The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-02
CHAPTER vi.
Miss Ramsay ReVolts.

Ing on my miSSlon-WaS: cant you
and Lottie hurry up that marriage of
yours You ought to get it over and
out of the way When l returned
home with my mission accomplished,
the first remark my mother made
after our greeting was: Harvey, l
wish you and Lottie were going to
marry little sooner.
A note in her voice made me look
swiftly at her, and then, without a
word, was on my knees, my face in
her lap and she was stroking my
| head. Il feel that I'm going TOTO
your father, dear" she said.
/ heard and / thought i realized;
but l did not. Who, feeling upon |
him the living hand of love, was ever
! able to imagine that hand other than |
/ alive? But her look of illness, of ut |
| ter exhaustion-that l understood and |
suffered for. You must rest" said I
you must sit quiet and be waited |
on until you are strong again"
Yes, 1 will rest" she answered, as
soon as my boy is settled"
That very day l wrote Carlotta tell
ing her about my mothers health and
asking her to change the date of our
wedding to the first week in August,
then just under a month away She
telegraphed me to come and talk it
ever.
She was at the station in her phae-
ton to meet me. We had not driven
far before l felt and saw that she
was intensely irritated against me- AS
I unburdened my mind of my anxi-
cites about mother, she listened cold
ly. And / had to wait a long time
before l got her answer in a strained
voice and with averted eyes: "Of
course, I'm sorry your mother isn't
well, but / can't get ready that
soon
1t was not her words that exasper-
atcd me; the lightning of speech from
the storm-clouds of anger to clear the
air. 1t was her expression.
Never have / known anyone who
could concentrate into brows and eyes
and chin and lips more of that sui
len and aggressive obstinacy which is
the climax Of provocativeness. Pa
, tience, in thought at least, with re-
? fusal has not been one of my virtues.
, This refusal of hers, this denial of
happiness to one who had deserved so
Z much and had received so little, set
= temper to working in me like q quick
, poison. But l was silent, not SO
. much from prudence as from inabil-
ity to find adequate words.
= 81 can't do it." repeated Carlotta
land I won't" She made it clear
|. that she meant the "won't"-that she
n was bent upon quarrel.
, But in my struggle to train those
stanchest of servants and maddest OF
a masters, the passions, / had got al
). least far enough away to choose bott
" the time and the ground of guar
\ rel. So | said: Very well, Car
q lotta Then, that is settled" AND
! with an air sufficiently deceptive t.
q pass muster before angry eyes, / pro
ceeded to talk of Indifferent mat
. tiers.
"a AS I sat beside her, my tempe
~ glowering in the straining leash,
n revolted her conduct and tried to puz
"a zle out it's meaning 1t is clear
II thought 1, that she does not care 70
n me as people about to marry usual
N profess to care. Then, does she wis
y to break the engagement?
A. That tanned my anger instantly
n Yes, l thought on, she wishes to b
- free-to free me- And, as my con
a bine is formed and my career well az
#. vanced in the way to being estaI
lished, what reason is there for tr,
O. ing to prevent her from freeing he
c+ self? None-for l can easily explai
is the situation to mother. Yes" col
is cluded, you can avoid a quarrel, ca
"a remain friends with Carlotta, can Civ
an and get freedom" What had change
to her? I did not know; did not vast
time in pulling; did not tempt fat
ut by asking: You are poor, she
rich" l reminded myself "Ths
= makes it impossible for you to hes
II tate. You must give her no exeus
IN for thinking you lack pride"
ct Then l reasoned and planned, n
mr. temper back in its old kennel ar
nh peaceful as a sheep. That evening
ne avoided being alone with her; ju
in as l was debating how to annount
nd that 1 must be leaving by the fir
RI. train in the morning a telegram can
INF from Roebuck calling me to Chicas
FL at once. When we were all going
ne bed, 1 said to Mrs. Ramsay: Il shs
see you and Ed in the morning, but
lat to Carlotta-'you don't get up
It'll early. I'll say good-by noW'-this
NV the friendliest possible way
I was conscious of Mrs. Ramsa,
vo look of wonder and anxiety; of EC
for wild stare from Carlotta to me a
zee back again at her. She bit her
I'M and her voice was unsteady as 8
said: "Oh, no, Harvey. I'll be III
We There was a certain meekness in h
i tone which would probably have
ore lighted me had / been what is Il,
- ally called "masterful."
When 7 cama douyn az sovo- ,r.1o