Show u I r i THE BURNT WIDTH MOTH i iBy I I I II 1 I I By Dy GRACE W. W ABBOTT I IU I I U tt by McClure Newspaper Syndicate In her ller bitterness sh she had dubbed herself that The that The Burnt Sloth back Moth back In those thoe dark prison workshop du days s 's from which she hind hod just escaped Even as the worm enveloped In Its cocoon breaks from its Us bondage Into a beautiful beau beatt- thing of gauzy gauz wings wing's and gay colors only to be destroyed In the flame of or the candle so had she broken from the squalid surroundings of ot her ber home life me Into the gayer life lICe of ot the city only to burn her delicate wings In the flame Jame of crime For hers was a crime Desperate envy and longing for forthe forthe forthe the beautiful things of at life lite had led her to the first timid venture from tram the path of righteousness success s In her theft had encouraged her to greater great great- er crimes until the purity of her girls girl's soul was smirched with greed and lawlessness Then detection and prison where she learned her bitter lesson where she lost her Joyousness her faith and her sweetness sweetness and and she was only onh twenty two two Now once Now once again aguin she was free but bul such a n sight as us she presented shuffling shuffling shuf shut fling listlessly along the park path She dropped on the first bench she came to utterly dejected tired hungry hungry hun hun- gry gly and alone Martin I Leonard eonard had taken a short shortcut shortcut cut through the park to his club and had suc succumbed to the beauty of ot the spring night A sort of holiness crept over him appealed to his better self and he walked along purged purled of ot the baser thoughts of at the day Sq Suddenly the figure on the bench attracted attracted ed hla attention How could droop so soon soon soon on such sueh a night lIe He approached the bench slowly warily but the sound of a dry sobbing assured him of ot real trouble and he dropped beside the girl Startled she raised her face from her hands strangely pathetic In Inthe Inthe the pale light Dont be frightened he reassured her I Leard you crying and I want to know 1 If I can cnn help elp you ou Dumbly she stared at him uttering no sound lIe He t took ok her hands They were like ice Come come this will ne never ner r do do he said briskly Tell me all aU about It After a while his persistence anc and kindness ness drew from her the sordid stor story and then theft for a while both were silent the silent the successful joung young man and the little waif Finally he began to talk gently not loo looping looking at nt her telling In a dreamy sort of way about the won wonders ers of at the springtime so apparent apparent ent eat all aU around them lIe He called her attention at at- to the newness of the leaves the grasses the fresh beauty of or the flowers the peacefulness that was like liken a n bene benediction And people can be like that you OU know The They start out In the spring ol ot life in all aU their beauty and fresh young strength and they wander away awny and ontI do things they ou hit not to and yet Jet each day to them may be a springtime springtime springtime spring spring- time that gives them a chance to start over o again like the the- trees and the fio flowers ers to prove to the world that what is passed Is not forever that forever that we can show them the real goodness that Is ours He lie paused and found her tier big eyes ejes wide with wonder like a achild's achild's achild's childs child's fixed filed upon his bis face See he finished kindly y You You ou you mean that there Is a chance for me to start my life over like the flowers and and and- He lIe nodded He lIe took her home to his mother that night and that good lady took her bel to her heart and put her to be bet beC In the morning she found Cound her quietly with traces of ot tears on her cheeks but a serene expression withal Kindness and care cure brought the little waif back buck to health and nud Instilled Into her heart an undying love for tor h her r ben ben- She studied stenography and proud was she when she displayed ed edwith with quivering ng lips the Ule first honest money she had ever eer warned earned Martins Martin's heart had long ago ngo been the little girls girl's own personal property He lIe adored the ground she walked on yet Jet there was never a sign until this day when she he held out her money to him eyes ejes filled with unshed tears Oh Marty its it's you you ou t 4 have ha to thank for Cor all you you ou wonderful man mun and please now Marty I shall hall go away and und not bother you ou more I can cnn earn my own livin living I con can show the world now Marty Marty- the tears tealS choked her bel and she site stopped The man beside her caught her In his arms armR but she struggled fiercely against him No Marty please No she cried desperately but he held her tightly telling of his love lore lo She Site did not relax hut but raised her t face ee to him murmurIng murmuring murmuring murmur murmur- ing No M Marty darlin you darlin you ou cant can't love me me you you cant can't cant Im Im I'm a thief and thief and anda a convict a a convict he Ile said his dark eyes fixed on her face You must never never neverIn In all your life me again say suy those words You are ure re not a n thief You were a n thief thIel and antI you paid the penalty Now you are the tile purest little slower flower that ever carne came out In n spring and I want you OU to tobe tobe tobe be m my wife You say that you are grateful to me Sada cant can't cant can't you u see I 1 need you flow lIOW With a lithe cry she site came to him Id I'd life Oh Marty Id I'd give be you my C e e e e I 1 Those In Martin r Leonards Leonard's world never heard where he met his charmIng charming charmIng charm- charm charmI I Ing little wife wire yet ct never had there I been jeen such a devoted couple and when i each ench springtime came around the two would go off oft together and come back buck backwith with that strange happiness ss that no noone one but little Mother Leonard could ever understand t |