Evening star., 1909-08-18

| could exert, but her brother won my
| mother over with the plea that he would
thus escape trial and conviction, and that
my sister and / would In this way be
saved that disgrace.
"My fathers position was that only
| through trial could he have the chance
to establish his innocence, and when the
decree was issued he broke down COM
There was bitter scene between him
and my mother, the first within my
memory. In the course OF 1t he declared
that John Altenburg had carried this
scheme through for his own protection,
that he dared not allow the facts to be
| brought out In q court of law, and my
mother accused him Of ingratitude to the
/ one man who had saved him from a
seemed finally filled. for whatever had
happened before we had. at least, stood
together in love and faith.
II think 1t was in repentance for hav-
| ing yielded against his wish that my
mother finally consented to leave New
York and bury herself with her brother
In the country. My father urged her to
take her maiden name and TO call my
self and sister by 1t also. ] have always
thought 1t an accident that she came to
be- thought John Aitenburg's wife. and l
am still certain 1t was. so far AS she was
concerned, but I've come to feel pretty
sure that. 50 far as ne was concerned, it
was one Of those accidents which. as we
Il
had his reasons, which haven I
fath0med yet, for making as wide as pos
sible the gulf between us and our old
life. and when sne had once consented
much how far 1t went. This was his op-
portunity and he took it,
do you say that on evidence. or is it
merely your guess?" 1t was the first
time Trafford had INTERRUPTED the mar
rative which he allowed Calden TO tell
in his own way
"Oh. as my guess the younger man
admitted. in a tone that indicated his dis
gust. II own up he's been too shrewd
for me. for all. OF US. in fact. I'm CIV
mind: that's all. don't even know to
this day why my mother kept sister and
me at school as she did. just as long as
1t was possible denying herself the relief
OF having us with her In her dreary life.
For i do know that her brother. moody
and silent by nature. grew more moody
and silent after coming here, until at
last days passed without his speaking a
word. SO that the only soul with whom
she could exchange speech was the deaf
old servant. les one Of the wonders of
this affair. as look back on It, that both
my father and my mother haven't gone
actually insane
How did ne happen to come to Lance
horo?' asked Trafford.
. Because twas the jumping-on place.
Actually he sought place to bury him.
6elI. he TOOK tHc TauTOdO ana came tn0
whole length Of 1t and, finding this place
for sale. bought 1t. It's the judgment
my mother formed during the ten years
Of this death in life. and I see no reason
to doubt it,
u But" interrupted Trafford. .'here was
a man who had lived an active life
among men suddenly becomes practically
q hermit among strangers. with no visible
object In life but just to grow ola and
die. It's inexplicable. There must have
been something behind It all. This mere
existing couldn't have been even life to
him. He couldn't hope for anything. Did
he fear something?
II Didn't you ever hear OF man living
] simply in the joy of money; miser who