The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-14
The Hidden Name.

The Hidden Name.
The Iron -Gray- Woman shuddered.
the man kneeling at her side, eagerly
drinking in every word, frightened his
fingers reassuringly upon her hand.
ST answered never word. I could
not" she failed on. my breast was
hollow; empty as gray sky.
1.-THE lady can answer that l
heard the voice of the-other man
sheer.
"There was a cry, and your father
sprang at him. The maids screamed.
I uncovered my eyes expecting to look
upon death. But the-other man
leaped through the window and was
gone.
your father put the maids out of
the room and stood over me. l dared
not look up. His FACET was terri
blet Once he raised his great arm
to strike. I've prayed a thousand
thousand times he had-it would
have saved me many death
"'You-! But I'll not speak the
name that belongs to you His voice
was hard; hoarse; awful. And I be-
lieved you! There's the window-still
open! Go; if you want him! I'm
through with you!
'He stroke out at the door and
slammed it after him L have never
seen him since" The 1ron-Gray-
| Woman shuddered; turned her face
toward the strong rocks above the
trees. 81 remember I took one step
after him. / knew nothing more till
sometime late in the night, when
walked with your crying and found
myself lying face down upon the
floor. My heart grew hard as I
quoted you. He probably thought to
find me next morning all tears and
repentance-for a sin of which I was
as innocent as the babe at my breast.
1 would show him that my blood was
proud as his. Wrapping you in your
cradle clothes. muffled a cloak about
me and stole from the house. 1t was
away in the dead night, and the dark
had always been dreadful to me. I
Rugged you close; stole down to the
river. There 1 loosed a skiff, whose
never knew, lay down in the stern
| and set it adrift. There was not
stir. Only the moon looked down out
of the dull sky, pale and sickly and
trimmed with red; the gray sky my
| bosom; the sick1y moon my heart.
rose and tried to row, but faintness
the sl1iff.
''The next I knew I was on a rude
bed in a houseboat miles down the
river, with a family of pearl fishers.
| They told me 1 had been sick for a
flong time. When I grew strong,
sold my jewelry, all but my wedding
ring-that I saved for your sake
bought this house-boat, and became a
pearl fisher. You know the rest"
The Iron Gray Woman fell silent;
rocked softly back and forth a time or
| two; allowed the chair to settle still.
The man glanced at her face. For the
first time in his life he saw that the
dark eyes were swimming in tears.
He reached an arm around her
| shoulders and drew her head over
upon his breast. The little act Of
tenderness seemed to touch her deep
ly. For a long time the tears flowed
! on while the young man knelt and
marveled.
Mother" he said very gently at
last, stroking her hair, 1--WE must go
back to him. He felt her CULVER at
the word. She sat for long time
staring down at the floor. q
| For your sake-we must" she
answered at length. But not until
you are twenty lone, or-we find the
pearl-the PEARL"
"But I'm twenty -one in June-this
June-the twentieth; and this is the
thirteenth" The man was trembling
with an eagerness he could not con-
ceal. 1.-THE time is so near-his name
my fathers name!"
| He searched her wet eyes for the
answer. In all his life, it was the
| first time the curtain that hid his
past had ever raised. 1t must have
| been the fever that made her speak
now. She looked so frail, so white,
that he hardly dared to urge her
further And yet he could not keep
the question back.
| MY father"
A startling change came over the
woman. It was no light matter to
unlock that door; to probe a wound
of twenty years. She trembled up
from her chair, her eyes wide and
wild.
| Your father-!" The young man,
too, had risen. She clutched his arm.
your father"
/ The words seemed to choke her.
There came a torrent of coughing;
and the man.. gently eased her back
| into the chair.
| Continued tomorrow
|
! The city council of Reykjavik, Ice
Tland, has begun the operation of a
special bakery in conjunction with the
municipal gas works, whereby much
L n