The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-02
BILLS MOTHER
BY ALICIA RAM.


The girl sat very erect among the
cushions of the window seat in the sun
parlor Of Eagles Nest. the nswly-buiit
abode Of Mr.. Barchester, head Of the
gigantic business corporation OF which
Bill Pogue was proud to be considered
one OF the promising younger mem
bers.
That's why I didn't want to say
that I would marry you; because you
couldn't marry me, OF course when
you knew that ! was Just an orphan.
The Barchesters adopted me.
~Bfi. please don't hate me for being
ashamed Of It. for It wasn't quite that.
But Mr.. and Mrs. Barchestsr have bean
% good to me. and they made me
promise never to tell anyone that
was not their truly really daughter.
When you began to come to see me
and when you told me that you want
Cd me to marry you I knew that
Daddy Barchester wanted me to like
you. For he IL very proud Of you. Bill.
and always calls you his boy.
"oh. I have tried 30 hard TO tell
you. Bill, but just couldn't. Bill, your
mother would hate me II she thought
I had made you think I was really and
truly Mr.. Barchester's daughter"
For the first time. Margaret paused
in her talk, but Bill forgot all the COM
forting and reassuring things he had
intended to say.
She held out two imploring hands
and, now that her little speech was
over, her eyes were filed with the
tears that she had been keeping back
so bravely.
But Bill did not yield to the tempta-
ton to comfort her.
I'm glad you have told me, Mar
garet. OF course 1t was the only
thing to do" he aid, still avoiding
her entreating eyes I'm glad, too, to
know your reason lr not giving me
your answer" He aused again as II
thinking deeply and then turned and
faced the girl, watch in hand. His
voice was entirely changed when he
said. We'll, let's start now for that
Compromised visit to my old home.
It's in the other end Of town"
Once or twice as Bills car bore them
swiftly onward, Margaret tried to get
back to the question uppermost in her
mind. Why didn't he tell her that the
fact OF her humble origin made no
difference to him?
They moved less rapidly through the
outskirts Of the city. dropped down
through the crowded streets and on
beyond to the older section, where sag
ging pavements and ill.kept green
squares proclaimed the neighborhood
to have outlived q once-fashionable
era.
At one such corner Bill signaled for
the car to stop.
Wen get out here and walk to the
house." he said.
Perhaps" she thought. "the street
where Bills mother lives is being re-
paved"
But in minute more she found this
conjecture to be wrong. It was an un-
usually large and imposing mansion.
out Of date and in not too good re-
pair. to which Bill turned their steps.
What a perfectly lovely old home"
she said as they neared the massive
black walnut entrance door. Secretly
she felt disappointed. II Bill had led
her to some simple little cottage or
even up flights Of stairs to a humble
fiat she would have felt that the lit
tie Maggie she had confessed herself
to be would find warmer welcome.
1T is a fine old home, isn't IT." an
swered Bill, with evident satisfaction.
And some twenty-five years ago 1t
was the scene Of great festivities.
Pretty good times still go on within its
walls"
Just then a stout, middle-sged wom-
an came to the door.
The mother. please" said Tom. and
then: She expects u. Shall We 90
straight to her study?"
He turned to the little room on the
right Of the imposing though meagerly
furnished hall and entered, unan.
nounced, what was apparently his
mothers study. Margaret first caught
the brilliance Of the stand Of red &C.
raniums that stood In the sunlight Of
the window to the south. then the i'm
preston Of immaculate cleanliness and
then the little mother came toward
them from her low rocking chair with
two outstretched hands. Margaret took
one and Bill the other.
80 you have brought her!" smiled
the mother, with a tone that gave
Margaret all the reinsurance she had
longed for. And then she found her.
self seated cozily in a low rush-bot-
tom chair at the mothers side and Bill
in another.
1T is a wonderful thing to me-" the
mother was saying in her kind voice,
that not one boy who has left US
and made good has been ashamed
when the time came, to bring the girl
he has chosen for his wife back to
the old home. And not one has been
ashamed to introduce me as his moth
err" The old lady paused and laughed
and then wiped tear from her kindly
old eyes. And some twenty Of them
have made good and married. But Bill
was always my boy especially. How
well do l remember the day started
him of on his first days work at Bar
chester's. He was such a shy. COM
ical, loYable little chap in those days "
Margaret looked at the man she
loved in open-eyed amazement.
Orphan Maggie and Orphan Bill"
he said, rather sheepishly.
Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per SyndicateA