The Lamar register., 1920-09-08
what was he lilie?"

what was he Iike?"
The IronGray-W Woman turned her
eyes and studied him so long, so In
tently. that he rremblcd lest his ques-
tion-a question thni came in spite of
him-had startled her INTO silence.
Like YOU" she resumed. and not
like YOU. His el"S verr blue his hair
light. Your hair ls dark. like mine.
Your eyes are like mine. Bur he had
the same height nnd breadth of shoul.
der: like YOU. slnw OF speech. slow to
strike. ill the rishi instant cume-
then. AS the hawk strikes.
81 never liked ILt-Ufher man;
though my uncle inude II impnssihIe
fCr me completely to discourage his
attentions" Her words dropped hnck
INTO the memory groove worn deep
ny the years. 81 KEPT up show of
Interest In him. for the sake of my
cousin. She really loved him. and II
was the only way she could get to see
him. He was very handsome man:
though as II nfterwurd turned out. the
black sheep of his family. and deeply
lnNtINeO III fer1. Ut WIS 10 TtIhlT nir
wasted fortunes. rs I now believe, thu
he deliberately planned 10 win my
cousins henrt-und hand"
The cough threatened 10 come back.
She held her hands hight upon her
breast till she had mastered II, and
then hurried On rs If afraid her
strength might not hold TO say all that
bad 10 be said.
The very boldnrss of him fasci-
mated my cousin. Day by day his
power over her grew greater never
realized how great Till one night, with
out taking even me Into her confidence.
she utterly astOnished us ali by elop-
Ing with him. | will never forget the
day that fOllo.sed. Nv uncle disowned
her and sent after her u message that
she was ueyer again To set foot inside
his door. He raved and swore; drank
himself into drunken madness; and
finally ended by driving me away also.
"Your father had already declared
himself My uncle's cruelty hastened
our marriage. That same day he took
me TO his home as his bride-tO the
beautiful gray mansion overlooking
the river. We've sometimes passed II
In our wanderings"-there came a
wisiful pause-'but never allowed
you to know.
There followed II year of such hap
pincss as never knew could come TO
this wOrld-a year that has left bar
ren all the years that followed; that
beggnred all that went before! one
evening. almost "a year TO u day after
ward, as ! sat rocking you, baby In
the cradle, and waiting for your father
TO come In, thinking, strangely enough,
OF my cousin, whom | had never seen
since the night of the elopement, n
slight sound at one Of the low win
dows caused me 10 turn. ! was far
steadier neryed than | now am, but
could hardly keep back a scream.
There stood my cousins husband. He
Sas speaking In half whisper. But
for the moment / was too startled to
make out what he said. He came out
from behind the curtains and drew
near. | shrank away. In low whis-
pers, for the maids were just outside
the door. he was begging me TO leave
your father and come to him-that he
had never loved my cousin-that /
must cOme-that II was always me.
His voice was hot as flame, but 4.
turned me cold. couldn't move. He
came close-stooped over me.
"A step sounded in the hall. Half
frantic, | tried TO push him back
toward the window. At the instant
the door opened. and In it-yOur fs-
ther; with the maids behind him. ]