Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-20
dark head and a look Of disgust, rose
from the table.
K;nrosa m thnrouphly shared h

Kipross 30 thoroughly shared the
feelings which her name and look
expressed and he felt such strong dis
approval OF Eunice's apparent lack of
sensitiveness to the shame OF this talk
that a sudden warm liking for Georgi-
una stirred in him. Forgetting his role,
he rose ~instinctively to stand while she
passed from the room. But the act
was so entirely out of character that
neither Of the young ladies recognized
it for what it was, though Georgiana's
glance did for an instant rest upon him
uncertainty with a vague surprise
which quickly brought him to himself
and to his chair.
A little while later as he fingered in
the kitchen after dinner to get a word
alone with Mrs. Morningstar and (as
Providence favored him by keeping old
Morningstar indoors) with Mr.. Morn
ingstar as well he saw Eunice and
Abe start out together for the fields.
While Mrs. Morningstar and Ollie
cleared of the table he seated himself
by the kitchen window and watched
the youth and the maiden us long as
they were in sight. The incongruity Of
a Wolcott working in the fields like a
peasant and along with Il fellow like
Abe Morningstar struck him afresh.
"Now, you see"-Mrs. Morningstar
turned to him as her husband stretched
himself out on the settee and Ollie de-
parted with a pile Of dishes to the out
er kitchen-"how crazy that there girl
Is after our Abe-her not havin' a
word to say agin workin' In the fields
out such a hot afternoon"
but she v does say a word
against anything she's asked to do,
does sheT' questioned Kinross. averse
to this Interpretation Of Eunlce's ST.
lence and acquiescence.
"Well. I'd like to see her oncet! What
right would she have, I'd like to know?
Pop he won't even leave Ollie and Abe
speak back. What fur would he leave
herr"
"Well, I guess anyhow" hoarsely
echoed Morningstar from the settee.
Kinross saw that hts opportunity had
come.
But It's different with Eunice." he
began. shes not your W child and
does not W you a daughters respect
and obedience"
Mrs.. Morningstar set down the plat
ter she was scraping and stared at
him, and Mr.. Morningstar sat upright
on the settee and fixed him aggressive
ly with his little sharp eyes.
"She owes us more'n what our own
children owes US" the latter affirmed,
"us raisin' her like our own and her
not bein' ourn."
"But you have not raised her as
your own. She was taken out Of
school at a younger age than Ollie was,
and she has never been clothed. as
your daughter has been. For years
she has been doing the work Of two
women and has got nothing for 1t but
her board"
who's been tellin' you them
things?" Mr.. Morningstar asked, with
repressed venom. "And what's it your
business, anyhow
"Eunice she has the right to work
fur our keepin' her when she was 4
child yet" Mrs. M~orningstar repeated
her oft reiterated argument.
This brought Kinross to the point
which he had been driving.
ITO pay you for keeping her when
she was q child? But you told me you
had been paid for that-the money
found pinned to her dress. And then,
you know, after a very few years the
child's work more than paid for the
expense Of boarding her. So that real
~, as I heard her tell you, you owe her
back pay; also you owe her. now that
she is of age, that large sum of money
you found pinned to her dress which
you did not use for her"
He had turned from the window and
sat facing them both, speaking with .
cool precision and in a tone Of author
ity which Bewildered them.
(Which you did not use for her." he
repeated, "and which. therefore, must
be refunded. You will pay to Eunice
within the next week the sum Of
$1,000. I'll allow you a thousand
dollars for your care Of her up to the
age Of six years. though of course you
v gave her a thousand dollars
worth Of care in the whole nineteen
years you've had her"
you'll alloww gasped MI. Morning
star, while his wife's eyes fairly bulg-
ed from her face. "What are you got.
to do about it," !
"And how'd you know 1t was that
much left us?" sputtered Mrs. Morn
ingstar.
II spent the greater part Of last
night in the haunted room, and" he
said, with a mysterious significance,
II learned things. Four thousand dol
lars was found on the child when you
took charge of her. You will pay
$4,000 to Eunice within a week. II
you make any difficulty about it I
shall exact her back pay-$2 a week
for the past five years and interest on
the $1,000 for nineteen years. See
here, Morningstar"
He O and with his hands in his
pockets strolled over to the settee and
lowered over the shrinking figure OF
the little farmer. II am not a man to
waste words or enter into useless dis
cussion. Il mean just what I say. l
am going to befriend this young girl
and see that she gets her rights. 4
learned some things In your haunted
room last night which have given me
the power, 1 think, to do SO. Now. I
Ayo NOV, met a vook RI make nm VOur