Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-08-19
ways with a strange shadowy air OF hope

ways with a strange shadowy air Of hope
and OF disappointment. -
I'm afraid you won't particularly like
your mothers birthday present for you"
But l do. sir. most awfully. It's CORK
ing. Wait a sec. A cigaret case. III
show you. I've got it somewhere"
She has another present"
Lorrison's pocket fumbling ceased. He
wrinkled up his bfows.
"Oh, no. mother; have your"
Mathew, don't please"
Mathews smile at this was grim.
"A stepfather. I've waited nearly
twenty-five years, and I've won her. After
what 1 had to see Of her first marriage"
mo, Mathew. pleased"
Mathew drew q very deep and rather
shaken breath. looking at his reward.
After twenty-five years. next month, the
first OF May"
The young man stood there, forgotten
By his elders, showing a white vacancy.
He lifted from it an uncertain regard to
his mother, who ne~gligently took his
hand.
Mother, you're happy"
She then faced him, holding the han
rather tightly before letting it fall. Il
am, indeed. as happy as the past n
you. Lorry. Will let me be-"
A right. Then In glad" He man
aged his smile again. You don't love
me a little bit. Adriance, nor / you, to
be frank, but we can call a truce for
mothers sake, can't WEI" He held out
the hand his mother had so queerly
pinched and dropped.
Adriance squared back his big thick
shoulders and through his pince-nez
looked down at the long young doubtful
fingers. placing his W SO much irmer,
thicker ones behind him.
81 am not a facile man, Gill" he said
roundly. Il can advise you only to earn
something from me better than a truce"
He followed, a few steps, the boys flight,
which came abruptly upon a bow not
altogether without its unprotesting dig
nifty. And all l have to say to you,
young man, is when I'm master OF this
house-I'm buying it-you watch your
STEP" His voice came in to Mary from
the hall, where Lorrison made clatter
with sticks and hatrack. Drive out a
few of your favorite devils. / give you
q months warning"
The front door crashed.
Don't be too hard, Mathew" Mary
pleaded from between the somber cur
tains, and, as he came in, she went to
his arms and laid her tired and lovely
head against his shoulder. Remember
his inheritance"
81 wish-with him always before my
eyes-there was a chance OF my forget
ting it," said Mathew Adriance.
To a park bench, that April evening,
the first bench that seemed to rise up
under her falling legs. came little Fanny
Brett after her day OF revolution. There
she rested. her blue eyes half closed, and
deliberately conjured as an aid to her
courage the face of that beloved photo
graph which had brought her to her
present pass. The adored n in that
picture had always looked as II he would
like to escape from her alteration into
| rfc hooJrro,ynd onH ho pnnp He hQ6
/ the air OF saying with o shy, pleasant,
hunted look, I'm really awfully sorry!
but / have to leave you-an important
engagement" 1t was this popularity that
especially endeared him to little Fanny
Benefactors, she had discovered, usually
stay stolidly for their rewards.
What the man in the picture had once
done for her mother n herself came
as she grew older, more and more clearly
through the golden mistS OF her child
ishly vague conception OF his service. Hell
mother. adrift and so miserably freighted
owed to the stranger In a foreign city 8
!, lifeline which had dragged her, body anc
soul, and with her the ignorant, deplor-
able burden, little Fanny, back to the
solid rocks of life and self-respect. He
had really all but fathered he fatherless
infant, all but husbanded the husband
less mother. all but re-embarked with
them on the vessel he had SO generously
, lTclULeQ huQ TCtlCtQA1c0 AOA tACkA e0C
voyaging. All butt was then farewell
His photograph remained, to be like ths
ikon Of a Russian isba in whatever little
room the two inhabited, tor Fanny's In
, fantile love and worship, for her ado
, lescent idolatry, and for the passionate
and wistful tenderness OF her later lone
illness.
. Her hard working mothers death cut
short an education designed to give
p1o r- nra++ a otor rrpurarG RQfnp eli
! SO short. it left her only q shallow Incl
or SO above her mothers actual standing
: and very far below the stature OF a for
q gotten might-have-b been. And 1t had con.
y demned her to the immediate use OF bel
most available gifts, skill with the needle
a small pale beauty, a charm, the plead
: ing Of two blue eyes. II only Mr.. Stein
= in giving her q position behind his rib.
: bon counter, had not at the same TIME
: given her q position In his imagined fu'
= ture. 1t was this hat yesterday, as 6
. tribute to the Picture. she had so gal
: lantly renounced.
Gallant she still was, but wilted. Tit
day Of failures had been warm. April ha'
q such days. Nevertheless. since 1t wa
: April and the park allowed a hush O
sweet green. Fanny's mood gradual.
melted to q mist-of daffodil desires. And
inevitably, since she WIS nineteen year
|, old, some OF the misty daffodI reverb
e hoated around the well dressed youni
3 man loungtng on the bench beyond he
own. His face was bent from her ant
o rested on his hand, which In its turn
was supported by an elbow against tn
u green back Of the bench. He was screw
e ing the tip OF q flexible cane into tn
gravel and drawing about the hole BAT
!. fed hieroglyphics. He had taken of hi
hat, and the breeze. just making itsel
! gratefully felt, roughened a head Of dark
I~A I,,~~ hate En xynu poivfYStlu fht1
for such q well dressed young man, ha
1t the lines, Fanny thought, almost o
starvation, but there was a handsom
n gold signet ring on his little finger. ]
Is was the signet ring catching and reflect
n ing the sunlight that had first attracte
Fanny's attention from her deliberat
summoning Of a photograph. For som
"a TINA bAfnro she had 0haarvad It's OWN