New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-24
PASSING THE LOVE OF WOMEN
lyon sent for me. mOthcr?"

You sent for me, mOther
Eyes. child: ! sent for YOU to say eoodhy. l
am going away for some time. the woman
spoke deliberately in the monotonous voice cf
one giving a piece OF Information tedious to
give
ANGUS did not express any surprise. or regret
The nine years he had spent with his mother
had rot helpcd him to know her Without In
the least understanding wherein lay her strange
sloofness ne was conscious that he was su-
premely unintercstng to her. He wondered
why II should bc So and his honest boysh soul
was sometimes troubled. But children submit
readily to the inevitable. and Angus had his
compensations.
Vera Warden looked at her son with more In
,tcrcst than was usual with her. He was Ger
tainlv a handsome lad, tall and well built. with
blue eyes that were both kind and honest She
had been long in making her decision. No"
that IL was made she did not regret; she only
wondered IT, somehow. she had missed some
thing that more commonplace women ma
easily.
angus, dear you must take care OF father.
You and your father are so much alikc-under-
stand each other well-that ii will be easy
Tor you You must be especially good to him.
now"
There was a curious little catch in Vera =
voice as she said the NOW"
"Why are you going. MOTHER" questioned
Angus feeling that there was something even
more puzzling than usual in his mothers
manner. when are you coming back? Father
will miss you"
"Win he?" asked Vera. wistfully. And you.
Angus will you miss me at ALL
Angus was profoundly astonishcd He would
like to have kissed his mother just as he kissed
dad but he did not dare. He only grew red
and fGgeted awkwardly. as he answered: "oi
course / shall miss you. mother at meals.
1t was not greed that prompted the child :
definition. but the fact that he seldom saw his
mother, except at breakfast and at lunch
Vera Warden did not for children. and
said so-froquenty.
The carriage came to the door. Goodhy being
said without much emotion on either side As
she was driven out Of the big stone gates Vera
gave herself a little shake. saying. And now
'or life,'
An hour later Thomas Warden returned from
. fishing expedition the other side Of the
Dale The oak trees in the avenue had burst
INTO gOld-grccn leaf The big chestnut on the
iawn-thc only chestnut on the estate-was COW
cred with cones Of pinky blossom. The May
yunsct touched the grim gray house with rosy
light and Thomas Warden felt d welcome in
II all
Laying down his rods and fishing baskets in
the hall he went straight To his study. There
"a his blotting- book lay the letter he had both
dreaded and expected
His sunburned face looked gray as he took 1t
up. He sat down heavily: then, with shaking
hands opened the letter and read:
Il have burned my boats; there is no going
back | warned you that it would come To this;
that | would bear the monOtOny no longer. i
have given YOU ten years Of my life-the ten
best years Now, I owe it to myself to live-it
may be ten years mOre-but, any way, to live
Marriage and maternity have for me proved
unintcrcsting; but have endured them for your
sake. and for the sake of the boy-while he was
quite young. Had he been in any way
usual boy | might have found life more toler
able. To develop his mind would have been
interest for me; he might have shared in
some degree, my aspirations after fuller in
tellectua life. But he is healthy, handsome.
quite commonplace boy, who will grow into what
you would call an honest, God fearing man with
sut my help. He has an excellent governess.