The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-11-05

And at last Melicent thought she might
venture. OF course it. required her to
work all but night and day; and all but
night and day she did. Dolph wrote
her delightful accounts of what she could
see only through his eyes; and he said
little of other experiences that he had
while she delved with her brushes and
colors, and called upon tired brain for
fresh effort.
One day now James decided to change
his business But it involved his leay-
ing town for O while. And while he
was away, why could not his wife
and daughter come and stay at mothers?
1t was always mothers, although Nell
cent provided everything there was
there except the house. Very true,
why not Mother was delighted, in
her feeble way, with the idea of added
members and cheer in the house; and
Maria and her daughSor Helen came over.
Of all the women in the world, to none
was Melicent so thoroughly antipathetic
as to Maria, mischief making, suspi-
cious person of jealous temperament,
obnoxious to Meicent in her personality,
her manner, her want of taste, her want
OF principle, and the very sound of her
voice. When she saw the auction going
on in James house, and she realized what
1T meant-a move for life-she reeled
away stunned. 1t did not seem to her
that she could bear this last drop of bit
terness, the utter bitterness of daily life
with a wrangling woman, whose child
had been trained to be little better than
spy Not that there was anything to
spy. but that even the smallest trfles.
misinterpreted and reported, add to the
boiling of the daily strife. And when
Roger, who despised this sister-in-l law,
saw what it all meant, and Dolph, who
already hated her, came home, the com
bat deepened. Roger and Dolph must
have rooms outside the house then, and,
of course, Melicent must be responsible
for them. Roger had a small salary, with
which he dressed himself and bought
theatre tickets; Dolph played the fine
gentleman while waiting for older archi-
tects to appreciate his gifts and apply to
him for aid. They were perfectly secure,
for according to Melicent's view of life a
debt long left was almost as dishonoring
as theft, and one owed by any mem
Der of the family was owed by all of
them, and that meant owed simply by
herself.
81 don't see why you do work so con-
stantly," her mother whimpered, in her
lndistinct way. II should think you
would see l needed your attention as
much as your everlasting boards and
canvases."
When, one day, second attack of
the disease rendered her mothers tongue
powerless at last, and she really did need
more attention. the canvases and designs
had to suffer; but it was no relief that
her mother could not upbraid her any
more by word ofmouth; the beseeching,
following eyes were doing it all the time
OF course Maud could do nothing in
this emergency, and Mrs James was
worse than useless. Melicent had
to break through the mothers preiudices
and hire nurse, in order that she might
go on with absolutely necessary work less
totally hindered.
1t is hardly surprising that this course
met with very decided objection from
Mrs. James, who saw money diverted
from legitimate channels by the nurse
money that would have bought
Helen the loveliest of spring suits, and
who always pleased herself by speaking
her mind, and could not, for the life of
her, see why an old woman should be
indulged to the point Of running the rest
of the family. What household it was
James had returned, and having, with
his wife, organized an opposition to
Maud and Ben, the atmosphere was only
one of elimination and recrimnation.
Mellcent could do nothing for her mother
that Maria did not make her uncom-
Portable because it was not done
for Helen; she could buy herself no
luxury without feeling that she deprived
Dolph and Roger of its equivalent;
she could give them nothing without en-
counterlng scowls and unpleasant re.
marks from James and Francis. The
bills for Maud's doctors and message
women and drugs were sums that might
have made provision for old age. She
began to feel as if it would soon be an
impossibility for her to meet them and
all the rest, for in this atmosphere inven-
tion was deadened and the pencil palsied
sometimes ii seemed to her as il everv
line she drew represented irreparable
waste of vital tissue.
Not that personally she cared for that.
All the vital tissue might waste, so far
as she was concerned, but not till her
mother had gone; not while she was so
needed by the rest, for by one of the
strange contradictions there are in all of
us, she loved these vampires that were
sucking her life-b blood.
1--WE must stop our bills and lessen our
expenses" she said one day to Ben.
"There are half-score of my things un-
sold at the exhibition. l am ceasing TO
be the fashion My brain seems to be
useless. / have no ideas, no freshness,
and my hand trembles so that it carica-
lures my line. If could only go away
just now, and have a little rest r'
A little rest. For ten years now it !
had been nothing but work and worry,
work and worry-apprehension, pain,
sorrow, and now was coming despair. |
Francis came IN one evening and told /
her that unless she could help him about |
the mortgage Of his house it would have