New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-29

will not leave you. don't wish 10 ieaVe you. -
" Oh ycog don't. ehf Then why DID you Say you
!" Did / say itr returned Claire She put IdoS one
hand to her forehead III must nave sp e,oi,,
afterward she crossed the room going very close TO
her mothers side, and looking with eager meahins
into the cold. austere, aqulline face. npo
Don't be unkind tonight" she went on. M NJ.
member this dreadful thing that has happened. IL
it ought toto soften you, Mother. ~ nhs tS'uE
crazed me. l can not reason; can scarcely 'ninA
IL can only suferp ,...ou dissept
"Oh, you didn't know the pool, man WIS
No. indeed If YOU had Gd xy GRa T hs come
home to tea and found you gone lie ieI' In Jhadn'
lust as he got up from the table But he haah
eaten hardly a thing. and guess you kno" WY
Claire uttered quick hurried cry She gJgaS pss
her mothers arp. "You-you don't mean, I snd
exclaimed in pteousy fierce way, 51' not being
home Oh. say, Mother. that you don nioaI pIease
1t would drive me mad if believed SO! fieaSe
say it isn't trueW .. ,hot Il
wrought havoc even with stod perverslty as
that Of the harsh. unproptlable being "hoh 'n0
confronted. , No, Twin
ing with sullen alteration of mien and TONE Dav
do say Claire, that you was OIL somewhere, 1"u ~
wasiretted and pestered becauseyou was, ana In
heIe 'he puSdaiai n'r raYeaIa5 n change Her
grim mouth twitched; her nostrils produced q
kind of catarrhal sniff her cold black eyes eyf
as If tears were lurking to assail them. Inc neAV
words that she spoke were in high, guer,iious NY
"Ohl so you're tie only one that's ut 10 m mourn
for that poor dead one heyf his laWlui Wen 20
wife. and your own mother, amt got any iignt 10
erlevei Oh, very WE'LL Pm nobody at all here.
Pa better get away. You're chief moufher. Inelo
nobody but you. spose you'll pay all tne e1pcn
SEES of the funeral, since you're 80 dreauiui stucA
Claire shook her head, in pathetic conciiating
way She lifted one finger, at the same time. nea
face was still white, and her dark-Due eyes "ei0
mo. no. Mother she said "This is oil wrong
You mustn't speak like that here. If you didn,t
love him. did. There's little money YET. lys
yours but you'll give it you've told mo oil IL IL
will be enough to bury Father decently. lpromise
you that If you do give It will try very haru 10
get some work that will support us both" -,
Mrs. Twning put hand on either MP. one
stared at Claire for moment. Then she answered.
her, .h..,, "1von,t oivo \ cent Of il. It's
only about hundred dollars. He amt led me such
nice life that should be so awful grateful 10 MN
now he's gone. There's ways OF burying that don
cost money. Yes, there's Let EN- come ana
take HIM. / amt going to beggsr myself because
he wants n rosewood coffin. and"
"Motherw cned Claire pointing toward the deau'
"Oh. wellp said Mrs. Twining. She spoke, the
two brief words In a sort OF abrupt whlmper taxing
step or two toward the calm, sheeted form OF neI
dead husband " > pose ne - mere iChn uso '""'
Claire felt the hideous taste of those words. They
who have thus far read this chronicle must nave
read IL Il If they are not sure that no love tOr
mother so ceaselessly frowar and hostile could now
survive In her daughters heart. But though she
knew her mother capable OF dread acts II occasion
favored Clare was thunderstruck by TINS last an-
nouncement. g..
IL appeared to her monstrous and barbarous. as 1t
indeed was. Shc cleuched both hands, Tor an IN
slant, and her eyes flashed.
Saw what you mean !" she reiorted. not raising
her voice because OF that piteous rcvereLce when
the still. prone shape inspired. Can you mean
that you will let charity bury our dead Tor us
Mrs. Twining gave n quick grim nod. eyes, do
mean it," she returned. And If you wasn't 1901
you see why."
Clare folded her arms. Her next words came
with grave measured composnre from white, set
lips al may be fool" she said, but thank God
haven't your kind of wisdom Keep your money.
Mother Do rs you threaten. But when Potters
Field takes poor Fathers body that will bo the end
of everything between you aud me. Remember
YOU never notice you again. If you do so shameful
n thing II you spend that money a. duty and rs
decency should both prompt. lswiil work for you.
slave for you. cling 20 you always But II not, we
are no longer mother and daughter You see. don't
speak with heat or with haste ! am perfectly
calm. Now choose which course You Will take.
But never say that did not fully warn you. when
IL will be too late for rctractionV
There was splenddly quiet imprcssiyeness In
this speech OF Ciaire's. She went and knelt once
more beside her ia hers body after she had finished
It, She had resolved upon no further enircaty or
argument The very atrocity Of her mothers pro-
posed design seemed TO p ace continued discussion
Of II beyond the pale of all womanly dignity.
Mrs. Iwlning was too coarse soul 10 see the
matter as Clare saw H. She preferred to take the
chances that her daughter would recent Wheh the
gnOhle interment was over.
Tomorrow came, and sue gave no sign OF alter
ing her purpose. Claire scarcely addressed word
to her during this day. fow OF the Greenpolnt
Iolk called at the house. Among these was Josie
Morley distressed at the tdings Of death, ana pre-
pared TO utter voubc regrets for having lost Claire
In the crowd during the previous night
But Claire would see no one. She renamed win
her fathers body in the little room upstairs lock-
ing its door when she thought there was any chance
Df a visitor being brought thther;
Now and then she wondered, with DUMB
misery whether her mother had made any attempt
TO bring about the loathed burial. She herself had
A few dollars in her possession. MS sum she
meant to use IN seeking employment after the earth
had closed over her fathers corpse. Once al twice
A passionate impulse had seized her 10 90 ana seek
hello from those under whom her father had lately
served IN his drudging cerkship. bnt sho iepIossea
this feelingor rather shame ut the Thought oil pos
,ible refusal. mixed with natural proud Teiuct-
lncs TO own the sad need IN which she Stood re-
pressed n for her.
The next day she learned the full. toriurng
truth Mrs. 1wining had carried out her threat
Two shabby men camo with pine box. lhey
placed the corpse herein. Clare nad aiIeauy pau
i all the final reyerential rites which her sex ana
her grief would allow. 10 was dressed ~ tue same
rusty outward garments which 1t pad worn when
leath came. The men held "A little discussion below
,nd remained AWAY two good hours. When they
returned they brou ght dark wagon with an arched
top In the interval Claire still watched. she was
mite silent Perhaps IL she had designed no" 10
aleod with her mother, the latter already niue
at her story, UNMARRIED calmness, might
have relented and agreed TO more secmly ooseqnlc'
But except one glance of ImmeasgraDle repioncn,
Turing brief visit which Mrs. Twinlng paid To the
chamber Claire gave no further sign OF revolt
When the men returned, she CHANGED to Do look
ing from the window. She saw the wagon. one
A Il .,d
,aw her bid hun the last farowells she showe1
no trace of tears when the men presently reentered
he room, but her dark-blue eyes shone from heI
hneless face with dry CLASSY glitter. Her mother
now appeared She looked at Claire IN covert
uneasy way. though there was much doggeo on
,tinacy about the lines OF her mouth. moment
Ter She spoke to the men, II seemed TO Clare IKE
the refinement of Hypocrisy that she should set her
voice in mourniul key. ,. -
II spose YOU want to get it through right away
she said. , aThoso e.