The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1917-10-04

alongside freight shed. The side
door was opened and light Streampd in.
Dale crouChed in far corner III the
car, fearing discovery. hut il did not
come. He heard Some orders given.
and the two freight handlers thus in
Structed. moved down long platform
after truck. Dale clamhcrrd over
the heaps of freight. glanced up and
down The dimly lighted platform made
run of it, dropped over the edge Of
Il plankway ana dartcd across Il va
cant SpaCc-frcp.
He was still In his prison uniform.
and knew that safety lay only in get
ting away and ryading the haUhtS 90
men, M least until he could >rcur" new
apparel. He enjoyably drank in great
inspiring drafts of the sweet. h"!my
air aS he struck deserted country
road. He must have zone rs far ~
twenty miles, before utter wcariuc>S
| imprll"d him Ia enter Il haIf-cpcn barn
behind small. dilapidatcd cottage.
He climbed To its loft ana the newly
cut hay WAS To him Il bed more inviting
than The dUwnir>t couch.
II WAS bare daylight when Dale
aWokr. The first objects that attract
ed his attention were some rough farm
working clothes hanging over raftcr.
doubtless belonging to the owner of
the place.
What luck" h" brpathcd. "Oh. I
can face the world now" AMI rolling
his rejected convict garh in bundle.
intent on sinking il out Of evidence
In the first pond he came 10. Dale de
Scendcd to the ground floor of the barn
and stepped into The sunlight.
who are yuu?'-Clear and definite
the challenge halted him as would a
shot. A fair, earncst-faced girl rake
in her hand, confronted him. She
stared aSkance. and. as he Shrank back,
she added keenly:
"And what are You doing with my
fathers working clothes:"
Dale quiVered. lie was shamed. en-
barrasScd. Then something in the
w"manly eyes OF the other impelIed
him 10 a quick action.
These are mine" he said brokenly,
spreading out the striped garh Lady,
on the verge of q new life. ask YOU
To believe that l shall make It wor-
thy one. unless YOU hinder"
She understood. For Il moment she
reflected. Then She said:
You are welcome 10 the clothes. and
as tic early riser of the house | shall
be the only keeper of your secret. We
are poor but you cHn have the clothes
as a free gift and you shall share my
breakfast, and then God speed you on
safe journey"
one year later new Richard Dale
approached the old cottage at dusk.
He WAS well dressed. erect. manly In
form and feature. All through year
he had shared with a clay worker with
large family. one hundred miles
away, work that was fairly remunera-
tive and he had saved money. All
that time, day and night. single
thought. the memory of one face. had
filled his mind-the girl who had be-
fricnded him.
Dale glided Ia an open window.
Within he saw the girl of his dreams.
her aged father. u young man. whom
he soon knew Ia be the lover of the
girl he loved as no other being on
earth.
She was lost to him. He bowed his
head in pain. Then he listened, 10
learn that the marriage Of the loving
twain was hindered because of a small
mortgage on the place. He reached
within his pocket. withdrew over three
hundred dollars. the savings of
year, gave ii Il studied fling Squarely
into the lap of the astOunded girl,
and ran.
1t was dreary place, the clay yards
to which Richard Dale returned. The
halffOrmed home of love had been
crushed, yet his was the peacefullast
face. as, two days later, he resumed
his mOnOtonOuS toll.
He had given happiness to the girl
who had been his friend, and was con-
tent. Only, for long after that a GER
tain sadness would come into his eyes
as, IN handling II lump of clay. uncon-
sciOusly he would model the faultleSs
contour Of a comely face. suggesting
the cherished being he had loved and