The San Francisco call., 1904-12-11


wished they were older so that they
could be told all about the case. Well.
they shOula~b be told even now, il need
be. If that proved the only way Of
roofing the love of their father out
of their hearts.
An evil case for these poor childreni
They had no comfort save in gentle
cOlCrless Suzette Bligh. To all her
friends she had seemed a superfuous
person. She used to be invited just TO
balance dinner parties. or on q stray
impulse of kindness. But fate had
found other work for her now. The
once superfluOus woman was all the
consolation these three children had.
any love they got she gave them She
stood between them and desOlatiOn- She
warned them what te nper their mother
was In, whether it were safe to ap-
proach her. and with what demeanOr.
More than once her love gave the
meek creature courage. and she stood
between them and wrath Lamentable
as the state of affairs was, Suzette had
found a new joy in life. She took these
children into her life and her heart.
and became as a mother TO them. Grad
ually they grew to love her.
But none the less-perhaps all the
mOre-they tormented her. bringing to
her all the doubts and questions which
were rife in their minds. The pOrten-
tous worog divorce had come to their
use of it. They connected 1t quickly
with their fathers now continuous alb
sence. Whatever else it might mean
and they thought it meant something
bad for their father, to be suffered at
the hands Of their mOther-they under
stood it at least to mean that he would
be with them no more. SuZette knew
nothing at all about access" and
could only fence feebly with their
questions; they ventured TO put none
TO Harriet. They grew clear that their
father had gone, and that they were to
be left to their mother.
One and all they declined such a con-
clusion. They loved Tom; they did
not love Harriet. Tom had always
been a refuge. sometimes a buffer. They
had no doubt of what they wanted.
They wanted to go to their father, and
to take Suzette Bligh with them. That
scheme cOnjured up the vision Of a
happy home, free from fear, where
kisses would be volunteered, not ex-
acted. and the constant dread would
be no more.
But We daren't tell mamma that"
said Sophy, in a tremble at the bare
idea
Lucy shook her head; vera's
eyes grew wide. They certainly
dared not go to Harriet with any
such communication as that. They
had been shrewd enough to see that
they were expected to hate their father.
Vera had been roughly turned out of
the room merely for mentioning his
name.
After much consultation. carried on
in a secrecy to which not even Suzette
was privy, a plan was laid They would
write to their father and tell him that.
whether he were sentenced to divorce
or not, they wanted to come and live
with him-and 10 bring Suzette if they
might.
we won't say anything about
mamma. He'll understand SOphy OBJ
served.
Vera piped out in terror:
"But when mamma finds Out?"
We shall be gone. don't you see 80
cried Lucy. We shall ask papa to
meet us somewhere and he'll take US
with him and then just write and tell
mamma"
He can say we're sorry when he
writes to tell mamma"
oh, yes, see" said Vera. 1T will
be splendid, won't it? I wish We could
tell SuZette."
The elder girls were dead against
that. Suzette was dear, but she was
too much afraid of mamma; the great
secret would no be safe with her and
if it were discovered before they were
out of reaCh-significant mods expressed
that situation with absolute lucidity
So SOphy-whO wrote the best hand
; squared her elbows and sat down to
l her task in the schOOlrOOm A scout
was posted at the foot of the stairs.
I another at the top. On the least alarm
) the letter was TO be destroyed and the
! scribe would be discovered busy on u
} French exercise.
Dearest papa" Sophy wrote, eve all
send our love and, please, we do not
want to stay here now that you have
gone away. Please let us come and
live with you. We promise not to be
troublesome and SuZette might come.
, too, might not she, and look after us d?
Dearest papa, do not make us stay
here. Because we love you and we
, wanttO come and live with you. Please
) tell us where to meet you and we viii
/ make Suzette bring ps and you can
, take us home with you. Please let it
, be soon. We do so want to see you.
. Please do not make US stay here. We
, each of US send you a kiss and are
your loving daughters"
The signatures were attached the
/, letter closed and addressed to Tom 3
, club; they knew where that was, be-
cause he had taken them TO see il one
, Sunday morning and they had admired
the great armchairs and all the Won
derful big books. The same afternoon
: Lucy broke away from Suzette. ran
across to a pillar post and dropped the
important miSSiVe in. She came back
with an air of devil-may- triumph.
nOddi1g al her sisters, frankly refusing
to tell Suzette anything about it.
You'll see very sOOn," she promised
in mysterious triumph. and that even
: ing the three had wonderful talk over
! ! the letter speaking in low cautious
4 tones, agreeing that their manner must
be carefully guarded. that meekness
! and affection toward their mother must
be the order of the day and that one OF
them must always be on the watch for
! the postman's coming. lest by chance
: Toms answer should fall into the
{ hands of the enemy.
Would she open it?" shuddered
Vera.
Il expect she would said SOphy.
They saw the danger and the hours
were anxious. But they tasted some
| of the delights of conspiracy, too. And
l hope was on the horizon One more
row could be endured if after that
: tho doors were open to freedom
Toms heart was touched by the
little scrawl. written on a sheet torn
from a copy book. In his broken
down state he was inclined to
be maudlin over it. He carried