Show parr 1f tr + oaft eand ftrNwarf treerra1rs > < zrn j r Laz < JV r J2 MOTHER ANSER By MARGARET SULLIVAN BURKES r4Jlp iJlfrMl x Copyrlcht by Jooioli U 1Olllu It was a bluo eyed maiden grnoo fill as a fairy who first convinced Sylvester Syl-vester McCmkan of the tact that there were other women In this world beside his mother Ho loved loulBO Solwln and to his great strong nature na-ture love was a Kuvlous thing flow lovely she looked ono summer evening as nho lounged In unary Iuso by tho vlnewrcnlliotl window gazing wt Into thj night while ho Htood out Ill eldo nnseel by her gazing In at what sconud to him the golden day of his wholo existence A meteor unusually bright shot across tlm sky and clapping clap-ping hor hands with dollght sho spinng from her scat quite upon tho window sill when Hho perceived Mac 0i did you seo that 1 It was u rjnal star for I was looking at It burning burn-ing steadily up there when all at onco It Blurted from Its place and was lost In the distance Oh 1 am sure now there mo lost cturs and 1 bellow that I must have witnessed the flight of one of them Say Mac did you see U1 No I saw none of the stars outside out-side I wns looking at a brighter jiuior star within which I hope will never never be lost Do you know little one sold he vaulting over the I window ledge what a tumult you have created In my heart I have learned to love you HO that It all the stars of yonder heaven were blotted out It would not bo darker than my existence would be without you A perplexed face was turned steadily stead-ily away from him His avowal had come so very suddenly that taken by surprise sho was casting about for away a-way to gain a llttlp tlmo for the expected reply She had long ago learned to love this magnificent man and wns now Inwardly wondering what he found In her lo deem a lilting exchange ex-change for tho grandeur nho saw In him Speak to me Louise ho went on and tell mo if you can consent to shlnofor me alone to bo my dear lit tie wife Half provoked at his persistence half frlghtenod at being thus suddenly sudden-ly brought taco to face with so seri ous a question half bashful too and altogether thoughtless a sudden inspiration In-spiration of mischief prompting her with nn Idea she burst Into a merry peal of laughter What have you found so amusing in my proposition Louise I regard the matter under consideration as far too weighty for such unusual mirth Oh1 oh oh I wan Just thinking you know that then when I grew old I = oh1 ohl ohshoultl be Motlur McCrncken yon knows know-s Youd better bo that than Mother Goose he burst forth stung to tho quick by this Irreverent allusion to his honored mother by ono too whom ho had regarded as little lower than the angels Then without another word ho strode from the room from the house out Into tho darkness starless night Realizing what sho had doneLoult throw herself prone upon the sofa in nn agony of tears Ohl why did I say that And his mother must be such n grand woman too to have such a son If I hud only known her personally I never could have said such a thing I know lIe adores her too Will ho over forgive e for-give me then the natural hopefulness hopeful-ness of her nature asserted Itself tell I know ho will lie Is too grand to stoop to mean spitefulness lIe will bo back tomorrow And wiping her eyes she fell Into a pleasing reverie over the scene that would be then and there enacted But ho did not como back to morrow mor-row nor tho next day nor the next Ho had received a pressing offer of a Tory advantageous business connection connec-tion In a distant city which was tho real cause of precipitating his proposal pro-posal 9 A terrible plague was visiting tho City of M whoro Mac had made his new home Louise who had mourned her folly after slip had heard of his removal so far beyond any hope of regaining him i till she had finally accepted tho fact with all tho philosophy she could sum man heard this news with alarm Her nature far from being frivolous was one of unusual strength oil will go to M she exclaimed to herself They need never know till U Is over but I must be within call It he should be sick For oh I drove him there I drove him there And to M she went knowing full well that tho way would close behind be-hind her back and prevent her return from the plaguestricken city She I soon ascertained the respective numbers num-bers of his residence and place of business and every day disguised usa us-a stooping old woman was hovering I near when ho passed from one to the other