The Detroit times., 1916-06-07

| mining engineer. Tom invests her
marriage portion OF $4,000 In an ore.
| gon mine and the two go to the west
and endure a life OF hardship. Leilas
love wanes before deferred hope and
| she demands her money from her dis-
| trauBht husband after he has used IL
orc. lie gives her the stock certin-
| Gates OF the mine and tells her ne Is
| so sure there In gold In the mine that
| he knows she Will one day be rlch
beyond her dreams
Toni" she waited. all her babyish
resentment dying down. TON! I'm
so sorry. darling! Please forgive
me! I was just upset and nervous.
Won't you try to forget it. please?
And ] didn't mean what | said. !
want you TO keep the certificates.
IL"
For answer he took up the sheaf
OF papers. crossed 10 her dresser
and put them Into its top drawer.
They are yours. Leila" he said.
You must take them. I've put them
in there for you. I'm sorry you
think have been dishonest toward
you"
Dishonest" she wept, her arms
about his neck why. Tom. you are
the most honest, most honorable
man In the whole world oh, won't
you please forgive me-"
| lie could not resist the caress, nor
the tear-stained. appealing face.
| Clasping her close 10 his heart, he
kissed the trembling little mouth
and begged her not to cry, but to
help him bear pluckily this new
stroke OF ill.luck
SO engrossed were they in their
reconciliation that they did not hear
a blackboard rattle up 10 the gate
Only n draft of outer air told them
the cabin door had been opened.
They turned 10 see I.eila's father
end mother standing on the thresh-
hold
| Mr.. Austln's ~rinkled face was
alight at tho JOY OF reeing his only
child again and at Witnessing her de-
light at her parents surprise visit.
| But Mrs. Austins gaze had Travelled
past her daughter. and she was sur
veying the dingy and illkcpt room
with amazed disgust.
With a cry of welcome, Leila ran
forward 10 greet the newcomers.
In the pleasure and excitement Of
tho reunion she did not notice her
mothers very evident repulsion at
her surroundings. Not until Tom
had carried Mr.. Austin off TO look
at the mine did the older woman
speak her mind But then she did
so. clearly and empha;ically
Leila" she began. III | had
dreamed this was the way you had
10 live I'd never have had a peaceful
nights rest From your letters Inn
agIncd YOU we're in a -rosccoYered
cottage with every comfort you
could want"
II have everything ! need. de-
clared her daughter Loyalty.
You have a hundred times less
than any longshoreman's wife. posi-
lively denied Mrs. Austin. This Is
not n cottage, It Is hovel--a squat
id, miserable hole And after all the
loving care we took to shield our
| little girl from privations, ] can't
bear to think of your living like
this"
"If | can bear IT," returned Leila,
with forced gayety, you ought TO be
able to-"
But you can't" rctorted her
mother You've lost flesh. There
are hollows under your eyes. Your
hands-oh. your pretty little white
hands.-they are all red and cal
Housed and splayed out of shape.
Your shoulders are getting bent and
l-and-Leila, there's no use argu-
ling, This has got to stop. | won't
let you kill yourself out here In this
wilderness. You're coming back
home with us. This very dayl"
mo" refused Leila, albeit the
Temptation gnawed keenly. mo, ]
can't Tom needs me so! He is un-
lucky and"
"He will be unluckier," finished
| Mrs. AOBtln, When ho hoS "A'
and helpless wife on his hands. And
that's what he'll have, too, IL you
don't get n rest and change. An
other month of this and you'll be
I'm You weren't built for drudgery'
any more than n butterfly Is built TO
draw plow. For Toms sake as
well as for your own" she urged.
artfully, come back with US! Just
for a visit. II will be the saving
of your health"
To fight back the craving to CRY
out. "Yesl Yes. Yes!" the girl
turned 10 the tub and began her neg
Ilected weeks washing. The first
garment she CHANGED to draw forth
from the suds was one OF Toms big
flannel shirts. II was unwieldly, and
she handled Il awkwardly. At sight
OF the dripping shirt Mrs. Austin
cried out.
Put that down. Put It down.
deariel You shan't do such work! !
went have Il! L"
Tom Carter. with Mr. Austin, came
in from their visit TO the mine. Mrs.
Austin ran TO her husband.
81 want Leila to come back with
u.s." che exclaimed Help me per
suade her"
| .Ns,. ,.iano a, horo - faItarad Leila