Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-05-10

Of sorrow. The wisdom she had
gained was not such as to quiet
the sobs in her throat or to make
her hands cease trembling.
For a moment Edith forgot the
others around her.
All" she said kindly, "you
are troubled, aren't youi Come
with me, won't youi"
As the two women turned to-
ward the door into the hall, the
change III positions made Mary
Leslie face the music room.
Her eyes rested on somebody
beyond the doorway. The click in
her throat was audible to every
body in the room. It sounded as
II her leaping heart had crowded
the breath from her body. For an
instant she stood, her face blank
from sheer incredulity. Even her
wise looking eyes were blank, as if
they had been curtained. She
slipped both her hands from
Edith's grasp and let them fall,
limp, at her sides. Her lips
shaped a slow smile, and light
came back to her eyes. She leaned
toward the music room and held
out her hands. They tremblcd.
Every bit of her trembled.
To the others the thing was big,
crushing, grim. All of them-even
the society reporters-knew that
they looked on a tremendous
scene, something vital, stark. In
the dead silence they almost could
hear the football Of tragedy, SO
entirely did the emotion Of the
shabby looking, black clad woman
dominate their minds.
Her thin, white hands trembled
oddly before her for a few mo-
ments before she let them drop
again to her sides. She still leaned
toward the music room.
Why" she said in an awed,
wondering voice hardly above a
whisper, there's Jack!''
The smile stayed on her lips and
went up into her eyes.
Mrs. Kane was the first to find
voice. Edith's fascinated gaze
was, like the strange woman's to-
ward the m11Sic room
What did you say?" Nellie
asked, her voice strained.
"There he is-in there" Mary
Leslie answered. She did not shift
her gaze, but she brought both her
hands up to her chest and folded
them there. The gesture looked
like mute prayer.
Mallon, approaching at last
what the scene meant, took one
step toward the doorway through
which the woman's steady gaze
went.
MIR. Smith," he called out
loudly.
There was a brief pause, during
which the others could see that
Mary's and Edith's eyes followed
the progress of some one toward
the doorway.
The suspense, cruelty heavy,
IN all of them.
Smith appeared in the doorway
and came into the room. His ex-
preston was one of.curiosity. He
looked first at Edith, then at Mary
Leslie. Evidently, he had not
what Mary had said about
him.
Mallon turned to Miss Leslie.
Well?" he questioned her a
sharply.
She held out her hands toward
the agitator again, duplicating
him.
1t is Jack!' she said, music in
her voice for the first time, like
the whisper of happiness. Her
eyes had never left him.
He looked at her gravely. It
was apparent that he was utterly
bewildered.
My name is john he an
swered firmly.
Her hands were still toward
him, trembling, white, and thin.
And l am Mary she said
simply.
He answered her with two
slow words.
Mary who?n
The smile gradually faded from
her face. It was as If a brutal, ir-
hand slowly dragged
down into the mud q beautiful
thing.
You don't know met,
She said that IN q curious.
frightened way. She seemed to
view the thing in some strange,
manner, as if she me.
chanically calculated the degrees
Of her own sorrow. There was in
Is.SZ.sx.sks 1870. ..44iY esSaasAs rAss