Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-06-06
HESPER
By HAMLIN GARLAND
Copyright, 1905. bp Ham,tn Garland
CHAPTER XVIII.

OF her plan with outward cOmposure.
though he said sadly: Now that /
know more about your life in the east,
am not so sure can make you hap
by, even with million. I've lost my
ambition to be rich, for what could l
give you, who have had everything?
I am going to flee to my mountain.
can't bear to see you take the train,
and will not say goodby. will wait
as patiently us can till you send for
me. and if you feel that you-that
am not fitted to make you happy
will not complain" And they parted
with only clasp of hands.
On the Journey eastward Ann had
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 behind-Raymond
the good Barnetts and all-and a 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 a man in the world of men.
However, she approached New York
on q glorious morning in May, and the
North river was a glittering spread of
leaping wavelets tossed into the sun
light by a brisk southwesterly wind,
and her spirits rose with 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 filed with 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 sunbeans anywhere in the
world. She was elate, throbbing with
recovered love Of life, with the rcgain-
ed joy Of being young, and, best Of all,
she found herself looking back each
moment with undiminished atrccticn
to the high peaks. Into this moment of
elatton 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 being of another
world. No caresses were eyer 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 whim
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
sad sweetness Of tone, like the dying
hum Of n bell, she had never forgot
ten. She had been mother to Louis,
and she was coming back now with
the consciousness Of a 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-
tion she had made to forget their diff
ferences and to confide her perplexi-
ties died away.
Mrs. Allard received her in bed read
ing-she was forever reading useless
books-and impassively said, What an
unearthly hour to arrivew
Ann took her lax hand and bent and
kissed her chill lips. How are you
feeling motlier| she asked tenderly.
Miserable, and Mr.. Allard is away,
as usual" she replied. with bitter
frown. "Your letters We're very few--
very unsatisfactory. Why did you not
return sooner?"
Instantly AIMS old feeling of su!len
anger and resentment rcsurged like a
tide and. Threatened to bury ill her
good resolutions, but she struggled with
and rose above her resentment and said
gently: II didn't intend to neglect my
duty. wrote us often"-
Her mother interrupted her as she
entered upon more extended conf
denoe. go to your room aud battle
and get your breakfast. We will talk
over Louis extraordinary plans after
ward"
The Interview with her mother was
quite as painful as Ann had feared.
She began by demanding to know why
Louis WAS not With her, and when Ann
re-exDla!ncd Biuntly that he would not
come Mrs. .Al:irl looked at her daugh-
ter IN cold SILENCE for u full minute
ana then. said "1herc is something
about you that I don't understand
You look We'll, but Louis should come
home. That climate doesn't agree With
him..
"Onstle contrary, his illness is due to
his own isipettlousncss in riding upl
into the mountains without sufficient
clothing"
WHATS the meuning Of this talh of
his about buying lnincY"
Ann explained this rs patiently MS
she could, and when Mrs. Allard con
temptuoasly said, '.ue shall do nothing
of the kind" Ann broke out:
Mother, you don't seem to under
stand that Louis is no longer a child
and that he is growing very difficult
to manage ! used my best powers 10
persuade him to come home and CON
suit with you, but he refused. Fur
thermore, the doctor advised against
his coming just now"
Il don't care what the doctor said.
My plans are settled. 1 am to spend
the summer In the TyFol, and l want
Louis with me. The air there is better
for him than the raw winds of that
crazy mining camp. l wish you would
wrlto him or telegraph him at once to
Gomez
You are not asking me to go with
you, iiol,eY'f
Certainly you are going"
Ann turned White ana tense and sat
for long time in silence, a deep hum
ring sound in fc:' cars. well knowing
that the hour of revolt had come. Her