The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-11-04

The man kneeling at her side, eagerly
drinking In every word. frightened his
fingers reassuringly upon her hand.
Il answered a word. !
couldn't" she faltered on. 'Ny breast
was hollow; empty as a gray sky.
1.-The lady can answer that heard
the voice of the-other man sneer.
There was a cry, and your father
sprang at him. The maids screamed.
| 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 a thousand
times he had-it would have saved me
many a death.
"'You-! But I'll not speak the
name that belongs tn YOU His voice
was hard; hoarse; awful. And I be-
lieved you! There's the w~indow-still
open! Go, If you want him! I'm
through with your
HE strobe out at the door and
slammed il after him. | have never
seer him since" The Iron-Gray-
Woman shuddered; turned her face
toward the strong rocks above the
trees. Il remember l took one step
after him. | knew nothing more till
some time late in the night, when I
walked with your crying and found my
self lying face down upon the floor.
My heart grew hard as ] quoted you.
He probably thought to find me next
morning all tears and repentance--for
4 sin of which l was as innocent as
the babe at my breast. I would show
him that my blood was proud as his.
Wrapping You in your cradle clothes,
| mufiled q cloak about me and stole
from the house stole down TO the riv-
er. There i loosed a skiff. whose, I
never knew. lay down in the stern and
set ii adrift. There was not a star.
Only the moon looked down out of the
1ull sky, pale and sickly and trimmed
with red the gray sky my bosom; the
sickly moon my heart. | rose and tried
TO row, but Il faintneSs came over me
and / lay down again in the esiff.
'The next l knew l was on a rude
bed in n h%ouseboat miles down the
river, with a kindly family of pearl
fishers. They told me l had been sick
for a long time. When l grew strong,
/ sold my jewelry, all but my wedding
ring-that l saved for your sake
bought this housebOat, and became q
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 reached an arm around her
shoulders and drew her head over
upon his breast. The little act of ten
derness seemed to touch her deeply.
For a long time the tears flowed on
while the young man knelt and mar.
yelled.
Mother" he said very gently at last,
to him."
He felt her culver at the word. She
sat for a long time staring down at
the floor.
''For your sake-we must" she an
swered at length. But not until you
the pearIr
But l am twenty-one I'm June-this
June-the twentieth; and this Is the
thirteenth" The man was trembling
with an eagerness he could not on
ceal. "The time is so near-his name
fathers name!"
He searched her wet eyes for the
answer. In all his life, IL was the first
time the curtain that hid HIS past had
ever raised. It must have been the
fever that made her speak now. II
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 eiutched his arm.
4.Your father-l"
The words seemed to choke her.
There came a torreRt Of coughing;
and the man gently eased her back
into the chair.
AS he stopped ever her, anxious to
do something. TO alleviate her suffer
ing. yet not knowing what. she raised
her face In a gasp for breath. and he
saw blood upon her lips He snatchcd
aoother cup OF water and knelt beside
her. but FOR a hong time she bumped
forward. her shoulders eupi.ed In and
her arms locked as II trying to hold
tack the cough, until she seemed ae.
tually TO conquer II ny cheer force OF
will. Finally she CROPPED with one
hand fer the cup; supped the cool wa
ter. Strengthened. and Iey back In her
chair. There was no more blood ON
Der lips and the mar said nothing Of
the tiny fleck he had seen there.
~Aiotker. they're g~trng worse,
these spells. Let me bring the doctor
down from the village"