Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-10-20
CHAPTER Xxx

SLOWLY until Iney met herS.
You have lied to me-" Zelda repeat.
ed in the same passionless voice
speaking as though she were saying
some commonplace thing. Il under
stand perfectly well why you wish tC
continue this trusteeship l shall be
very glad to do what you ask; only we
must understand each other frankly
You must tell me the truth"
He shrank down slowly into MS
chair, but his eyes did not leave her
race. His hands had ceased trembling
and he was quite himself He waited
as though he expected some word OF
contrition; but she still stood with her
eyes fastened on him, and there was nc
Kindness in them.
Il have sought your own good.
nave supposed you would be gratified
TO continue-the trust-reposed in me
by your mother"
IF you speak to me of my mother
again l shall find some way of punish
ing you." she said, and there was still
no passion in her voice
I suppose that when you are ready
you will tell me what this means
why you have turned against me in
OF anger. And then changing to
conciliatory tone: Tell me what It is
that troubles you, Zee l had hoped
that you were very happy here. l had
nattered myself through the summer
that ours was a happy home. But if
there is any way In which have erred
am heartily sorry"
He bowed his head as though from
the weight of his penitence but he was
glad to escape her eyes. When he
looked up again. he found her gaze
still bent upon him. He picked up the
fallen pen and placed it on the table
beside the paper which he had asked
her to sign.
You are tremendous fraud" she
said, with smile in which there was
no mirth or pity. you are immense
ly clever, and 1 suppose that because /
have some of your evil blood in me, I
am a little bit clever, too"
Zee! You forget yourself; you must
be mad!"
I am growing sane" she answered. |
I have been mad for a year, but my |
reason has come back to me. 1 do not |
Forget myself or that you are my faith
er; but l remember, too, that you are
an evil man and that you drove my
mother into her grave. You killed her,
with your pettiness and your hypoc-
risy; you are just as much her muir
derer as though you had slain her with
knife. But l beg of you, do not think
that you can play the same tactics
with me. / don't ask for the monay
that you have squandered. 1t isn't
your being a thief that l hate; it's
your failure to be a man! It's the
thought that you would betray the
trust of the dead-of my dead mother
that's what hate you for!"
He took step toward her menac-
ingly.
You are either fool or mad. You
shall not talk to me sol You have
been listening to Hes-infamous lies.
Rodney Merriam has been poisoning
your mind against me. l shall hold
him responsible; / shall make him suf-
fer. He has gone too far, too far. I
shall have the law upon him."
You had better sit down." she said,
without f1inching. Il suppose you used
to talk to my mother this way and
that you succeeded in frightening her
But am not afraid Of you, Ezra Dam
eron. If you think you can browbeAt
ne into signing your deed, you have
me. I was never less scared
n my life"
When she spoke his name it slipped .
rom her tongue lingeringly, and fell ,
Ipon him like a lash In addressing ,
lin so, she cast off the idea of kin
jhip utterly; there was no tie of blood r
between them; and he was simply a
mean old man, despicable and con- I
emptible standing on the brink of a q
ut that he had dug for himself, and !
ceiling the earth crumbling beneath s
IFS feet. She went on, with no break I
n the impersonal tone to which her 7
words had been pitched in the begin
ling. (
You have so little sense Of honor
'ou are so utterly devoid of anything
hat approaches honor and decency- 7
he hypocrisy in you is so deep, that S
ou can't imagine that man like my t
ncle would never seek to prejudice c
ne against you-my own father. Mel Y
her my uncle nor my aunt has ever Z
aid a single unkind word to me Of r
ou. My aunt asked me to go to live T
nth her when we came home; but I b
efused to do 1t. And I'm glad I did a
his closer acquaintance has given me b
n opportunity that was-in one of Il
our hypocritical phrases-quite prov Il
iential. Of learning you as though you
rere a child's primer. You have been y
very bitter lesson, Ezra Dameron! n
iy mother never rebelled. never lifted Z
er voice against you. and you sup
osed ! should prove quite as easy; o
ut you see how mistaken you are!" n
This is a game-a plot to trap me. 4
ut IT shall fail My own child shall ]
OF mock me-" !
I have something more to say to d
on. 1 have gone over # in my heart ID
thousand times In this year of de-
sit believe have grown a good Il
cal like you It has been a positive b
Ieasure for me 10 act part--shield- u
g you from the eyes Of people who h
ere anxious for a breach between US "
know as walk the streets and peo- hi
e say, There Is Ezra Dameron's h
lughter.' they all pity me. They have "
Ipected me to leave you. They have ci
ondered that I should go on living
lth you when every child In the COM n
unity sneers at the sight Of you OF p'
e mention Of your name" q
Shame on youl Shame on youi~ "
7 suppose II Is a shameless thing ~
be saying 70 you; but haven't I'm 70
red yet And you had better SIT >
WI You are an old man and I re- 81
"a rovs - - shss.sb vos a-o