Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-31
with only a clasp of nanos.


| On the journey eastward Ann had a
great deal of time to think. and the
farther she descended upon the plain
the more certain 1t seemed that she
| was leaving It all acknowledgement.
the good Barnetts and all-and sad
ness which lay beyond tears seized up
on her. She felt, too, that Louis was
growing out of her life. He would
soon be man In the world Of men.
However, she approached New York
on glorious morning in May, and the
North river was a glittering spread of
leaping wavelets tossed into the sun
light by brisk southwesterly wind,
and her spirits rose with a bound.
The morning was deliciously cool and
very brilliant with sunlight, and as she
rolled through Madison square and en-
tered upon the lower avenue the girls
throat filled with a sob Of joy. The
generous. good mountains had not
merely lured her to themselves. teach
ing her to love them, they had restored
her sanity and the power to enjoy the
CLINT of sunbeams anywhere in the
world. She was elate, throbbing with
recovered love of life. with the regain
ed JOY Of being young, and. best of all,
she found herself looking back each
moment with undiminished affection
to the high peaks Into this moment of
elation the thought of her mother in
| truded with chilling effect.
The complete lack of sympathy be-
tween mother and daughter dated from
the day of her birth, for she had never
known maternal care. From the time
she could speak paid servants and
teachers guided her in feminine ways.
The cold and smileless woman who
gave her birth was q being of another
world No caresSeS were ever invited
by the mother, and none was ever of
fered by the child. Even the compan-
ionship of the gentle impulsive father
was cut short or interdicted altogether
during melancholy periods by his wife's
| eXacting demands.
When Louis came the father revolt
ed, refusing to be forever at the within
of his wife. He gave up attendance
upon her and devoted himself to the
children. This. Ann afterward recall
ed, was the beginning of her mothers
morbid seclusion. Then came board
| ing school, from which she was called
to receive her fathers last words, and
these admonitiOns, gently spoken, with
a sad sweetness of tone, like the dying
hum of bell, she had never forgot
ten. She had been Il mother to Louis,
and she was coming back now with
the consciousness of duty well per-
formed, but as she approached the
towering wall of the great apartment
hotel in which her mother made her
home she lost courage, and the resolu-
ton she had made to forget their diff
ferences and to confide her perplexi-
ties died away.
Mrs Allard received her I'm bed read
ing-she was forever reading useless
books-and impassively said, What an
unearthly hour to arriver'
Ann took her lax hand and bent and
kissed her chill lips. How are you
feeling. mother?" she asked tenGerly.
Miserable and Mr. Allard is away.
as usual" she replied, with a bitter
frown. "Your letters were very few
very unsatisfactory. Why did you not
return sooner?"
Instantly AIMS old feeling of sullen
anger and resentment resurged like
tide and threatened to bury all her
good resolutions, but she struggled with
and rose above her resentment and said
gently: Il didn't intend to neglect my
duty wrote as often
Her mother interrupted her as she
entered upon a more extended conf
dence. go to your room and battle
and get your breakfast. We will talk
over Louis extraordinary plans after
ward"
quite as painful as Ann had feared.
She began by demanding to know why