Iron County register., 1915-03-18


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 were not seriously Ill,
only frightened by the crowd and their
senseless shoutings. Don't think of it
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 it
is little short of absurd"
Astonished at such tranquility where |
she had expected anguish if 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 Ga 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 entreated, forgetting
Reuthers presence in her conscious
ness of the misery she had brought
upon her benefactor, Il never meant
I 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 or
distressed. You have had a unfor-
tunate experience but that is over
now anG so must your distress be"
: Then, as in her astonishment she
dropped her hands and looked up, he
. added very quietly, Your daughter
u has been much disturbed about you,
e but not at all about Oliver or his good
Il name She knows my son too well,
II and so do you and |, to be long af-
4 fected by the virulent outcries OF a
- mob seeking for an object upon which
. to expend their spleen"
- Deborah was glad to sit silent un-
~ de- this open rebuke and listen to
IL Reuther's ingenious declarations,
~ NJ though she knew that they brought no
II conviction and distilled no real com.
y fort either to his mind or hers.
u Yes, mother, darling" the young
1s girl was saying. These people have
. not seen Oliver in years, but we have
- and nothing they can say, nothing tha
any one can say but himself, coult
ever shake my belief in him as mai
ne incapable of a really wicked act. lii
might be capable of striking a suddel
ls blow-most men are under grea
Au provocation-bu to conceal such {
e' fact--to live for years enjoying thi
ne respect of all who knew him, with tn,
lis knowledge fostering in his heart of an
es other having suffered for his crime
that, that would be impossible to Oil
nS yer Ostrander."
. Some words ring in the heart lon
au after their echo has left the ear. In
Sn possible! Deborah stole look at tn
oi Judge. But he was gazing at Reuthel
no where he well might gaze if his sinl
=. ing heart craved support or hi
Au' abashed mind sought to lose itself i
'ns the enthusiasm of this pure SOUL wit
"u its loving, uncalculating instincts
Tell the judge who is as confideI
ue of Oliver as am myself that you al
'eu confident, too. That you could I
0oi more believe him capable of this aboI
Vi Unable act than you could believe
y" of my father"
9o' "I will--tell--the judge" stammere
-, the unhappy mother. Judge" 81
=" briefly declared as she rose with Il
@ -" help of her daughters arm, my mil
agrees with yours in this matter. VIII
you think, think" And that was {
she could say.
' AS she fell again into her seat, t
Judge turned to Reuther:
~, Leave your mother for a lit
WHILE" he urged, with that rare gent
me ness he always showed her. Let b
~ rest here few minutes longer, alo
yar with me-"
> of Yes, Reuther" murmured Debort
con seeing no way of avoiding this inc
table interview, Il am feeling b
on. ter every minute. will come sool
rec. The young girls eye faltered FRI
one to the other, then settled, witt
tare strange and imploring look upon
1t mother. Had her clear intelligeI
ived pierced at last to the core OF Il
lour mothers misery? Had she seen wi
-self Deborah would have spared her at
had cost of her own life? 1t would Sc
SO, for when the mother, with gr