and if by chance alto missed 1 him would make Immediate inquiry till satisfied of his welfare I At last ono morning when he failed to appear her heart stood still as tlm porter gave her the alarming Intelligence Intelli-gence of his l illness She fairly flew to the house whom he had boon taken upon being promptly turned away from his boarding place for fear of t infection It was u poor place Improvised Im-provised into a hospital with limurl clent nurses and a dearth of comfort com-fort of all kinds and her petition to attend him found a ready err ptanr I 1 She cave her name as her An Her and nobody thero suspected the erstwhile bright and Vlrmomo thing Hint WHS hidden within the bent figure fig-ure liolilillnn in by the aid of a stick The blhzInK southern sun seemed scotching Into the very marrow as Loiiluu hung breathlessly over the beloved be-loved sufferer cooling the fevered brow while ho babbled Incessantly of I mother I lIe has cast me out of his thought sho sadly mused as she kept the large pirim lent fan swaying over him Ho has never mentioned my name once Water pleaded the patient and Immediately she took the cup and lifting him In her nrms held him gainst her broast while ho drank Something In her touch seemed to In aplro him with a half recognition for as she laid him gently back upon tho pillow slinking and turning It over at the same time ho murmured Oh Louise my lost star how dark how very dark It is without yon Instantly her lips were pressing his unheeding Hmo danger and that kiss was tho kiss of death But it seemed to be life to him for ho fell at onco Into a sweet sloop during which tho fever passed away and when ha awoke there was reason In his eyes Who aio you ho asked when ho first saw her with veolng eyes I am Mother Anser sho replied And the attending physician who was present added And tho person to whom under God you owe your life more than anybody else When ho awoke again another nurse wan beside him and in his deep thankfulness for this renowed lease of life Mother Anser for a time passed out of his mind lie grew stronger day by day till In a fortnight ho walked walk-ed I tho streets feebly It Is true but entirely en-tirely recovered I Did you know Mr MrCrackcn that I old woman who so cleverly nursed you Is down said ono of his clerks ono morning soon after Hero Is hor namo In the list Mother Ansor that was It was it not 1 Yes oh my God What an Ingrate In-grate I am To let business perplexities perplexi-ties nuke mo forget her for one mo ti I f r of Il i I i A Inlet J r 1i He Has Cast Me Out of HIP Thought She Sadly Mused mont But heaven knows I never dreamed of this and I meant everyday every-day to hunt hor up but I am still so feeble lie flung hlmelf Into his carriage and ordered tho coachman to drive for life to the house where he had so nearly passed from life declined de-clined to go nearer than the length of a square from the pest house and forgetful for-getful of weakness Mac strode tho distance till ho reached tho door And there In the very same room whero she hud held him back from tho gates of death lanot Mother Anser no but oh God thoro lay Louise Sol win dollrlons and raving Incessantly for himOh Oh Conies my lost star cried Mac flinging himself down In an ec stacy of grief Slowly but surely she recovered and at last ono day when the white frost had come like a snowy winged angel of deliverance and borno tho plague away they wero quietly married and wont stoamlng up on the bosom of the broad Mississippi to Visit Mother McCracken Leaning over the guards Just outside out-side their stateroom looking at the moonlight on tho waters like a thousand thou-sand fairies in their wake dancing In their bridal trail with voices secured from tho ears of their neighbors by the ceaseless throbbing of the engine below Mac said How blest 1 am my beautiful start To think I dared be blasphemous nnough to hollow you frivolous and hoartlcss you my dear angel But where on earth did you pick up that outlandish namo Mother Anser Why yon gave It to me Dont you remember You did not call moan mo-an angel then but something with wings all the same Ai > ir is Latin for goose w know nti was dreadfully dread-fully nr al < l i itir scUolarlv eye r juld doteci < too and thu Is the tea son I ran tway M soon as you regain oil consciousness fp 1 1 = = 55 You Practice Th mid When you pllrchaseafyth pteel from us CSTABLISH11 taco 9 r SALT LAKE CITY AIT 1 New ll > ii In Jwtlr end SJ 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