Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-08-25
:Ss}ST 7FLOPENCEM ARNNTII

/ eApIdAdllOu. hoO you are at the DOtlOul
of this, are your he says, angrily. Il
might have guessed as much. What do
you mean by coming up here without my
leave? How dare you intrude upon my
relations in this way?'
i came here for my boy" she answers,
boldly, land If you had placed him in
buckingham Palace, would have forced
myself into the very presence of royalty
in order to get him back again.
Il am whipped if you shall keep him,
though" exclaims her husband, as he
makes feint of wrestling the child from
her grasp. 'The boy is mine, and l shall
do exactly as choose with him. The law
is on my side.'
You'll not leave him here, Mr.. James,
not for hanother hour, for I refuse to
keep him." interposes Mrs. William Mo-
ray. Hit was never represented to me,
when l consented to hallow the child to
remain hunder my roof, that he was the
hoffspring hof a hactress."
| The start Of surprise and disappoint-
ment with which James Moray receives
this announcement is not lost upon sharp
| sighted Della. She reads it's motive at a
glance, and takes advantage of it. If
! Willy is discarded by his aunt, the burden
not only of the 'child's support, but his
own, must fall upon her husband. She
remembers Mrs. Hephzibah's last words,
and throws down her next card boldly.
| Take your son, them" she says, in a
loud voice, but with trembling lips, as she
pushes Willy toward his father. IF you
/ are to have the sole disposal of him, so
must you take the sole responsibility.
will go out into the world alone and sup
port myself"
| But this unexpected move upon the
mothers part startles William Moray. He
advised the recapture of the boy solely to
compel Della to follow him. If she is
driven too far, and deliberately deserts
her child, the support Of both brother and
nephew will come upon himself. And he
is not prepared to undertake it. There
fore he quickly interposes to check the
| angry rejoinder that he sees upon James
lips.
''Stop, James! pray stop! You are go
ing too far! What has your wife done
that you should threaten her with the
loss of her child? This matter only re-
quires little settlement. Cannot we
talk it over together and come to some
amicable arrangement
| "Oh all right" says James Moray, mys-
tilted by the others change of tactics,
| ''but l thought you said"
! Never mind what I said. We were
both put out at the time by finding Mrs.
Moray had deserted you. But now that
she has come back, we must try to patch
up this little disagreement. What is it,
Mrs. Moray, that you require my brother
to do for your
''Simply this: To treat me decently! To
let me lie down and get up in peace, and
retain possession of my own child.
want no love from him. l have ceased to
expect it for years past, but if he will
only promise to refrain from striking me
and Willy, and to leave us together, will
work for him, as have done, until 1 can
| work no more"
well, think that is a perfectly fair
proposal, and one to which my brother
| should be pleased to assent. What do
you say, James? Have you any further
remark to make upon the subject?'
docs she mean to come home with me
and do her duty?' demands James in a
sullen voice.
Il have already said I will. But
don't consider it my duty to submit to be
treated like a dog rather than woman.
can support myself, and you can't.
| am willing to support you on certain con-
| ditions; but the next time you force me
| to leave you, shall go, not to Holloway,
but straight into a police court, and see
| if cannot get satisfaction from the law
! Let it be peace, James," whispers his
| brother; sit is the best policy, at all events
| for the present"
I'VE will have peace, then" says James
| Moray, as he holds out his hand to Della,
Their hands meet, but there is no life
| in the clasp that unites them.
The James Morays return to their COM
| Portable home almost in silence. Della
| sits in one corner of the third-class rail-
way carriage, with Willy held tightly in
her arms, and her eyes fixed apparently
on space. But as her husband chances
furtively at her, every now and then, he
perceiveS by the stern expression Of her
mouth and the gravity of her counte-
nance that she is perfectly determined and
fearless.
There is nothing to eat in the house,
and neither James nor she has dined.
She orders something to be prepared for
them as soon as possible; and Willy is
delighted to be allowed to walk round
with Mrs. Timson to the butchers and
try and persuade him to cut a steak on
Sunday.
The dinner appears and disappears. The
husband and wife sit down together and
eat at the same table; but they do not
address each other, except in the most
formal manner. But the boy is present
and talks for both Of them. Once Moray
harshly bids him hold his tongue in the
old fashion; Della does not resent the
order, but she Just raises her eyes and
looks him steadily in the face. 1t is suffi-
cient. In that determined glance he reads
reminder of their agreement, and Willy
is permitted to chatter unrebuked.
But the hatred with which Moray has
commenced to regard his wife wakes
stronger with each proof of her power.
He is in the position of a mailman bound
with letters, from which there is no pos
sibility of freeing himself, lashing out in
impotent fury, and foaming with rage be-