Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-11-04

You will always b. a mother to me"
| said he gently.
Tell me again of TT other one.
| v to get it all clearly in my min
It's vague now."
She repeated the story of how he
came into the world and into her pos
session almost Immediately after that
event. Now h told it clearly, con-
cisely. not distractedly as in the night.
She was q woman of few words. and
always had been. Her prayers We're
short, morning and night. She could
not have made them long.
Adam came to my husband one day
and said hat Lucy Barlow was in
trouble. She was expecting a baby. He
lmplored Henry to take her up to Hall
fax on the Lanigan. She was the dear
est. sweetest girl in all Gloucester, l
will say that. laddie. 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 Corfnth. In the summer time
she went to Gloucester to visit an aunt.
But while she was here, we saw a 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 % or "a and she was
30. They We're 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,
it was that right and natural. Well,
my husband asked me what we should
do to help her, and 1 said at nee that
L would go up to Halifax with him on
the next voyage and take Lucy along.
Your father-I mean Adam Carr, of
~course-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
get away at that time. 1t was his plan
to get a divorce from his wife, but just
how it was to be done I can't say. 1t
never did happen, but it didn't matter
in the end. She died a few years later.
It's a Gods pity she couldn't have died
before Lucy had her rouble. We took
Lucy away on the Lanigan. l was to
stay with her through it 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 I can't speak
Of that! My husband was lost.
II left Lucy there and came back
here to wait for the sea to give up my
dead. My OWL baby was coming. All,
it was a dreadful, dreadful time, my
laddie. Well. one day, four or five
months after the wreck. Adam Carr
came to me with a letter from Lucy.
She wanted him to come to her at once.
l went with him by steamer. We got
there just before you We're 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 it
was born. but Lucy's lived and thrived.
1T was then that Adam Carr sug-
! ppSfpI thar hn nnthar tn wan thot ,,p,,
be known as Henry Payson's boy as
long as you should live. He begged so
hard and l 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. 1 have
tried to be a 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 in 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. bullying eyes. They
drew back appalled,. He knew! He
had heard and he understood!
Suddenly John stepped forward and
tenderly laid his hand on Adam Carr's
forehead. He ben forward and said:
IT'S all right. father. It's all right"
Adam Carr's eyes closed slowly.
THE New York doctor will be here
at 2, and the nurse Also" said the son.
as much Cor 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 I told Mary that a are
not my mother. l didn't think. She
must think that you-you are-'
Someone was rapping on the door
casing not 10 feet away, a gentle but
imperative summons thai cut short his
w%retched reflections.
Who's there?" he called out in sub
dued tones.
1T is l." came back Mary's voice.
Il have come to see If 1 can help you
and your mother"
He sprang forward drew the cur
tains apart.
Eric has telephoned from the court
house that
house that everything is we'll with
him. So l came here as quickly as l
could"
She came bravely into the room and
looked at Adam Carr.
CHI ApTIIp WIZ