American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1920-11-27

lIroH ne mouse; stole DOWN 10 tno nv
or. There locsed skin, whose. I
| ~ knew. lay down In the stern and
| Il adrift. There was not Q star.
nly the moon looked down out Of the
uli sky, pale and sickly and trimmed
with red: the gray sky my bosom the
SIckly moon my heart. rose and tried
to row, but q faintness came over me
and lay down again in the skin.
"The next knew I was on . rude
bed In q houseboat miles down the
river, with q kindly family Of pearl
fishers. They told me had been sick
for a long time. When grew strong.
I sold my jewelry, all but my wedding
ring--that saved for your sake
bought this houseboat, and became
pearl fisher. You know the rest"
The Iron Gray Woman 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 q long time the tears lowed on
while the young man knelt and mar
veled.
Mother" he said very gently at last,
stroking her hair. 1--WE must 60 back
to him."
. He felt her culver at the word. She
sat for long time staring down at
: the floor.
"For your snke--we must" she an
, swered at length. "But not until you
: are twenty.one. or--we find the pearl
!, the peariw
"But am twenty.one In June--this
J, June-the twentieth; and this Is the
q thirteenth" The man was trembling
\ with an engerness he could not con
l. ceal. "rhe time is SO near-his name
{ my fathers nameI"
He searched her wet eyes for thu
L answer. In all his life, II was the frs
. time the curtain that hid his past ha,
y ever raised. II must have been tn,
y fever that-made her speak now.
y was no light matter to unlock tina
v door; to probe wound of twent
years. She trembled up from he
- chair. her eyes wide and wild.
- "Your father" The young mar
too, had risen. She clutched his arm
"Your father
=. The words seemed to choke hel
Ia There came torrent Of coughing
and the man gently eased her bac
~ into the chair.
" As he stopped over her, anxious
nj do something to alleviate her suffel
a. Ing, yet not knowing what, she raise
I her face In gasp for breath. and b
saw blood upon her lips. He snatche
:, another cup of water and knelt beslt
| her, but for long time she humpe
N forward, her shoulders cupped I'm or
y her arms locked as II trying to no
back the cough, until she seemed q
tually TO conquer II by sheer force
will. Finally she CROPPED with Of
hand for the cup: supped the cool W
ter. Strengthened, and lay back In h
II chair. There was no more blood ,
NIL her lips, and the man said nothing
VI the tiny fleck he had seen there.
y "Mcther. they're getting wors
" these spells. Let me bring the doct
VA down from the village"
I Her eyes opened; she looked up
NI him with feverish quickness.
M "Tye lived twenty years without Il
'w world. I'll not GO back to II now"
Ifh "But, mother II we lust keep on tn
IW way, youll-youll"-he hesltated
the next word: finally let II fall-"dl,
wv "Dlel she seemed to fondle Il
IUI word. "a small thlng--to diet"
n q ali
llR melancholy comfort in the thought.
llI "But l shan't die" she continue
with n hasty glance up at his ia,
"My cough is worse today because d
medicine is gone"
= The young man started.
- "Your alacamnana gone 20