Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-18
Novelized BY
VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
CHAPTER Y.
"rHE FATHER OF HER BOYS"

1.-THE FATHER OF HER BOYS"
% TlRs. MASON" sighed Anna
INT YEARLY one day. Here I've
been for nearly a month and
~ I've found out nothing. I
don't believe l ever will find out any
thing Of myself against Mr.. Temple"
The housekeeper started and eyed
her curiously.
even If you don't find out anything.
dearie.' she said stolidly. you may be
pretty certain that your husband will
be set free. Mr.. Temple may be in
dicted now any day. and everybody,
all the papers, say the circumstantial
evidence is so strong that he must be
convicted. He's surely guilty." Mrs
Mason, as all who knew her were
aware. once having formed an opinion.
held to 1t.
II don't want Robert cleared on cir
cumstantial evidence" protested Anna.
that's not what I'm making this
fight for. / know what public opinion
>is. It's tickle: it cries 'Hosannah! on
Palm Sunday; it cries Cruelty" on
Good Friday. l know the sway OF
the press can make or unmake a man.
Just now it's making Robert and
breaking Mr.. Temple, but after the
clamor will come doubt. want the
proof Of Roberts innocence in my
own hands. l don't want any senti
mental vindication for the father OF
my boys"
The father of her boys! Yes. it had
come to be just that. Unconsciously
she had said it. To keep herself to
her duty she had fallen back on that
last reserve of q woman's strength.
her mother love.
And how hungry she was growing
for them, these boys Of hers! "Oh. !
need them," she exclaimed In sud
den outburst-'.I need them! Do you
know. without them even my prayers
have come to be stricken and palsied
things. Without them the great scheme
Of the universe seems to have got gro
tesquely mixed, irrationally jumbled.
With child in her arms woman
feels always less like speck Of sand
under the eye of the Infinite. the In
comprehensive. It's the unbreakable
link Of the Human Son binding us to
the feet Of God. suppose" Anna
leaned forward over her machine and
buried her head in her arms.
A light was dawning upon Mrs. Ma
soma light which she dreaded. She
came over and stroked the buried
head.
"what beautiful hair you have.
child!' she said cautiously. not know
ing what else to say.
"Uh-huhr' murmured the young wo-
man whimsically. Its pleasant to
feel soft and SMOOTH isn't it, yet Of
fering a slight resistance to stroking?
It's modern. independent hair"
This mood would never do. The
prim New Englander saw it. II say.
Anna, what you need is to have lit
tie visit with your children. Mr.. Tenn
pie will excuse you for day. 1 know.
You can run out to see them. and"-
"Oh. but can't can't, you see."
cried Anna In an extremity Of desire
and duty. "a day? Why, just in
that very day the evidence I'm seek
ing might come-a letter, a telegram.
. telephone message. Look here,
Mrs. Mason!" Opening a drawer of
her desk, she took out a handkerchief.
One corner Of it was tied in a hard
knot over many tiny scraps of paper.
GAS Mr.. Temple was leaving the
room just before you came in he tore
up this letter and threw 1t in the waste
basket, you understand? You ask me
often Why am 80 white In the morn
ings wien I come down to breakfast.
Well it's because I haven't slept It's
because I've been passing the night
trying to piece together just such
scraps as these. Always-always with
no result.
Nothing works against him. Every.
thing little bit Of evidence
works for him. A little side light on
his splendid fighting qualities here;
another on some unknown patrician
act Of kindness to some fellow being
there. Oh, it's horrible, horrible! AS
I say, the whole Of life seems to have
got mixed jumbled. Yet must go
on hoping against hope for the chill
dren's sake"
"Dearie, I know what I'll do. I'll
run out myself tomorrow and see
them and fetch you back direct word.
Would you like it,"
For reply, In an abandon Of CRATE
fulness, Anna drew the elder woman
down to her and kissed her again and
again.
That afternoon. taaing q stroll IN the
garden, Annals heart felt lighter, and
her dimples stirred incipiently, remem-
bering Mrs. Mason's promise.
Tomorrow" she said softly, stop
ping for a second before rosebusf
H. -