Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-10-04
MARTYR, OR MISTAKEN?

Stli she hesitated. He bent down,
laying one hand over the elinging fingers
on his arm,
What is it. dearest?"
Il scarcely like to say it." she half
faItered. Il know you will remember
she Is your mother, but-she may not
take 1t quite in the way you think, and
| you may be angered-for me. Remember
me weight lies heavy on me as it is
don't make it heavier"
He stopped lower. and pressed his Inns
to her hand.
Il will remember all you bid me-" he
said: MY obedience shall show my
There was something of a radiant look
| in her eyes. Once more EsSingtOn folded
her TO his heart. Then he left her.
CHAPTER V.
II LOVED YOU TOO MUCH"
| Essington did not make up his
mind about seeing his mother that
night; it was, in way,
impossible TO do so; the choice of time
must depend on circumstances. She had
been out when he received the detec-
/ tive message, and he had only left word
that he did not know when he should be
IN, without limiting at the business which
! called hlm away. 1t was comparatively
| easy when he got home. and the natural
| thing, indeed, his usual habit, was to see
+ II his mother was in. Yet, with rare
/ lrresolutlon, he went first into his study
! The story Monica had told him stunned
! him. Away from her, and the spell of
/ her conviction, 1t seemed incredible that
/ his mother whom he loved and honored.
should seek to wreck his happiness by
/ a concocted lie which destroyed another
Womans reputation. Yet. as he sat and
/ beat things out, much that had passed
/ between him and his mother with regard
/ TO Monica, lent probability to the girls
/ accusation. AS a dramatist and as a
/ man of the world, he knew that men
! and women continually belle their appar-
ent character; but it is when such knowl-
edge comes home that it cannot be be
! lleYed in. And if the accusation were
trueE The awful necessity of a public
confession flashed across him. so intoler-
a bic thought that it brought him to his
/ feet
81 will have it out now" he said; "to
/ go through the night like this is insup-
/ portable. God help me to speak rghtly!'
Ills mother sat in the drawing room,
under the softened light of the lamp.
/ Some work was in her hands, and she
! looked so young and so handsome in her
! homelike surroundings, so far removed
! from strife and intrigue. that her sons
purpose faltered till she lifted her eyes.
and the anxious, appreheusive look in
! q.
again directly.
You, Ernest? How long have you
| been in?' she said
some time. l thought YOU would
| have heard me-
She had heard him, and it crossed
! him, against his will, that her answer
was not true.
No, | do not always. you know"
She did not, as usual, ask him where
/ he 4 hoo l.
own doingS. She took up the work again
and began sewing. Essington sat down
near her.
Did you know, mother" he said,
that since we have returned to town
| have been trying to find Monica Gift
| ford?"
You did not tell me anything, my
dear, and as you had tabooed the sub
! ject, did not ask. OF course | guessed.
L suppose that was why you came to
town."
II daresay it was, though / scarcely
acknowledged it. This afternoon l had
q message from the detective / employed,
giving me her address"
Mrs. Essington smiled slightly.
And You have been there, no doubt, .
she said, ''and Jared about as well as
you did before. OF course she will say
nothing; it is foolish to expect it,"
Ch ihe contrary, Iounu thaI NOM
ca has come to see her mistake"
THAT is sensible of her." his mother
interrupted; II hope she is in some en-
plOyment, and doing fairly WE'LL
Essington again felt that cold thrill
of dread. His mother was not like her
self-uDsympathetic in this matter, al
most inimical, she had always been. He
recognized that now: but she seemed try
ing to evade close quarters, as it were.
Why?
"She has work." he said quietly,
''enough to live on; but that is not my
point now | prevailed on her to confess
that she had been silent because she
wished to shield someone"
THAT is what | always said"
This is quite different mother. Mo-
MICA has no disgrace to hide no sin; she
was not silent for her purpose at all"
my dear boy" she said, rather BAN
her tolls again. and you are quite con-
WINGED she is a martyr. You see as a
man, | as a woman. / do hope you have
| had sense enough not to rush into any
promise 10 her After all, you only
know what she tells you"
Mother" said Essington, leaning for
ward, You have always been against me
in this. always without mercy for her or
sympathy with me- even if you could net
before me- and | ask you TO hear me pa
tienty. / never believed in Monica's
guilt, that you know. Someone else,
was sure. had taken the money"
1T could he one of the servants she
said, in a less aggressive manner, but
am not aware that they knew the
money was in the house"
"It could scarcely he either Of them,
nothing was proved against them, they
had no time TO get rid Of the money, and
you have shown you do not credit their
dishonesty by retaining them in your
service. The man who called, and who
was presumed TO be Monica's accomplish.
or principal, simply came to fetch some
work she had done for him"
Mrs. Essington lifted her brows iron
| ically,
You don't mean to say you believe
that Ernest: OF course, the man is in
accessible"
"Not at all. he is in South America
and she knows his address. l have only
to write to him
"A pity she did not, if he was such Il
safe witness" she said dryly. She moved
| slightly, so that the lampshade prevented
the light from falling full on her face.
"She could not have acted as she has
- che bad aolln1 IN him She Euarv ha