, 1899-05-19
7s@ET FLORENCE MkRNATT:f

explanation. $50 you are at the bottom
of this, are your" he says, angrily. .
might have guessed as much. What dc
you mean by coming up here without my
leave? How dare you intrude upon my
relations in this wayP'
Il came here for my boy" she nswers
boldly, and if you had placed him in
buckingham Palace, l would haye forced
myself into the very presence of royalty
in order to get him back again."
II am whipped If you shall keep him
thought" exclaims her husband, as he
makes a feint Of wrestling the child from
her grasp. "The boy is mine, and I shall
do exactly as 1 choose with him. The law
is on my side"
You'll not leave him here, Mr.. James,
not for hanother hour, for l refuse to
keep him." i%nterposes 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 d~isappoint.
ment with which James Moray receives
this announcement is not lost upon sharp.
sighted Della. She reads its motive at a
glance, and takes advantage of it. II
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. H~ephzibah's last words,
and throws down her neXt card boldly.
Take your son, then" she says, in q
loud voice, but with trembling lips, as she
pushes Willy toward his father. IF you
are to have the sole disposal of him, SC
must vol a 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 a 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,
Y"but l thought you said" q
..AIeyaa 81 weT
both put out az the time by hnding 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 decentlyl To
let me lie down and get up in peace, and
retain possession of my own child. |
want no love from him. 1 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 l nave done, until | can
work no more!'
"Well, l 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?"
Does she mean to come home with me
and do her dutyT' demands James in a
sullen voice.
Il have already said | will. But |
don't consider it my duty to submit to be
treated like Il dog rather thar Il woman.
l 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, l shall go, not to Holloway,
but straight into a police court, and see
if l 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"
"We will have peace, them" 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 glances
furtively at her, every now and then, he
perceiyes by the stern expression of her
mouth and the gravity or ner 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
utllSileu W DG dnoNCu " VAIN IOullu
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
d reminder of their agreement, and Willy
is permitted to chatter ~unrebuked.
But the hatred with which Moray has
commenced to regard his wife axe
stronger with each proof of her power.
He is in the position of a mailman bound
with letters, from which there is no pos
..L:I:4. % F.oosa- h.1a-olP laebi.. a,+ l..