Middletown transcript., 1911-05-27

Of energetic mothers with un'
married daughters:
There had been Russian and
Italian counts, an English elder
son and an Austrian barons to
say nothing of other hopes OF
less distinction and therefore
greater promise.
All, all were blasted-for two
reasons, grim and inexora0le:
first, because her unAagging en-.
ergy and conscientious pursuit Of
her duty q an American mother
were breed by the sine
uua nor al unassailable bank
accounts and second, because
Bertha the daughter to whose
interests she was an anxious'eyed
martyr, was undeniably PLAIN
But Mrs. Rodney-Jackson was
a rafa avis Of the never-say die
species.
No one would have dreamed
That beneath that imposing
iarge-nosed, gray, marcelled
hx+or;or was a spirit which
Hinched at the thought of the
failure of those three years
of exile-years which had strain
ed her moderate income to its
Utmost capacity. Greatly to her
maternal credit be it said that
her daughter Berth only dimly
realized about half Of the truth
Bertha Of the plain face, the
faultless gowns, the gentle and
retiring disposition.
She had had a good time, a rip
ping time, abroad, and all the
while, un noW to her mother,
had each nigh before retiring
done Economically faithful hom'
age to the photographed linea'
ments of penniless young art
student left behind in Cincinnati,
Ohio.
With her trained eye, Mrs
Rodney jackson swept the line
of passengers assembled at the
ships railing. AS usual. a sup
erlatively feminine lot! She re
tired to her cabin in disgust, bu
at luncheon time began to take
heart again.
Her left hand neighbor, Wit
listlessly supplied her with salt
mustard, and. salad, seemed
possible sort of chap-wholl!
unattached, at least so far as on'
could Judge at first sight, ant
evidently bored to extinction
She at once, trained her batteFie
upon him in an impersonal, elder
ly chaperon fashion.
AS she referred to"my daugh
ter,1 Ramsey Scoville, glancini
indifferently at the girl, foun'
her harmless and ratherp pleasing
Then he relapsed so far as pos
sible into his own thoughts.
Shortly afterward he excuse
himself and retired to the uppe
deck, where he paced back an
forth for an uninterrupted houl
trying to decide if he ought
curse his impulsiveness for bein
where be was, or rejoice that hi
heart convalescence had begun
since he felt he could once MOI
bear to exist on the same cont
nent with Alicia.
No woman, even the one he ha
made the mistake of marrying
should spoil his life !
When Alice ScovilIe had bee
prostrated by a bad attack of by
terics and divorce fever. Ramse
equally devoid of a sense of hur
or, had Indignantly and sulki
retired into his shell Of aggrie
ed husband and put up no d
fense. Not even his intimat
had dared condole with him
offer him congratulations, eth
during Alicia's six months exil
or when word Of his freedc
reached him from the far We
ern town where she had secur
her divorce.
Immediately after the deere
he had departed for an aimle
soiourn on the other side, a
his accustomed haunts knew b
no more. It had not been a p'
ticulary pleasant two years
had spent inunaccompanied a
cheerless jogging about, enioyi
his own misery, so at least
had recklessly boarded a hon
ward bound steamer.
Had he been fool or sag
Was his malady cured, or mer'
lulled to quiescence?
Engrossed as he was in
own thoughts, he naturally (
not dream that his presence
J. u