The Press., 1911-02-01
AUGUSTUS THOMAS

me. and I heard no more from her for two years, when her own people, the Wilfords, brought her body back 10 America with a four-weeks-old baby, Dora"
 "she had married againy' said El- liott
 Fullerton hesitated, then spoke with evident pain.
 .'The records in France report the mother as Mime. Fullerton. Some scoundrel deceived her into believing she was his wife. I can only think that k.
 q should be very slow to believe" said Vavin, with some show of emo tion, "that the mother of this beau tiful girl was not good woman.
 "She died at Montigny, you sayT" said Vavin after a pause.
 "No; did not say so," said Fuller ton, looking at him in surprise, "but that is fact. She left no statement other than that she wished the child to be brought up by her people. But persuaded them to let me have her"
 "And all of this has what relation to your objection to her going on the stageT
 'sIn the first place, there is the fact that I cannot leave her this money which I have in trust, or even if I could bring myself to die intestate and have it pass to her as my heir her Aunt COrnelia, who has, as you have observed, q great sense of responsibil- ity, would object. My greatest reason is, however, the fact that everybody who knew the mother is startled by Dora's likeness to her. If may speak of her fault, her great fault, 1t was impulsiveness Her marriage to me was an elOpement. Here in Lenox they f1attered her, and she really could sing. I consented reluctantly to her studying i'll Paris, probably another mistake on my part. The memory of this place grew colder over there amid the life and interests of Paris. can see that the books and studies of Cambridge and LenoX lost any interest they ever had for her. T could not blame her when she asked her free dom, but 1t hurt-it hurt. tell you this, monsieur, that you may see what a nature Dora inherits- s-from the fa- ther perfidy, to say the least; from the mother instability, vacillation and impulsiveness. We can't send girl with that equipment into the world of tinsel and temptation. Surely you would not advise itT'
 Vayin was silent for moment, while Fullerton sat down apparently very much moved.
 ssYou say this mother wanted to singT' said the dramatist after a mo ment.
 "Yes."
 "And she went abroad to Paris against your wishesT
 Fullerton nodded.
 q call that perseverance" said Va. win, standing up and pacing the room nervously-"courage. not instability or VaciIlatiOn."- ~
 'It was love of applause" said Full IertOn bitterly.
 'sWhen woman sings that is not more vanity than the brook bubbling over the stones ie vanity. There are some women, ErOfesaVr, born Sparrows, to build at the chimney, some to chirp at the nest and feed wide open mouths of the hungry, and then there is the nightingale that mounts and sings and mounts ever higher and breaks her heart that heaven is still so far. But that is not vanity"
 Fullerton came around the table to him anxiously.
 ''You are not going to advise Dora"-
 q am going to advise her to go," said Vavin.
 "You are assuming grave. respon- sibility, M. .@Vavin," said Judge Elliott.
 "A grave responsibility" was the Frenchman's quiet re1oinder.
 And that night Dora sent Holcomb telegram that cheered his heart.