Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-10-27

the worn. bony hand of the woman who
father.
n opened her tired. dry eyes. and
after a moment smiled.
Don't cry, laddie," she said. laying
ner hand caressingly on his head. Il
am sorry 1 told you. He may never
speak again. 1 could have gone to my
grave. With the secret safe, and you
would never have been h wiser. It
would have been better. He meant
you should know, and he was
right. 1 betrayed him. Sometimes I
think he knows that ! have told you
It's q queer feeling I have, with him
lying there senseless and unknowing.
Yet have the feeling that he heard
me talking last night, that he is listen
ing now. II he does know, he u be
mating me with all his soul. He must
be despising--"
"Sh! Don't say that. mother. Hate
you: Why. how could he hate you-
you who have done SO much for him
and for me: Think OF ali the years Of
m%othering me-"
IAN the years." she sighed. Thirty
ODD. And now they're behind me. with
only blank mes ahead. All, my little
laddie. IT is / who have suffered the
my WI folly. Why couldn't 1 have
held my stupid tongue? But I thought
he was dying. l thought the end had
come. I was terrified. To think Of
him dying like that-strong. healthy
man that he was. And you not know
ing he was your own father. Why. l.
just couldn't keep 1t back. Alack!
1t has cost him nothing, nor has he
gained more than he had before, but
! have lost my laddie--I have lost my
little sonnie."
She buried her face in her hands and
locked back and forth in the chair,
= incoming as old women moan when
have spared them the strength to
moan; the shrill cutlery Is no longer
their tribute to pain or grief. And yet
what shrek of despair is more potent
than the humble groan Of an old wom-
an?
ders and drew her head close to his
breast.
Don't say that. mother DEAR" he
said. with infinite g%entleness. "You
Will always be mother to me. There
never will come a time when I will
think OF you as anything else. You are
my dear little mother. Why. how can
mother? 1t is not possible. Do you
think that a single day can wipe out
the thing / nave believed ever since /
can remember? Haven't you always
been mother to me? Can you expect
me to forget that you are mother and
e as father? It isn't possible. It
never a be possible. He is not father
to me. nor a you ever be anything
but mother"
"Ah. John, o do not understand"
she argued patiently. 1.-THE truth is
out. Nothing can. overcome that-not
your reasoning. nor your love, nor your
loyalty. l am not your mother. You
may say what you like, but down deep
in your heart I am n what I was to
you yesterday-and all the years before
yesterday. You have lost q mother.
You cannot put me back where I was
yesterday. y did not bring you into
but you neyersscan put away from you
the fact that he once lived and bore
o You cannot think Of me. as you
must think of her"
Listen. mother" he interrupted,
listen to me. Haven't 1 always thought
OF Henry Payson as my father? In
spite OF that man there. in spite Of
what I know to be true. I shall always
think Of Henry Payson as father L
cannot help 1t. It's in here somewhere
lin my brain. In my heart. Just as
you are in here. What was the other
woman to me? Not even a memory. I
v saw Henry Payson. yet you know
what he has always been to me. My
father"
Hush. john" she cautioned. with a
quick glance at the pallid face Of Adam
He may be able to hear. He
may understand"
Understand. What IL he does? He
nothing new to him. He has expected
nothing OF me-he has asked for noth-
ing except my friendship. All, I begin
to understand some things myself. I