Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-20

who had, with that phenomenal sud.
|denness which still baffles the psyche
logists, stepped out of girlhood into
womanhood, all In day. What fool
she had been not to have left the child
at Mentone!
II am waiting" said Fortune. There
are more questions; but want this one
answered first" H
"This is pure insolence!"
"Insolence OF kind, yes
"And refuse to answer, have
some authority STILL"
"Not so much, mother, as, you had
yesterday. You refuse to EXPLAIN"
Absolutely"
Then I shall Judge you without
mercy" Fortune rose, her eyes blaz.
ing passionately. She caught her
mother by the wrist, and she was the
stronger OF the two. Cant you under.
stand? I am no longer child, | am
q woman. do not ask, demand"
She drew the older woman toward her,
eye to eye. You palter, you always
palter; palter and evade. You do not
know what frankness and truth are. Is
this continual evasion calculated to
still my distrust? Yes, distrust you,
you, my mother. You have made the
mistake Of leaving me alone too much.
have always distrusted you, but
never knew why"
Mrs. Chedsoye tugged, but ineffect-
ually. Let go!"
Not till have done. Out OF the
patchwork, squares have been formed.
What of the men who used to come to
the villa and play cards with Uncle
George, the men who went away and
never came back? What Of your long
disappearance of which knew moth.
ing except, that one day you vanished
and upon another you came back? Did
you think that was fool, that ! had
no time to wonder over these things?
You have never tried to make friend
OF me: you have always done your best
to antagonize me. Did you hate my
father SO much that, when his death
put him out Of range. you had to con-
centrate It upon me? MY father!"
Fortune roughly flung aside the arm.
''Who knows about him, who he was,
what he was, what he looked like? As
a child, used to ask you, but never
would you speak. All l know about
f him nurse told me- This much has
always burned in my mind: you mar
ried him for wealth that he did not
have. What do you mean by this sim
pie young man across the CORRIDOR
Mrs. Chedsoye was pale, and the
artistic touch Of rogue upon her
cheeks did not disguise the pallor. The
true evidence lay In the Wilderness Of
her nose. Never in her varied life had
she felt more helpless, more impotent.
To be wild with rage, and yet to be
powerless! That alertness of mind,
that mental buoyancy, which had al
ways given her the power to return a
volIey in kind, had deserted her. More
over, she was distinctly alarmed. This
little fool, with turn of her hand,
might send tottering into ruins the
skillful planning of months.
Are you in love with him. aim
ling to gain time to regather her scat
tered thoughts. @
"Love?" bitterly II am in fine
mood to love any one My question,
my question vehemently;; my ques-
ton.
II refuse absolutely to answer your"
Anger was first to reorganize its
forces; and Mrs. Chedsoye felt the
heat of 1t run through her veins But.
oddly enough, it was anger directed
less toward the child than toward her
own palpable folly and oversight,
"Then I shall leave you. will 60
out into the world and earn my own
bread and butter. All, "a little broken.
lily, "if YOU had but given me little
kindness, you do not know how loyal
should have been to you! But no:
am and always have been the child
that wasn't wanted"
The despair in the gesture that fol-
lowed these words stirred the mothers
calloused heart. moved 1t strangely,
mysteriously my child" she said
impulsively, -olding out her hands.
"No" Fortune drew back. '1t is
too late"
"Have it SO. But you speak of going
out into the world to earn your bread
and butter. What do you know about
the world? What could you do? You
have never done anything but read ro-
mantle novels and moon about in the
hower-garden. Foolish chit! Harm
Mr.. Jones? Why? For what purpose?
I have no more interest In him than II
he were one OF those mummies over in
the museum. And I certainly meant
to repay him should have done so
IL you hadn't taken the task upon your
own broad shoulders. am In hurry
am going out to Mena House to tea
i We let Celeste of for the day; 80
please unlock my waist and do not
bother your head about Mr.. jones'"
She turned her back upon her daughter
quite confident that she had for the
time suppressed the incipient rebel
lion. She heard Fortune crossing the
room. what are you doing?"- petu-
lantly.
II am I cling for the hall-maid."
And Fortune resumed her chair, pick
ed up her Baedeker, and became ap-
parently absorbed over the map Of
Assuan.
Again wrath mounted to the mothers
head. She could combat anger, tears,
protestations; but this Indifference
studied and unflial, left her weapon.
less; and she was too wise to unbridle
her tongue. much as she longed to do
so. She was beaten. Not an agree
able sensation to one who counted only