University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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THE REDWOOD 25 obtain money, she would have asked for it openly if she thought I had it to give her. These long years have been dreary ones indeed for me, but now some cheer may come into my declining years with you to keep me company. Together, my boy, we will fight that tendency of yours, and together, we will conquer it. Such was the story Charlie told me that night, as we lay beside the camp fire outside the Colonel ' s tent. As he finished we rolled over in our blankets, and as he gradually fell asleep I noticed the peaceful expression on his face. Truly, thought I, the ways of the world are strange. ' ' L. LOUIS GAIRAUD. A ii m mbranr r At the feet of Mary, I have prayed for thee ; TKat her love may guide thee, Safely o ' er Life ' s sea : Through its tranquil waters, O ' er its -wind-swept waves, To the heavenly harbor TKat thy spirit craves. At the feet of Mary, We may meet in prayer, And shall find unfailing Strength to do and dare ; Faith, to calm the tempest ; Hope, to reach the end ; Love, to make each trial, Onward, upward, tend. At the feet of Mary, Wilt thou pray for me? Till we meet our Mother, In eternity? This, our Ark of Refuge, Home of Peace and Prayer; At the feet of Mary, In our Mother ' s care. S. J. OTHNIE

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24 THE REDWOOD her until slie died. Poor mother! As she was dying, she told me the truth about my father. This is what she told me. ' Father was accused by his employers of mak- ing off with a large sum of money, but he was saved from prison by a wealthy sister who made good the shortage. She, like mother, never believed him guilty. The nature of father ' s employment made it necessary for him to bring home large sums of money belonging to the firm. Mother, in those days, was fond of a gay time, and as father did not have any too much money to give her, she had recourse to her mother, my grandmother, who gave her plenty. Father never knew where she obtained the money, and, naturally, when he found money belonging to the company, missing from his pockets, suspected her of taking it. He could not, however, bring himself to believe in my mother ' s guilt, and falsified his reports. One night ' — why, Avhat ' s the matter, Col- onel? Nothing, protested the Colonel, I ' m alright, I was just feeling a little bit faint for a minute. This heat today was something fierce. But, go on, I ' m anxious to hear who did take the money. ' ' Well, as I was saying, one night mother was awakened by a slight noise in her room. Pretending to be still asleep she stealthily opened her eyes and saw a dark figure by the side of the bed. As the figure went out of the room she recognized it as that of her mother ' s. Later when father was ac- cused of embezzling the company ' s money, she understood that her own mother was the thief and that her hus - band had falsified his reports believing that she herself was the thief. She could not bring herself to betray her mother to her hus])and, for fear of his anger. He, on his part, suspecting her, but not openly telling her of his suspicions, was nevertheless struck dumb Avhen she, shielding her mother, acknowledged the theft, and proved it to him by means of her fine clothes. He left the house, telling her never to use his name again. So grandma and mother were alone till I came. So now you see. Colonel, it is not all my fault. ' ' With a look of abject despair at Col- onel Martin, Charlie was about to beg to be sent to the army prison that he might once more try to overcome his temptation, but something he saw in the face of the Colonel made the words die on his lips unsaid. Slowly, the Colonel passed one hand across his eyes as if to brush away unpleasant memories, then looking Charlie full in the face, said in a voice that vibrated with emotion, I am, from what you have just told me, the father you have never known. I did for a while think your mother guilty of the theft, knowing as I did of the beautiful clothes she had which I was unable to give her, but the more I have thought it over all these lonely years, the more have I become con- vinced that she was innocent. I now see my mistake. Your mother ' s sweet character was not one which would have stooped to such a petty trick to

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A MISTAKEN VACATION HE hollow - eyed young man licked his dry lips and with trembling hand rearranged a neat little pile of papers on his desk. Outside in the marble corridor a bell jangled harshly. He paled and clutched at his heart like a stricken creature. Pushing back his chair he walked un- steadily to the lettered window which read in neat, pencil-high letters Dr. John A. Harlan, M. D. From below came the ceaseless hum of the streaming streets, rising with the curling spirals of smoke. The blazing afternoon sun glared pitilessly down the naked stone while overhead floated dull, dirty clouds that were stained with the smoke of the sweltering city. Suddenly, as the office door swung open, the sharp whistle of a traffic po- liceman shrilled out high above the roar of the streets below, and the Doc- tor, passing a trembling hand over his brow, staggered into the room and sunk into a chair before the desk. He opened a drawer and laid a shining revolver on the blotting pad before him. A twist- ed smile distorted his features. His eyes held a look of long suffering and desperation. He reached for the gun with groping hand and raised it slowly to his set face, shuddering as the cold steel grazed his temple. His finger twitched and stiffened on the tiny sliver of death. Then with a choking cry he hurled the gun into the corner of the room and buried his head in his arms. Oh — God — I — am — a — coward — I — haven ' t — the courage — to kill my- self — a rank quitter . A storm of sobs wrenched his body. The polished steel of the gun in the corner caught the sun ' s rays and flashed them back. Suddenly the office door opened at this moment and a smiling chubby- cheeked, neat young man bounded in. His expression changed laughably and his jaw dropped when he saw the bow- ed form on the desk before him. Why, what ' s the matter, Jack? he asked. Things going wrong again? Come on, Pal, brace up. The doctor ' s wan face blanched. Oh, Bob , he moaned in bitter self- reproach, then you saw. Saw what, pard? What the deuce are you talking about? Sit up and cut out the sob stuff — you didn ' t play half- back on the Pordham team for noth- ing. Jack, under his friend ' s cutting barb, set up quickly, drawing a deep breath of relief. Then you just came in, eh Bob? I was acting rather childishly, I must ad- mit. You surely were , was the 26