The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-25
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Fathers Have Eaten sour
Grapes"

Grapes"
And she would have wondered stiIl mere
If she could have looked iato that bright
and cheerful room. where father and child
sat apart wita avertcd faces. These few
moments when they had stood race to
face IN the library. the few words which
had. been spoken. had set a gulf between
them which might never be overpassed.
In the young face. at least, there was no
sign of relenting
You are better" said Sir David at
last with an effort
Yes" DULY; land since I have got 10
go on living 7 must know how
yes. yes" broke in Sir David fever
ishly but. first Of all tell me anything
you can about-about her-your mother
What an I TO tell you?" IsobeTs tone
was bitterness itself. What can I tell
you but that she died alone, unfriended
in a pauper hospital; that she is buried
somewhere in a pauper grave
stop" with a broken gasp; you don't
know what you're doing. God knows 1
deserve #. but it's more than can
bear. You have suffered. too. but it is
the sins of the fathers which have been
visited on you. You haven't lived through
years Of unavailing. unappeased remorse
or-or you woulS have mercy'-his head
sunk lower
Il am sorry; did not mean to be too
hard " she said, slowly. "3ut-but make
some allowance for me, too What is it
the Bible says about being lifted up TO
heaven and then thrust down TO hell? I
think that is pretty much what has hap
peued to me; and when 1 remember"
She sank back among the cushions.
You remember nothing Of her your
self then?" said her father, almost tim
Idly.
NO, nothing. She died a few hours
after I was born. She gave me my name;
] have a right to that, at least. The
nurse asked her what I was 10 be call
ed, and she said Isobel' 1t was the only
word she uttered; or if she said any
thing more, no one took the trouble 10
remember"
My mothers name" muTmUred Sir
David, as if 20 himself II wonder If al
the last she had some kindlier thought
though she couldn't know" He broke
how old you are2" The tone suggested
that from the first this was the question
which had been trembling on his lips,
and yet that. body and soul he shraIk in
mortal dread from the answer.
Il don't know exactly. but I've always
understood I was about nineteen or TWEEN
". I suppose it could be found out
though, If they keep any record Of such
unimpOTtant Matters cOldly.
Behind a screening hand the man drew
a long, shuddering breath-Of momentary
relief, perhaps-at least the final blow had
not yet fallen. Whatever may be the
agonies Of suspense, it is to be chosen
rather than some certainties.
And this he said, after a long pause
holding out the Testament
They gave it TO me when I was old
enough TO understand. Il was all ever
had Of my very own. It was something
TOO. 10 know that I had had a mother
Sir David rose and walked over TO the
hearth
And-and you, my poor child?' he said
Isobel shrugged her shoulders do yoJ
think we need go into that? What was
the life Of a nameiess waif like me likely
70 be? I suppose I must have inherited
something more than my name and ny
hair" as Sir David made her a sign L
go on, since l was always being told thai
/ was proud and willful and my spiri
must be tanned. Well" slowly, all my
life they tried TO tame 1t. but at last i
was more than I could bear. The hel
they told US about every Sunday couldn
be worse than my life, I thought. bu
where to go in the world beyond tn,
gates. if I could get beyond them, I diC
not know. 1 saw that the postmark OF
the torn envelope was Duncaird I though
there might be some-sOme friend there
] knew nothing Of where 1t was. or how
] should get there or what I would do 4
ever reached i'll was mad with the ont
idea 10 get away. Observation-Disclosures
the name was never out Of my thoughts
had no plan.
4 did get away, beyond the town-ou
on to the moOrs. There was a moon.
remember, but it was cloudy. and it wa
sometimes light and sometimes dark
thought l heard voices, steps chasing af
ter me. I had been thinking I must watel
and avoid the scaurs. but forgot every
thing in the terror of being taken back
! ran and ran, and the moon went benin,
the clouds. and then I felt myself falling
going down. down, till I was swallowe,
up in the blackness; and it's all blacknes
from then, till 1 opened my eyes In tn
hail here and saw her voice brOk
of sharp, Ike snapped bough.
Sir David was walking restlessly N
and down
ITS what Sir Hugh Weston said" h
muttered 10 himself, pieclng out tn
story. THE strain and the shock OF tn
fan, and then she kept wandering o.
with only that one word Duncaird, Z
guide her My God, what a chance
Chance do 1 call it," with a groan. The
aloud, MY poor child, is there anythinl
I can say to make you think less hardl
Of me. though you cannot blame me NOR
bitterly than I do myself I did all
could to undo what I had done throug
folly, through sheer carelessness, which
though, God knows. I did not mean II
proved the worst cruelty, but II was to
late-an too late. I did not know abou
yOu-that there was living child but a
least the dead. and you. TOO, have bee