The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-08-02
CContinusd.I

oNeu ner, WAVING an drln nefcely AZ
Der. Don't you come around here
trying TO run over mel You talk about
your 'affalrsr All you've got on earth
n this two for nickel old shack over
your head and bushel basket of dis
dllery stock that you can sell by the
pound for old paperp' He threw the
words in her face, the bull bass voice
scanned AMI cracked with falsetto. odd
paper, old rags, old iron. bottles old
clothes! You talk about your affairs.
Who are you? ROthschiId? You haven't
got any affairs!'
Not a look, not q word, not a motion
of his escaped her In all the fury of
sound and gesture in which he seemed
fairly to envelop himself. Least of all
did that shaking of his-the quivering
Of jaw and temple, the tumultuous agi-
tation Of his hands-evade her watch
fulness.
when did you find this outY she
said very quickly. after you became
administrator
He struck the back Of the chair she
A4du NdCalCA q NRiouS DAoh Win LIE
open hand mo. you spendthrift! All
there was to your grandfather WREN
you buried him was a basketful of dis
tillery stock, l tell you! Old paper!
Can't you hear me? Old paper. old
rags
you have sent me the same in
come" she lifted her voice to interrupt.
''You have made the same quarterly
payments since his death that you
made before. II you knew, why did
you do that?"
He had been shouting at her with the
frantic and incredulous evaporation of
an intolerant man utterly unused to
opposition, his face empurpled, his fore
head dripping and his hands ruthlessly
pounding the back of the chair, but
this straight question stripped him sud
denly of gesture and left him standing |
limp and still before her, pale splotches |
beginning to show on his hot cheeks.
"If you knew, why did you do it?"
she repeated. "You wrote me that my |
income was from dividends, and /
knew and thought nothing about it. but
II the stock which came to me was (
worthless how could 1t pay dividends"
at did not" he answered huskily. |
THAT distilery stock, tell you. isn't
worth the matches to burn it."
"But there has been no difference
IN my income" she persisted steadily.
"why? Can you explain thai to me?"
Eyes; can" he replied. And 1t
seemed to her that he spoke with a
pallid and bitter desperation, like a
man driven to the wall. II can II you
mink you want to know"
81 do
II sent It,"
do you mean from your own
, 81 mean ii was my own money"
She had not taken her eyes from his,
which met hers straightly and angrily,
md at this she leaned forward, gazing
1t him with profound scrutiny.
"Why did you send it?' she asked. :.
'Charity," he answered after palpa-
Die hesitation.
Her eyes widened, and she leaned
pack against the Intel of the door, ,
Itaring at him incredulously. Char
tyr she echoed in a whisper.
Perhaps he mistook her amazement ,
It his performance for dismay caused ,
" the sense Of her own position, for 4,
IS she seemed to weaken before him
he strength of his own habit of domi /,
lance came back to him. Charity. :
he broke out, shouting intol- ;
rably. Charity, dye hear? was a /
riend Of the man that made the money .
on and your grandfather squandered; =
was a friend of Jonas Tabor, say! :
hats why | was willing to support :,
on for year and over rather than =
It a niece of his suffer" :
"'Sufferr she cried. Support
ou sent me hundred thousand
-ancs"
The white splotches which had mot ;,
ed Martin Pixies face disappeared as :
they had been suddenly splashed a,
18th hot red. you go back to my "
ouse," he said. What sent you =,
ally shows the extent of N.Y. :,
"Effronteryw The word rang through h,
lie whole house, so loudly and clearly -,
d she strike it-rang in his ears till 80
stung like castigation. 1t was ON Al
ous portentous OF justice and OF dis \,
tier. There was more than doubt Of 80
m in it-there was conviction. a.,
He fell back from this word, ana &
hen he again advanced Ariel had left g,
o house She had turned the next TT
rner before he came olt of the gate, 10
I'd as he passed his own home on his 49,
ny downtown he saw her white dress =
lngling with his daughters near the Az
rise block beside the frs, where the "
70, with their arms about each other, 20
bod waiting for Sam Warden and the Nv
en- summer carriage. w
Judge Pike walked on, the white
lotches reappearing like a pale rash Al
on his face A yellow butterfly zig 10
gged before him, knee high, across OK
. sidewalk. He raised his foot and