The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-22

happy in his marriage. He still assisted
his father on the farm-a business arrange
ment ii had become-and as the farming
season grew busy saw more and more
of him and less OF Wilhelmina | dreaded
chance encounter with her mother and
Wilhelmina came to see US very seldom.
/ am afraid ] liked it thus for so matters
stood, and had been standing for weeks Ito
my shame / say iD, when. one day. in the
height of the wheat season. my husband
came to me, looking troubled.
My dear" he said, Hal has not COM
planned at all, but something he has said
very little, though evidently from a full
heart-has made me realize that his duties
are keeping him here with US constantly;
that Mrs. Schroeder now lives too far away
to be anything to Wihelmina. and the chilo
must be living in a lonely cottage on an
unfrequented roadside by herself, day III
and day out, except for her negro servant.
1t is very bad for her. When did you SEQ
her last?"
had the grace to be ashamed to tell
him, but l did.
band.
Then knew that he was almost angry
with me- for that's as harsh a word as 1
ever receive from him.
In the same afternoon I went to see Will
helmina, and shocked to find her look
ing i'll and depressed. She was almost re-
pellant in her manner to me, though per-
fectly respectful. She was quite we'll -
she said You know the proud way wom-
an refuses sympathy sometimes.
l could not blame her for I had not
striven to win her confidence; but l went
! nome ana lay awake d greater part OF the
night full of trouble. In the morning the
first words 1 said to my husband were:
Il cannot stand this. L don't know what
we ought to do, and yet we must do some
thing. Wilhelmina is fretting her heart
you can't stand what?" asked my hus-
or Bringing her nearer? Have you thought
of the old Lodge cottage. my dear dear" Sc
that Lodge cottage has not been haunting
sWen after all. it is a gloomy old place."
1T W wouldn't be- if you sacrificed few
trees" 1 answered.; "but it has too few
Il could easily. have a few more eyes
poked in it." my husband argued, land run
up a porch or so. But the Lodge is very
near the house, my dear. 1t would bring
Wilhelmina and our boy close to us in ev-
cry way. 1t is for you to consider and de-
did not need to ask my husband what
his wish was. His voice told me when he
spoke of our Oldest boy being close to us
Yet L could not bring my mild or my heart
to consent to that closeLess with Will
Il dare not risk it," 1 said 1--WE must
leave matters as they are, ana l will try
to see Wilhelmina more constantly where
she is"
cottage that night as a good beginning. 1t
was a brilliant moonlight evening, almost
as bright the night when we first mad
introduced Hal and Wilhelmina to their
new home, months before / was reminded
of that past unhappy time in other ways
also as we drove rapidly down the familiar
road Wilhelmina had become again as a
stranger TO me. l felt uneasily that l was
to meet her on a new and unfamiliar foot
Nothing turns out just as We expect
does it, my dear? Why we should plan
and plan we do | cannot imagine when
but one little touch of the Kaleidoscope
changes all the scene. AS 1 imagined things
were to be, l had a little speech composed
to repeat to Wilhelmina. 1t was, as l now
| rppopO1bQr il cOldlV kind. a little reprOdcn-
full and all that it should not have been.
This is what happened as things were III
reality:
Hal met us in the road as we turned into
his gateway, and stopped me as held out
my hand for him to lift me to the ground
No mother, he said, gently; we heard
the wheels and you coming. VIII
helmina sent me out to meet you She says
she can't see you tonight. Don't get down,
mother, don't get down. Wilhelmna Is tar
from we'll She is getting everything ready
for me to take her to her mothers house
tomorrow for a long visit Mrs Schroeder
was here yesterday, and has made me anX-
ious Mother did you think my wife looked
What jealous old woman am! looked
at my own boys face, flushed and qulVer-
ing, and my first thought was "a deep re-
seen him so deeply moved. Wilhelmina
alone was able to stir those waters.
| | have always been very grateful to my
good angel that at least my second thought
was for Wihemina. Absurd as it was,
resented also that Mrs. Schroeder should
caught the hands which Hal stretched
out to restrain me- and by them helped
of motion. l ran straight past him into
the house and up the stair to WHhelmlna
bedroom 1 ala not wait to knoc X 1 DaS
locked. l could hear step pacing PACK
and forth back and FORTH inside. 1t was
a sound that made me anxious.
"WiIhelmina," l said open the door. l
want to speak to you" Then 1 realized.
with a shock, that l had not a single IA
sons wife to me. What 1 had said sounded
as cold as death, showing the tones with
| which | must always have approached her.
MY dear my dear child 1 cried, des-
perately, open the door to me. -.
There was no answer, but / could near
choked sobs, and the footsteps ceased MY
heart was in actual pain. what with sym
pathy for the poor lonely child and with
the Iashes of my own accusing conscience
"Oh my dear" l urged, 'at least come
nearer to the door and listen to me
But only the sobs answered, and 1t seemed
burst into tears myself L don Diane
YOU" cried Il have been cruel to YOU,
Wilhelmina, cruel; bq5 l didn't mean me bo+ to
| but now-I am Halls mother; / ought TO be
| with you, and L can't stand being locked
| out" ~
Then the key turned in the door, and VIII
helmina fell forward into my open arms,
on, my dear sister it was not only the
| door of her room that the dear child then
| unlocked to me; all that was Dent uD IN
her poor, proud heart came rushing out.
| My UedT, SAUL when J. NOuAA D-,OC'Ai
| you must come home with me tonight,
! and stay with us until the Lodge cottage
| is made ready. You and hal are 10 live
| there in the future. This is too far away
| from us: we came tonight to tell you so.
| Which was not in the least true, my dear,
| as you know; yet, indeed, at the moment,
| somehow found myself honestly believing
| that it
Perhaps you don't understand my sudden
! change toward Wilhelmina; l could never
| quite account for it myself ] only know
that from that hour to, this Wilhelmina
! and / have known and loved each other.
| Far from separating me from my boy, she
| has been to me as the key of his heart,
| which l could never unlock, for Hal never
| loved me- save as q kind of matter or
| course until his wife became an Interpreter
| between us. Yes; / am very fond of VIII
helmina Tin your ear, my dear, fonder than
| of ROwlands wife. who is a tritle too per-
| feet for my everyday mind.) She is dear
daughter to me, a sweet wife to my son
! and a good mother to his children. The lit
tie ones are almost overlooking the Lodge
| cottage which is not gloomy at ALL but
! real sun trap There they live quietly and
! happily under our parent wings, the only
| ones Of our nestlngs building near
| Wilhelmina does not care for society, and
| goes out very little, though she might If
She wished as she has spent much time
and labor in learning those things which
seemed needful. She was pathetically hum-
| bic over her deficiencies, yet proud, too, in
| a nice way.
horn in the Lodge cottage l took Will
| helmina with me to return all the county
| family calls which she had allowed to wait.
! She looked charmingly pretty, and was so
| modest and Shv as to diSarm unkind crit