The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-01-25
Hnfhor of
, "7He Iron TaiI"'
"We Spoilers"
"We Si/ver Horde" Etc.


receiver at his elbow was piled high
with burnt offerings.
Pope rose at Adoree's entrance. eylng
her anxlously. sis everything all rightT
he cried.
els what all rlghtf
"The-er-Iorelie."
"oh. yes! What are you doing here2"
"T suppose | must apologize. You
see. came here to wait and--and
help"
"You decided to-help?" AdOree
eyed the disheveled musician queerly.
you've helped to break my lease
I'll be thrown out OF this house sure"
Pope stammered. gulltliy, ~ was
playing for Bob and Lorelei"
with one glove half of, Adoree slow
" seated herself. showing In her face
an amazement that increased the
mans embarrassment. Pope took
deeper breath. then burst out:
"Oh, have sixty-borse power
Imagination, and II seems TO me that
music is a sort of-prayer; anyhow, It's
the only way know of praying. Good
music is divine language. In my own
way l was sort OF praying for those
two children. Foolish, isn't itf I'm
sorry l told you. II sounds nutty TO
me when stop TO consider It," Pope
stirred uneasily under Adoree's gravely
speculative eyes. "Lorelei's all rightf"
Adoree nodded. "It's boy" There
| was n moment of silence. "Dld you
ever see a brand-new baby7"
Murder, nor
Miss Demorest's gaze remained bent
upon Pope, but 1t was focused upon
great distances; her voice when she
spoke was hushed and awe-stricken.
Neither did until this one. held It!
I held 1t in my arms. OIL was fright
ened, and yet seemed to know just
what to do and-and everything. II
was strange. 1t hurt me terribly. for
you see. | didn't know what babies
meant until tonight. Now l know"
Pope saw the shining eyes suddenly
fill and threaten to overflow; instead
of the grotesquely overdressed and ar
tificial stage favorite he beheld only
yearning woman whose face was sof
tened and glorified as by a vision.
II didn't know you cared for chill
dren."
Adoree shrugged; the beads at he
throat clicked barbarously. "Neithe
did l, but suppose every woman doe
II she only knew II. Tonight begai
to understand what this ache inside o
me means" Her gaze came back AM
centered upon his face, but 1t wa
frightened and panic-stricken. "Iv
sacrificed my right to children"
How can you say"
"Oh, you know 1t as well as do!
| A flush wavered In the speaker
cheeks, then fed. leaving her white an
weary. "You, OF ell men, must under
, stand. I'm notorious. I'm a painte
I woman, a wicked woman-the wicked
est woman in the land-and that repJ
= tation will live in spite Of anything
, can do" She began to cry now In
way strange to Pope's experience.
( Pope's habituai restraint all at ono
4 gave way. "Nonsense" he explodc'
n THE thing that counts is what yo
! are. not what you seem to be. kno'
the truth"
n Now there was nothing sufficient
q significant about these words to brln
7 a light Of wonderment and gladness
the girls face, but her tears ceased I
O abruptly as they had commenced. an
noting the slowly growing radiance
/. her expression, Campbell was strickt
A dumb with fright at the possible cons
quences Of temerity. The knowledi
:, of his shortcomings robbed him of co
= fidence and helped to confuse him.
Il Adoree rose. For a moment 81
n stood looking at him with a peculia
q tender smile, then took him by 4
a lapels OF his shapeless coat and DIRE
his thin face down TO hers.
N I'm not going to let you back out
10 she declared, firmly. You asked II
m didn't your
m "Adoree! No, no. Think what y
In are doing" he cried, sharply.
% But she continued to smile up in
n, his eyes with gladness that into.
Gated him.
She snuggled closer TO him, murml
2" ing, cozlly: ~ don't want to think
I'd wen have plenty of time to thi
is when we're too old to talk. Now. ],
d. want to love you as hard as you ha
been loving me for the lest |
lis months"
A.
To all young fathers there comes
~ certain rel 1justment of values.
ld Bob, who had always led a self
lis thoughtless existence, 1t was at a
IN. bewilderlng to discover that his plG
of at the head OF his household had be
ho usurped by another. Heretofore he
always been Of supreme domestic
portance, but now the order Of thlr
VAs completely reversed, IL not no
Iessly jumbled. First in consequeI
er- came thls new person, tiny and vas
| txy..a uln.I haoanaa ~ - ~