The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1920-08-13

must come-that It was always me.
His voice was hot as fame, but I.
turned me cold. | couldn't move He
came clOse-stooped over me-
"A step sounded in the hall. Half
frantic. 1 tried to push him back
toward the window. At the instant
the door opened. and I'm it-your ia
ther: with the maids behind him.
never knew mans face could look as
his looked. sank into a chair and
hid my eyes.
".How long has this been going onr
he Numbered
The Iron-Gray-WOman shuddered.
The man kneeling at her side, eagerly
drinking in every word. frightened his
fingers reassuringly upon her hand.
II answered never word.
couldn't" she faltered on. MY breast
was hollow; empty as a gray sky
The lady can answer that heard
the voice of the-other man sneer.
There was 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. / dared
not look up. His FACET was ter
rible! Once he raised his great arm
to strike. I've prayed thousand
times he had-it would have saved me
many a death.
"'You-! But I'll not speak he
name that belongs to you His voice
hard.
! lieved you! There's the window-still
open Go, II you want himi I'm
through with your
''lIe strobe out at the door and
slammed II after him. have never
seen him since" The Iron-Gray-
Woman Shuddered; turned her face
toward the strong rocks above the
trees. II remember | took one step
after him. knew nothing more till
some time late In the night, when
walked with your crying and found my
self lying face down upon the floor.
Ny heart grew hard as uueted YOU
He probably thought to find me next
morning all tears and experimentation
sin Of which | was as innocent as
the babe a. my breast I would show
him ih,. my blood WAS proud aS his.
Wrapping you In your cradle clothes
l muilled cloak about me and stole
. from The house: stole down to INc r'v.
or. There loos"d II Skim. whose /
never knew. lay down in the st.ru and
set IL adrift. There was not "A star.
! only the moon looked down out OF the
dull sky. pale and sickly and trimmed
with red; the gray sky my bosom the
sickiy moon my heart. i rose ami tricG
Ia row. but II faintn.Ss came over me
. and lay down again in TIE skifr.
The next l knew | was on n rude
bed in houseboat miles down. the
! river. with n kindly family of pearl
fishers. They told me had been sick
l sold my jewelry, all but my wedding
! ring-that saved for your sake
bought this housed ,at and became a
pearl fisher. You know the rest"
The lron-Gray-W Woman fell silent :;
! rocked softly back and forth a time or
: two; allowed the chair 10 settle still
The man reached an arm around her
shoulders and drew her head over
upon his breast. The little act OF ten
derness seemed Ia touch her deeply.
For long time the tears flowed on
while the young man knelt and mar
( vnied.
Mother" he said very gently nj last.
strokirg her hair, I'VE must go back
Ia him"
! He felt her auiver AT the word. She
sat for long time staring down al
! the floor.
For your Sake-we must" she an
swered at length. But not until YOU
are twenty-One, or-we find the pearl
the pearl"
! But l am twenty-one in June-this
June-the twentieth; and this is the
| thirteenth" The man was trembling
/ with an "agerness he could not con
ceal. '''fhe time is so near-his name
my fathers name"
He searched her wet eyes for the
answer. In all his life. II was the first
/ time the curtain thar hid his past had
ever raised. II must have been the
: fever that made her speak now. II
was N" light matter 10 unlock that
, door; Ia probe n wound Of twenty
years She tremhled up from her
chair. hc' eyes wide and wild.
J ~ cur father The young man
! zoo, had risen. She clutckcd his arm
| "l our father"
! The words seemed to choke ber
! Ihere came torrent Of coughing ::
! and the man gently eascd her back
into the chair
AS he stopped over her. anxious to
/ a" something To alleviate her suffer
| Ing. yet not knowing what, she raised
her face in gasp for breath, and he
saw blood upon her lips. He snatched
| another cup of water and knelt beside
her. but for long time she bumped
forward. her shoulders cupped in and