Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-10-06

trAught old man quietly. mo he said
again. but she earns her own living.
lnez Dartmoor--"
TITS all the same" his fathe. inter
rupted roughly Leave mel I'm done
with you, Hadley! You've got ample
means Of your own I've settled on you
you won't starve!"
Grimly be watched the tall. straight
figure vanish through the doorway.
That was the lst he saw Of his son
for many day, and often as the scene
REQUIRED to him he remembered his
sarcastic taunt: "You won't starved"
He grew grimmer as the days and
months went on bringing no word fr, !.
Hadley. Seemingly he and his wife
how Granger wrIthed at the word-had
dropped of the earth. Hadley's friends
were not his. and he rarely ran across
anyone who inquired for his son. A
great hunger to know where the boy
was and II all was well possessed him.
There was nothing but bitterness in
his heart when he thought of the un-
welcome daughter-in-law thrust upon,
him so suddenly. He tried to reason
out why young man as aristocratic
as Hadley should have chosen to fall
In love with an ordinary girl. girl he
had to run away and marry, because he
knew his father would not welcome
her. He remembered dimly that Had
ley had said her name was Inez, but
that meant nothing. She was -un-
known! He could not be proud Of her.
His bitter sorrow over the daughter-in-
law Of bis fancy, whom he would have
showered with gifts. spoiled with his
admiration and to whose pretty rule he
would have bent cheerfully, was pa
thetic. She was an impossibility now;
the brilliant future that would have
been Hadley's was lost.
Life was very bitter these days for
Granger Nation, and he was aging
fast, growing more taciturn. more Of q
recluse. Even his business associates
saw little Of him. He roaimed the great
granite house sadly, fancying It as ri
might have been. realizing its useless.
ness now.
Eight months had passed and still no
word from Hadley. Beneath his dull
anger was growing the pitiful hope,
lessness of age. the one wish to see his
son again, to have him near. Granger
Malton had reached the point where.
II he had known Hadley's whereabouts.
he would have asked him to come and
see him.
But he would not ask his wife, and
he knew Hadley would never cross
the threshold again till she came with
him.
It was some days later. at the close
Of a conference with Simon DAILY, who
was interested in the same mines that
Nation had interests In, and who had
Just come home from Europe and was
bluff Of speech. He slapped Granger
Ma ton on the shoulder as he got to
his feet and stood drawing on his
gioves.
Say" he cried, why didn't you let
fellow know Hadley, was married.
Met EN- over in Paris. but cant say
saw much Of them, as they-Mrs.
Nation, rather-was so much in de-
mand. She's the most popular person
in the American colony there, | reck.
on, judging from the invitations saw
piled up on her desk. Hadley always
did have luck. Not one man in fifty
gets the combination he did-beauty
and talent and family. Why, Ine2
Dartmoor's people have ancestors to
burn, but they didn't have any money
till she developed into genius. They
Bay she'll be the greatest woman sculp-
tor Of her day, II she isn't now.
She's the most graceful girl, and her
eyes--oh, well, you know all about 1t.
Hadley told me about his wedding
how 1t took a year for her to make up
her mind and he didn't give her ten
minutes to change 1t again, but
whisked her of to a minister's at
once. You're in luck to have such q
daughter-in-law."
Granger Nation sat long. after his
friend left. He was thinking. He re-
membered now-Miss Dartmoor. whom
people had talked about and raved
over and so rarely could drag away
from her studio. He knew nothing
about art, but he did know the prices
Inez. Dartmoor's work had brought
for the papers always mentioned 1t.
And he had sneeringly called her
shop girl when Hadley had said she
earned her own living. Granger Nal
ton had all the awe Of genius that be-
longs to the uncultured man. He re-
membered, too, the kind Of people who
had sought after her. Presently be
pulled over to him q cable blank
which he addressed to Hadley In care
Of his Paris bankers. What he wrote
with quick, decided fingers was brief.
Il read:
i've been q fool Come home and
k~fw~ wo,,v Vuffo %