Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-01-31

was confessing 20 l. about these vers
ins s~if. conclusions
Nc a. not car, 81, diseiiss tic matter,
sir MIS- li.ersly Wal iepilinG. her tone
iidicaiins that II ws7 not ht to discuss.
And ais was the Woman i had hardly
been able to treat o!silsy. 80 nasscattnS
were nor fawniugs aud fiatrorinss.
So l said. i~gn.r!ng her and opening
my batteries it.!l upon The old man. You
are taking orders FROM Mon bray iargdon
now Why?'
As | spoke. !! WAS conscious that there
had been some change in Anita. / looked
at her. With star,lea eyes and iiIs apart.
she was advancing ;oward me.
Anita. leave the room" cried Mrs
tIl"rsly harshly. panic under the COIN
mand IN her tones.
felt rather than saw MY advantage,
ard pressed 1t.
You see what they are Goiug, MISC
Eiiersly." said |.
she passed her hands OYER her eyes. let
her face appear again. In it there wa an
energy Of rcpulsion that ought to have.
seemed exaggerated TO me then. knowing
really nothing OF tn" true situation. II
understand now" said she. 'oh-It is
loa~thsome," And her eyes bia1ed upon
her mother.
"Lcathsome." l echoed. dash!ng at my
opportunity. III you are not merely .:
chattcl and 4 ,i.coy. II there Is any woman
hood, any selt-respect In you. you VIE
keep faith with me"
"Anita,' cried Mrs. Eilersiy. Go 10
your room"
] mad once or twice before. heard a tone
as repulsive-a female dive-kceper hector
ing her wre.chcd white slaves L looked
at Anita. i expected 10 SEQ her erect. de-
tiant. Instead. she Wa again wearing
that cowed look.
Don't judge me too harshly.' she said
Il nd}, II, q, w. Ell l4,,,,- v,ta. To ,Fut+
and dccent-Cod planted tnat too deep In
mo for them to be abb TO uproot it. But
oh, they have broken my Will, They have
broken my Will, They have made me a
coward. 4 thing" And she hid ne: face
in her hands and sobbed.
Mrs. !illcrs!y WAS about to sneak. ]
could not offer better proof OF my own
strength OF will than the fact that !. with
d look and n gesture, put hec down. Then
l said to the girl:
You must CHOOSE now, Woman or
~thing-which shall 1t be? II it is woman.
then you have me behind you and IN front
of you and around you. If il Is hing God
have mercy on you. Your self-respect.
your pride are Gone-for ever. You will be
like the carpet under his feet to the man
whose creature you become"
She came and stood by me, with her
back to them.
"If you will take me with you now.'
she said, II will go. IL 1 delay, / am lost.
I shall not have tho courage. And l am
sick, sick to death OF this life here, OF this
hideous walt for the highest bidder"
Her voice gained strength and her man
ner courage as she spoke: at the end she
was meeting her mothers gaze without
hinching. My eyes had followed hers, and
my look was taking In both her mother
and her father. 1 had long since measured
them, yet / could scarcely credit tho con-
firnation of my Judgment. Had life been
smooth and comfortable for that old cou-
pie. rs 1t was for most of their acquaint-
ances and friends. they would nave lived
and died regarding themselves. and re-
garded. as well bred, kindly people. OF the
finest instincts and tastes. But calamity
was putting to the test tho system on
which they had nodded their apparently
elegant. graceful lives. The storm had
ripped off the attractive covering: the
framework. the reality of that system, was
revealed, naked and frightful.
Anita. 20 to your room" almost
screamed the old woman. her fury tearing
away the last shreds OF her cloak of man.
ners.
Your daughter is of age. madam" said 1
She VIII go where she pleascs. And Iwarn
you that You are deceived by the Lang
dons. 1 am not poweriess. a~nd"-hcre 1 lot
her nave a fuli look into my rcd-hot furn-
aces Of wrath-"I stop at nothing in pur-
suing those who oppose meat nothing.'
Anita. staring at her mothers awful
face. was shrinking and trembling an II
before the wicked. pale-yellow eyes and
quiver.ng. outstretched tentacles of a
devil-fsh. Ciinging to my arm. she let
me guide her to the door. Her mother re-
covered speech. "Anita!' she cried. .'What
are you doing? Are you mad%
II think l must be out Of my mind -
said Anita. But, II you try to keep me
here. l shall tell him all-all."
Her voice suggested that she was about
to go into Mysteries. I gently urged her
forward. There was some sort of woman's
wrap in the hall. l put 1t round her. Be-
fore sheer I-realized 1t. she was In my
waiting electric.
Up town" 1 said to my man.
She tried to get out.
"Oh. what have I done, What am ]
doing" she cried. her courage oozing away
Let me out-please!"
You are going with me-" said I, enter
ing and closing the door. 1 saw the door
Of the Ellersiy mansion opening. saw old
Ellersley. b~areheaded and distracted,
scuttling down the steps.
Go ahead-fast!'I called to my man.
And the electric was rushing up the
avenue. with the bell ringing for cross.
ings necessarily. She huddled away from
hysterically. 1 knew that to touch her
would be fatal-or to speak. So I waited.
XXI.
MOST UNGENTLEMANLY.
AS we neared the upper end Of thu
park. I told my chauffeur. through the
tube. to enter and go slowly. When.
ever n lamp flashed in at us, I had 9
glimpse Of her progress toward com
posure--now II was drying her eye:
with the bit OF ace she called a hand.
kerchief; now her bare arms were up
and with graceful fingers she was ar.
ranging he. hair; now she was straigh'
and still. the soft. fluffy material viii
which her wrap was edged drawn clos,
about her throat. / shifted to the or.
posite seat. for my nerves warned m,
that could not long cniatrol mrsaIf