The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-11-27

to his will, 1t if heaven had already opened
and he were entering in.
II
Mrs. Clifford had wanted to like Ellis Rhinehart
whose gentle reserve appealed to her, but her hori
zon was very limited and entirely excluded girls
girls all and any
If 1t sometimes occurred to her that there might
come into her sons life greater influence than
her own, woman whom he would place above
and beyond her. she hastily put the thought from
her. As Ellis had said, Stephen was all she had
When, twenty years before she had buried his
father and afterward the boys idoized sister when
the girls sunny head almost topped her own, it
seemed that the bleeding roots of her soul closed
around her son that remained and frightened rig
idly, toollshly, unreservedly. Some time she said
vaguely, he might marry, but he was young, and
the time was far, far distant
Now the neighbors, breaking for the first time
through her austere reticence, had torn the veil
from before her eyes. and suddenly, like thief
IN the night, the awful thing was upon her.
Stephen felt the impending storm in his mothers
tense quletness at the breakfast table next morning
In the feverish brightness of her eyes, the tight
ness OF her voice, as she asked him where he had
been the previous evening. He felt her eyes burn
ing upon him as he quietly told her.
There's going to be quilting here today" she
said, after long, uncomfortable pause Mrs
Weedler is coming She is president of the Aid,
and she asked me for the parlor. Theren be
good many in-some of the young folks in the even
ing"
Well" he ventured feeling an angry demon ris-
ing at what he knew would come next
Il don't want you to bring her here. that's all
Mrs Wheeder said herself it wouldn't do, the way
folks are feeling. She said the school board had
TO turn her off, she so trifling. Besides that
she abused Mrs Wheedler's children You just do
not know her, Stephen. Mrs. WeedIer says she
wouldn't wait for Harde last night but started off
atoot SOS you'd overtake her and carry her home.
re 11n4r1y %o1l, H. II.
after you"
Well, you know the kind of woman Mrs. Weed
Ter IS" answered Stephen patiently. Cor, maybe
you don't-you have so little to do with your neigh
bors; but, mother, she has her nose poked into
everyones business, and the very people who trust
her most she talks about the worst. She don't
mean halt she says, so why should you mind?"
Il won't Stephen, not a word though I think
1t right kind of her to warn me; but [ won't mind
If you say there's nothing to it."
Nothing to what2"
10 that girl roping you in. But you've too
much sense, thought might have known that"
Stephen rose from the table with q suddenness
that upset his chair with a crash. His rudy face
had grown white
Mother" he said with look she had seen on
his fathers face in the old early days when her will
had FLASHED with his-"mother last night I asked
Ellis Rhinehart-I implored her to marry me- But
she consented only condition that you will vel
Now beg of you not to listen to any more of this
gossip about her; forbid you ever to tell me if
you do"
He waited with his hand on the door, but his
mother silent under the blow that had fallen,
and he passed angrily out. After dinner as he was
dressing in his room, he heard the quiIters already
assembled in the "back room"
GLOW their tongues wag!" he thought bitterly
"And everyone with stab for her! But I'll bring
her now, if [ have to carry her. They're afraid of
me. Things will be different then"
He laughed harshly and ran down the back stairs
to the side gate, where his horse tied. As he
was about to drive away his mother signaled him
to wait, and hurried after him between the tall
rows of poisoning yuccas.
stephen" she painted, her proud old face work
ing with strange pleading "Stephen, if you go
and bring her here I'll never forgive you. If you
marry her I'll never welcome her, and you'll lose
your mother, for I'll go to your Uncle Stephens
and never darken your doors. If you could only
hear what they say you wouldn't" but she stopped
before the stubborn look she knew so we'll
Trembling visibly, she went slowly back to the
women who we're tormenting her. while her son
drove straight on.
As this was the first time Mrs. Gifford's neigh
bors had ever had chance at her, with no ques-
ton of results they were thoroughly enjoying them
selves. Not a word could she say, being dumb with
humiliation, but every syllable fell upon her literal
soul as truth absolute. Despairingly her sharp
black eyes turned from one to the other of the
excited, noisy group. How awful it was If
Stephen could only know the truth, she thought,
and her blood boiled in sympathy with little, sharp
nosed Mrs. Bagley, who was demanding of Mrs.
Weedler:
"You say she knocked him DOWN."
Shrinkingly she heard Mrs. Weedlers positive
assertion:
eyes, flat-he was that dizzy he could hardly
get home She got Donnie to say that he STUDIED
his toe against the platform and fell. just can't
believe word that child says since she started to
school"
'WeIl," wheezed fat Mrs. Mugson flaming her
self excitedy, II wouldn't have my boy, Josh, roped
in by no SIGH girl as that, but since he went to
visit the school [ haint worried particle on his
account. He says the very first thing he did was
to get paper wad slung right into his eye. He
says the school board was there giving out prob
lens, and she couldn't work of 'em. Said it
wasn't place for workin' puzzles. Josh says they
had her mighty nigh cryin'."
81 believe" put in Mrs. Clifford distractedly, 'T
had better go and hunt some more thread see
we're pretty night out"
Tremblingly she climbed the stairs and with