not 10 feet away, gentle but
imperative summons that cut short his
wretched reflections.
who's there?" he called out In sub
dued tones
at is l." came back Mary's voice.
81 have come to see II can help you
/ and YOUR mother"
He sprang forward and drew the cur
tains apart.
"Eric has telephoned from the court
| house that
house that everything is we'll with
him. So came here as quickly as
| could"
She came bravely into the room and
looked at Adam Carr.
CHAPTER XXI
| MIR. COOPERS BUSY DAY.