The Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1927-1930, 1930-01-23

"Ail wnmer love children" replied
Carla mysteriously.
mo, she doesn't I've wanted a lot
OF them Boys, mostly Claire could
be such a wonderful mother
"She will be some day" sale Carla.
u saw tile painting CT ii in her face
when she was here and see ii now
Shining In her eyes In this picture
She has a soul as deep as the sea, Mr.
ktrke, and she must 1--we children -
She replaced the picture on the
desk, nd Paul helped her again with
her raincoat
May go with yCu?" he asked
Like the children, love your
mother"
"Oh!"
The word escaped her lips, and the
eagerness of 1t made his heart Jingle
"You mean that? You are not say
ing 1t just TO be good to me? You
love my mother?"
"Yes Next TO my own mother. VIII,
has been away from the SO long"
He could not nndt rsiand what he
saw in her face. II was as II
flame had suddenly thrown glow
upon it.
They went out into tn. rain, and on
the narrow cinder path Carla's arm
touched Paul's soothing and pleas
urable sensation acc ompanied the
gentle pressure of Il. and he glanced
down at her head near his shoulder
imprisoned in its hood He could see
the sIken mesh of her long lashes
gathering the rain mist.
A few minutes later the mother well
coined him from her chair near the
window, from which she could see
Carla's school. Carla had taken his
hat and coat. new spirit had en-
tered the house with her. She was
smiling, kissed her mother. chirrupcd
a few notes to a bird In cage as she
went for 4 moment into the Kitchen.
What magnificent fight The cot
tage was flied with birds aud flowers.
Out where Carla had gone canary
was singing. A sleepy Cat was pur-
ring on cushion at Mrs, Haldan's
feet In a small CRATE a fire was
burning. Contentment and happiness.
and moi the shadow al death, seemed
triumphant about him.
Mrs Haldan was tie soul OF this
cheer. Twenty-Five wears in America
had taken from her IL ruggedness of
her native mountains but had left the
spirit of their beauty. She looked al
Paul Nth the same eyes that Cara
had. Her hair was heavy, like carla's.
and almost white Paul had vision
of her back in her mountains, a quar-
ter Of century before How much
she must have locked like Carla then
What Beauty grew in those out ofthe-
way places, like flowers lost In rugged
rock crevices, with ages of history and
the struggle OF life behind il to give II
character. A beauty with indesiruct-
ible memories along with other things
Memory of love, most of all. He
knew that Carlas father had died
twenty years before. but one could
always see him clearly in the eyes
Of Carla's mother, and when she
talked about him it was as though
he had gone away on little visit
only yesterday.
Carla would be like that One love,
one man, forever.
There was no pretense In her moth
er's gladness that he had come. They
visited for an hour and Carla made
tea and served little cakes.
Never had Paul seen Carla so beau
tiful as during this wonderful hour
he spent with her mother. When he
was about to leave, and stood with
her alone for few moments. 1t
seemed to him he could feel the throb
bling of her body near him. Her fin
gers pressed his hand little con
vulsively when he said good-by.
you have made me happier than
have been In long t'me." she said
The words repeated themselves in
his mind after he had gone. No WON
an had ever told him that he had
made her happy. except his mother.
Garland his mother. He took a
long walk in the rain-up through the
Jack pines into the heavier evergreen
timber, where the drlzzle penetrated
only In a mist-and the two women
walked at his side. Then his wife
Joined them. Three wonderful women:
his mother, Carla, his wife-with a
fourth waiting for death back In her
chair. The world must forever con
tinue to be beautiful with such women
in 1t. 1t was Claire, his wife. who
turned him about and took him back
to Derwent's home. He talked about
her that evening But he said nothing
about the other three. They were
locked In his heart. and 1t seemed
sacrilege to open the door upon them