Cleveland County herald., 1920-10-14


 The man kneeling at her side, eagerly drinking in every word, frightened his fingers reassuringly upon her hand.
 T 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 sheer.
 'There was a cry, and your father sprang at him. The maids screamed. 1 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. I dared not look up. His face-it 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 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 strode out at the door and | slammed it after him. I have never seen him since" The Iron Cray Woman shuddered; turned her face i toward the strong rocks above the trees. T remember 1 took one step after him. l 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. My heart grew hard as I quleted you. He probably thought to find me next morning all tears and repentance--for a 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, l muftled a cloak about me and stole | from the house; stole down to the riv- CT. There l loosed a skiff whose, I never knew, lay down in the stern and set It adrift. There was not a star. 1 Only the moon looked down out of the dull sky, pale and siclily and trimmed with red the gray sky my bosom; the sickly moon my heart. 1 rose and tried | to row, but a faintness came over me and 1 lay down again in the skiff.
 'rhe next knew I was son a rude bed in a houseboat miles down the river, with kindly family of pearl fishers. They told me I had been sick for long time. When 1 grew strong, l sold my jewelry. all but my wedding ring-that I saved for your sake n pearl fisher. You know the rest"
 The Gravy fell silent : rocked softly back and forth 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 long time the tears flowed on while the young man knelt and mar veled,
 Mother" he said very gently at last, stroking her hair, i've must go back to him."
 He felt her quiver at the word. She sat for long time staring down at 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 I am twenty-one in June-this June-the twentieth; and this is the l thirteenth" The man was trembling with an eagerness he could not con- ceal. "rhe time is so near-his name my fathers namem
 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. It must have been the fever that made her speak now. 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 torrent of coughing; and the man gently eased her back into the chair.
 As he stopped over her, anxious to dc something to alleHiate 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 oe water and knelt beside her, but for q long time she Jumped forward. her shoulders eupped in and her arms locked as il trying to hold back the cough, until she seemed ac- tually to conquer 1t by sheer force of will. Finally she groped with one hand for the cup; supped the cool wa ter. strengthened, and lay back in her chair. There was no more blood en her lips. and the man saiG nothing of the tiny fleck he had seen there.
 "Mother. they're getting worse, these spells. Let me hiring the doctor down from the village
 Il "The Man in .he Fancy