The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-05-10

FSdiLSo Gdo iiot SuSii us w 4uiGt
the sobs in her throat or to make
her hands cease trembling.
For a moment Edith forgot the
others around her.
Ah,a she said kindly, you
are troubled, aren't you? Come
with me, won't youg"
AS the two women turned to-
ward the door into the hall, the
change in 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. 1t sounded as
fif 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 We're blank. as if
they had been eurtained. She
slipped both her hands from
adlth's grasp and let them fan,
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 tremhled.
Every bit of her tremblea.
To the others the thing was big,
crushing, grim. Al 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 Jacki"
! The smile stayed on her lips and
went up into her eyes.
Mrs. Kane wa the first to End
voice. Edith fascinated gaze
was. like the strange woman S to-
ward the music o
What did you say2's 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
ike mute prayer.
NaIlon. annreciat1ng at last
what the cen meant, took one
/, step toward the doorway through
which the Woman's steady gaze
went.
MIR. Smith, he called out
loudly.
There was d brief pause, during
which the others could see that
Mary and Edith eyes followed
the progress of some one toward
the doorway.
The suspense, cruelty heavy,
hung on all of them.
Smith appeared in the doorway
and came into the room. His ex-
preston was enc Of curiosity. He
looked first at Edith, then at Mary
Leslie Evidently, he had not
heard What Mary had said about
him.
Mallon turned to Miss Leslie.
Wellf' he questioned her a
little sharply.
She held out her hands toward
the agitator again, suppfieating
him.
II is jack" she said, music IN
her voice for the first time, ike
the whisper Of happiness. Her
eyes had never left him. |
He looked at her gravely. I'll
was apparent that he was utterly
bewiIdered.
My name is John" he an
swered firmly.
Her hands were still toward
Mn, trembling, white, and thin.
And I am Mary she said
simply.
He answered her with two
slow words.
Mary whe?'
The smile gradually faded from
her Face. II was as il a brutal. IL
resistible hand slowly dragged
down into the mud . beautiful
thing.
You don't know me9''
Sne said that IN q curious.
frightened way. She seemed "a
view the thing il some strange.
detached manner, as il She ma.
chanically calculated the degrees
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