Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-03

hiss Desires which Jether refuses to 9Ss;
hos. s5 hsT JstSer is half she prsySe
ggo h sssaScs g e i.ts BsSyoSPan, S,ISs sSs
of love. Then company rny.iyy Tl Soon Siterward
fpS ssey rich sea captain g ntTSdSssd the 70
Ts Sy her .h0Ss %S,sfa fpaarats 0 nsweO'5
nd 70 so wih h% s.r,Ss on him q his last
pos dTIysS s% fVTih ss elder psh pSfohsF
Z ssgyFe in the dog kennels. where n'S
Apds him.
~AAr. attracted by the outburst' cams
T from, the house and surveyed the Seems
ms. as Jether embraced his mother
.so then" he said contemptuousiy' 70 inc
NV .For all thy promises 10 me- thou mast
rs,,ssIed tbyself after all to thy motherg
,Irlaab. slowly comprehending the knowl-
- ,hat C3aal had known of Jethcr D pres-
,nce drew herself up Indignantly
'eThou knewest," she CRIED
.A,,o and for thine own sake. l kept
silence" replied Gaal
.prhou knewest--and yet told me not7
,hrieked the mother,
,tIe scorned to take food of me-" retorsed
nar curtly. Besides. he hath deserved
nsurht else. lie went away Of his own ac-
cord He should have stlyed away then'
Huldah shook her hea'.
mrbou hast a hard heart, Gaal,' she
.aid. "where ddst thouyh get 1t? snail not
.oon forgive thee this. Now help me to
carry Jether in."
"what? Touch him? Hast seen his
.sores?' demanded CaaL
"r have kissed his sores,' replied the
mother.
"IIe shall not cpme into the house. cried
caal, sternly, taxing heart from inc iact
that the aged Jesse had neither spoken nor
uncovered his face In the absence OF pa
rental authority Gaal felt his word was law
The servants who had gradually been az,
trac,ed nv tn news of Jcther's return, fell
back before his glance.
The mother, defied for the 1rst time in
her life sp.anS to her feet d,
"This H. thy fathers mousse HoI '"i''''
she said. proudly. .
INV fathers silence speaks answered
Gaal 'r;o moro than l would he nave
fhis disgrace thrust upon us. we nave tolu
the h gh ones of the city, and now shall
this thing give us the lie? NO. ne snail
not enter my fathers house
Yuldah shook her head sadly
'Thou speakest only for thyself,' she
.Mv father hears yet speaks not af-
armed GaaI "a man must judge what
best befits the honor of his house. ana since
nv father will not speak / Will give or
ders here. But Jether must not die mere;
Nor need he die at all. though better could
scarcely happen TO him. IL thou wilt go
within, quietly, L shall have him carried
to some neighbor's house and pay tor MS
care until he can move on"
And as Gaal reached over and looked
closer at the PROSTATE form of the younger
SON the mother sprang between them and
thrust him back.
~ havc asked the wrath of God on those
who have brought Jether TO this plight,
she cried passionately. shall thy mother 8
tongue now call down a curse on thee also?
Stand back, Gaal. thou shalt not touch thy
brother His mother will protect him."
CHAPTER XIV
n ((l (lTAOMI-Rissa-com ye all p
IN The mother, frantic at the prospect
that Gaal might yet be able to send Jether
from her. cried out aloud so that all might
hear.
1T is our Jether," she called to Naomi
as the maiden quickly responded.
The girl gazed in amazement as she saw
before her the beggar whom she had left
but few moments ago. She leaned over
hun. A single garment wrapped around his
neck was the only thing not Of rags upon
his body.
MY scarf" she cried. "He wears it yet,
the token gave him! !"
Hear, all of ye," pleaded Huldah to the
servants. "Jether, our son, hath returned
TO us! Is 1t not as we all expected when
the city called him from us? But he comes
back very i'll and in great misery. Though
he now looks so wretched, ye remember
how fair he was. and how his smile was
like the sunshine. He has been greatly
wronged, as men are in the city who come
as trusting ones. am old and cannot lift
my child alone, but ye who love him too
shall help me to bear him to his own room,
careful of his wounds"
Gaal hercely swept both women aside
and stepped toward the boy as he lay upon
the grass.
THAT ye shall not do. know this OF
Jether. Before he went away he hath
offended the law OF God by offering insult
70 our aged father. The Almighty hath
brought him TO this. Let him be taken
elsewhere, but not into thy masters house.
\ Touch him not at thy peril"
Huldah turned to Jesse, who had never
A surred but stood, silent as an image, with
81 MS back toward the PROSTATE Jether.
my husband" she pleaded. '"bld thy SER
wants obey thy wife. In these many, many
years that / have been even as u part
OF thee. never before have been made to
speak twice TO thy servants, who now
hesitate because they have heard the COM
mand OF Gaal. For now in thy silence Gaal
would play the master. Our boy is i'll. so
very Ill that my heart Is trembling. Shall
ne be kept thus waiting? Speak to thy
servants and command them TO obey me-"
Jether slowly opened his eyes and half
raised himself upon his elbow He looked
~ his mother and smiled He turned toward
the stern figure of the silent Jesse, and
tnen sadly reached out his hand to his
mother
This is what ] have wanted, mother"
ne said weakly ITO hold thy hand. Mother
lat last"
auldah held him convusively in her arms
shd wept, while Gaal sneered
| neg from thy mother-bah" he said.
way Gaal wrongs me. mother" an
wered Jether softly 81 would beg naught
-Alo lhy torElNeness. Eaiher Hua q illat i