, 1899-05-05
CHAPTER w.

-
The next morning dawns upon a bright,
cold day. Mrs. Hephzibah Horton rises
with the lark. This morning, however
she intends to devote to the interests OF
her friend.
Among the most ardent admirers Of her
freedom of thought and action is her legal
adviser, Mr.. Bond. This little man and
Mrs. Horton are always quarreling, and
yet neither of them is happy without the
other. Mrs. Hephzibah, armed to the
teeth'with an umbrella, boots and water.
proof, steps into the office in Holborn and
asks for Mr.. Bond. The clerk in attend
ance, having given her a dusty seat, tlief
to inform his principal that this web
known client seeks an interview.
"Well my dear Mrs. Horton, this is an
unexpected pleasure" commences the so
%licitor as she is ushered into his pres
ence.
Don't talk nonsense! Why shouldn't
you expect me n day as well as an
other?"
And here Mrs. Horton details as much
as is necessary of Della Moray's circum-
stances and history, to which Mr.. Bond
listens attentively, lying back in his Of
fee chair, with his eyes closed, and bis
hands slowly rubbing one over the other.
you wish me to understand" says
Mr.. Bond, when she has concluded, that
your friend is DESTROYS to separate from
her husband and to maintain h~ersqlf?"
q, That's it a.-rf shs X erss to get slak2 fus 8
and ~squanders all her earnings"
''There is a family, then?"
"There is one child"
swell, it seems to me that the best
plan would be for your friend to establish
herself in a home of her own, and if her
husband persecutes her, then to a out
q protection order against him. But II
he can and will support herself and the
child, there is no law by which she can
leave his protection"
"All she wants is permission to support
herself and her child away from thai
man."
"Of course your friend is aware thai
If her husband chooses to claim the child
she will have no power to oppose himP'
what! Can't she keep her w childr'
"Not if it is above seven years old, and
the father will not consent to her doing
So"
..Than if -rightlZ
Should MIS-. Moray take out a protection
order against him, she Won't be able to
claim the boy-as part of her right?'
"Certainly not. The child belongs to
her husband"
Mrs. Hephzibah Horton does not speak
for a few moments. If she were q man
she would swear horribly-as she is o
woman, she bites her lip and is silent
But the same choleric indignation thai
produces oaths is rising in her breast the
while, and as soon as she thinks she has
obtained sufficient command over herself
to speak it bursts forth.
"So-this is your LAWS itg" she
claims, rising from her seat. 81 wonder
an honest man like yourself is not asham.
ed to sit smuggling in your chair and
weighing it out as a grocer does his sand,
pretending to think it sugar all the while.
You must know what a horrid cheat and
fraud it is. What! You tell me there is
no chance of redress for this unfortunate
woman, unless she consents to part with
her child-the only creature for whom
she longs to burst these unnatural bonds,
and live in peace! But if she had been
frail instead of honest she would at this
momen have been free to quit her task
| master and take her boy out of his
| clutches. Here! let me go-do! / must
tell poor Della the upshot of this as soon
as possible, for I'm afraid l raised her
hopes last night for nothing. I'll come
and see you again, some day, when I've
got over this, and feel in a better TEN.
per; or, perhaps I'll run out to Hamp-
stead next Sunday and have tea with you
and t~he1boys. But let me go now, for the
air of your room stiles me-. Injustice and
robbery! Robbery and injustice! That's
what the whole system noun to-"
Saying which, in no inaudible tone, Mrs.
Hephzibah stalks through the outer Office
into the street, leaving the clerks in q
state of bewilderment as to what particu
lar wrong she alludes to.
ITO be co%ntinued.1