The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-01-20

10 one who swoons but seldom, the
moment CT 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, &C.
customed to realities again. saw in the
angel face which foated before her
vision amid 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 i'll.
only frightened by the crowd and their
Senseless shoutings. Don't think of it
| any more, dear mother The people
are dispersing now, and you will soon
DO 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
-ior this was no longer her deli
cate suffering Reuther to be shielded
from all unhappy knowledge, but
woman as strong If not as wise to the
situation CJ herself-she scrutiniZed
inc child closely, then turned her gaze
slowly about the room, and started in
palntul surprise, as she perceived
standing in the space behind her the
tall fgure Of Judge Ostrander.
Pardon" she entreated, forgetting
keuther's presence in her conscious.
ness of the misery she had brought
upon her benefactor. 81 never meant
i never dreamed"
ON. no apologies!" Was this the
Judge speaking? The tone was an ad-
monitory. not suffering one 1t was
not even that Of a man humiliated or
distressed. You have had a unfor-
tunate experience, but that is over
no" and so must your distress be-"
Ihen. as In her astonishment she
dropped her hands and looked up, he
added very quietly. Your daughter
mas been much disturbed about YOU,
but not at all about Oliver or his good
name. She knows my son too we'll
and so do you and l, to be long af
=, iectea by the virulent outcries of a
mob seeking for an object upon which
, TO eXpend their spleen"
, Deborah was glad to sit silent un.
4 de- this open rebuke and listen to
Reuther's ingenious declarations
: though she knew that they brought nc
, conviction and distilled no real com
fort either to his mind or hers
, Yes. mother, darling" the young
sirl was saying. These people have
not seen Oliver In years, but we have
ana nothing they can say, nothing that
any one can say but himself, could
ever shake my belief in him as q man
incapable Of really wicked act. He
might be capable of striking q sudden
oio"-moSt men are under great
proVocatlon-but to conceal such a
fact-to hive for years enjoying the
respect OF all who knew him, with the
knowledge fostering in his heart of an
other having suffered for his crime
that, that would be impossible to Oil.
yer Ostrander"
Some words ring in the heart long
after their echo has left the ear I'm
possible! Deborah stole a look at the
Judge. But he was gazing at Reuther,
where he we'll might gaze, II his sink.
Ing heart craved support or his
abaslled mind sought to lose itself in
the enthusiasm of tlhs pure soul, with
Its loving. uncalculating instincts.
Tell the Judge who is as confident
of Oliver as am myself that you are
confident. too. That you could no
more believe him capable of this ahom.
Unable act than you could believe It
Of my father"
II will--tell-the Judge" stammered
the unhappy mother. Judge" she
briefly declared. as she rose with the
help of her daughters arm, my mind
agrees with yours in this matter. What
you think, think" And that was all
she could say.
AS she fell again into her seat, the
Judge turned to Reuther:
Leave your mother for little
while" he urged, with that rare gentle
ness he always showed her. Let her
rest here a few minutes longer, alone
with me-"
Yes. Reuther," murmured Deborah.
seeing no way Of avoiding this ineyi.
table interview. II am feeling bet.
ter every minute. will come soon. {"
The young girls eye faltered from
one to the other, then settled, with a
strange and imploring look upon her
mother. Had her clear intelligence
pierced at last to the core OF that
mothers misery? Had she seen what
Deborah would have spared her at the
cost of her own life? 1t would seem
SO, for when the mother with great