The Dolores star., 1924-11-14
THE WILL
THATTURNED
THE SCALE
By II. M. EGBERT
%. 19s,. Western Newspaper Union.)

"A nine. and her boy, the apple of
1 \ her eye, was twelve. Her
worthless husband had aban-
doned her seven years before Anna 5
friends and acquaintances had con
graduated her when six years of mar
ried life ended in her freedom. She
would not get divorce, but then she
did not want To marry again.
Curtin. having run through all her
money, had departed. At first Anna
dared only hope his decision not to
return was true: then she dared TO
believe: finally conviction became GER
tainty. She left the neighbOrhoOd and
took up her residence in different
city.
Annals folks had been gentle. The
boy was to go to an expensive pre-
paratory school. For this she had
toiled and scraped in the Office where
she was employed as stenographer.
The hard-earned money had been gath
cred together. In three months Char
lie was to enter Grantwlch.
And then-Curtin came back.
Anna found him leaning against the
gate of her little cottage on the out
skirts of the town. He was in rags,
but sober. He was thin and wasted
and deadly pale. lnstinctively the
woman shrank away from him as she
saw and recognized her husband.
"Curtini' she whispered. "Why
have you come backT"
''Tll tell you, Anna" he answered.
MAY come in?"
"Yes, it's your right" she answered.
But"
"Oh, you needn't he afraid that I'll
do any harm to the boy" he answered.
"You needn't say"
THAT is his right, Curtin" she an
swered. She called Charlie from the
garden This is your father" she
said.
The frank-eyed boy gazed with nat
ural repugnance at the wretched
tramp before him.
You didn't know that he was liv-
Ing. my dear" she said to her son.
But"
81 knew all about him, mother" the
boy answered.
Now I'll tell you why I've come
back, Anna" said Curtin Foulkes. I'm
dying. I've got just two months to
live. It's something that can't be
cured. You needn't be afraid Of me
any more. I've been bad lot, but
even a dog comes home to die, and !
want to die here, Anna"
She took him in and the next day
gave up her position to take care of
him. There was money enough for
the boys first term at Grantwich, and
at the end of the two months she
hoped to be able TO go back to the
office
The sick man grew neither better
nor worse. The doctor confirmed his
statement, but he extended the period
of suffering to three months. Before
the first month was ended there was
no more money in the bank Anna
was confronted with the alternative
of sacrificing her boys school career
and sacrificing her husband. She sac
riiiced the boy.
At least, she meant to. But Curtin
Foulkes made a move which was even
more dramatic than his temperance.
Anna he said, the evening before
she was to write that letter to the
head master of Grantwich, 81 want to
tell you something They say the
worst man has a streak of good in
him. Do you remember that insur-
ance policy for thousand dollars |
took out when we were married? I've
kept 1t up-fOr you. I've borrowed to
the limit on 1t, but there will still be
seven hundred for you and Charlie,
after-Im gone"
The letter was never written. The
tradesmen, clamoring for payment
were told the circumstances. The doc
tor confirmed Annals statement
Thenceforward 1t was race with
death.
the butcher, the baker, the grocer,
the physician, and, last of all, the IN
dertaker looked forward, each and all
to the death of Curtin Foulkes. that
they might get their money. And the
future of Charlie Foulkes denended
upon his fathers death likewise. If
ever man would be well out of tn.
world Curtin would, blackguard that
he had been.
And strange to say, as he lay there
through those weeks, humbled, re
pentant, shadow of her former love
began to grow in Annals heart. And
one day she kneeled down and prayed
that he might live.
There seemed no chance of tho,
The doctors all agreed his case was
hopeless. 1t seemed the height of
irony that the man who had ruined
his wife's life should have come bac,
to ruin his sons career.
IL ever wishes fought, Annals wish
was hghting the determination of the
tradesmen, of the sick man himself
1t was will sgainst will, pitted in
deadly struggle-a dozen to one If
VIII counts for anything in the affairs
Vi men. And the boys future, aeains,
the husbands life, with no possihi,j,n
of any compromise!
Anna had rpckonod tb,. to I,