Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1910-09-08
CHAPTER Xxx

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interval of silence. he lifted his eyes
slowly until they 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 to
continue this trusteeship. 1 shall be
very glad to do what you ask; only we
must understand each other frankly.
You tell me the truth"
He shrank down slowly into mis-
chair. but his eyes did not leave her
face. 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 no
kindness In them.
Il have sought your own good. I
have supposed you would be gratifled
to continue-the trust-reposed in me
by your mother"
III o speak to me of my mother
again I shall find some way of punish
Ing you," she said, and there was still
no passion in her voice.
l suppose hat when you are ready
you will tell me what this
why you have turned against me in
this way" he began, with a stimulation
of anger. And then changing to a
conciliatory tone: Tell me VIVA 1t Is
that troubles you, Zee. I a hoped
that you were very happy here. 1 had
hattered myself through the summer
that ours was a happy home. But If
there is any way in which 1 have erred
1 am heartily sorry"
He bowed his head as though from
the weight Of his p%enifence, but he was
glad to escape her eyes. When ne
ooked up again, he found her gaze
Still bent upon him. He picked up the
fallen pen and placed 1t on the table
beside the paper which he had asked
her to sign.
You are a tremendous fraud" she
SAID, with a smile in which there was
no mirth or pity. you are immense
~ clever, and 1 suppose tina because 1
nave some Of your evil blood in me, 1
am a little bit clever, too"
Zee! You forget YOURSELF; you must
be madl"
L am growing sane" she answered.
1 nave been mad for a year, but my
reason has come back to me. I do not
forget myself or that you are my faith
er; but l remember, too, tina you are
an evil man and that you drove my
mother into her grave. You killed her,
with your pettfness and your hypoc-
rlsy; you are just as much her muir
derer as though you had slain her with
a knife. But 1 beg Of you, do not think
That you can play the same tactics
with me. 1 don't ask for the money
that you have squandered. It isn't
your being a thief hat 1 hate; it's
your failure to be a man! It's the
thought that you you'd betray the
trust of the dead-of my LEAD mother
that's what I hate you for!"
He took a step toward her menac-
ingly.
You are either a fool or mad. You
shau not talk to me SO! You have
been listening to Instantaneous lies.
Rodney Merriam has been poisoning
your mind against me. I shall hold
him responsible; I 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 f%inching. Il suppose you used
to talk to my mother this way and
that you succeeded in frightening her.
But l am not afraid Of you, Ezra Dam
eron. If you hin you can browbeat
me into signing our deed, you have
mistaken me. 1 was never less scared
in my life"
Whes she spoke his name it slipDed
from her tongue lingeringly, and fell
upon him like a lash. In addressing
him so, she cast off the idea of kin
ship utterly; there was no tie of blood
between. them; and he was simply a
mean old man, d~espicable and con-
temptible, standing on the brink of a
pit that he had dug for himself, and
feeling the earth crumbling beneath
his feet. She vent on, with no break
in the impersonal tone to which her
words had been pitched in the Begin
ming.
You nave so little sense of honor
you are so utterly devoid of anything
that approaches Ono and decency-
the hypocrisy in you is so deep, that
you can't imagine that a man like nv
uncle would never seek to prejudice
me against you-my own father. Nei-
Their my uncle nor my aunt has ever
said a single unkind word to me of
you. My aunt asked me to go to live
with her when we came home; but I
| TSluS0U W w I. All III SlaQ L did.
This closer acquaintance has given me
an opportunity that was-in one of
your hypocritical phrases-quite prov
idential, of learning you as though Won
were a child's primer. You nave been
q very bitter lesson, Ezra Cameron,
My mother never rebelled, never lifted
her voice against you, and you sup
posed I should prove quite as easy;
but you see o mistaken you are!"
This is a game-a plot to trap mo.
But 1t shall fail. My own child shall
not mock me-"
Il nave something more to say 20
you. 1 nave zone over it in my heart
a thousand times in this year of de-
ceit. 1 believe l lave grown a good
deal like you. 1t has been a positive
pleasure for me to act a part-shield-
ing you from the eyes of people who
were anxious for a breach between us.
I know as l walk the streets and pep
pie say, There is Ezra Dameron's
daughter they all pity me. They have
expected me to leave you. They have
wondered that 1 should go on living
with you when every child in the COM
munity sneers at the sight of you or
the mention of your name"