The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-01-11
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| lie oder woman stood in the door
as If to bar entrance. bleak wind
swept across the barren New England
| farm
| II don't know YOU" she returned
Il didn't know" the young woman
| began, and there was catch In her
rich, low voice--'I didn't know 1t
| would be so-hard. When left home
when | ran away"
THAT was II years ago." broke in
| the older. when your father-when
my husband died five years ago your
name was not upon his lips"
He was hard man. defended the
ether. When he knew | had talent.
when he knew my mind was set upon
the stage he might have yielded. He
brought your life into bitterness anL-
I'm afra'd--he has ruined mine"
He was your father" replied the
ether woman, inexorably land you had
your way
She led the way into the seldom
used parlor, then sat stiifly upright
on haircloth chair. folding her worn
hands into her aprox The actress
swept rustling to the black sofa
you make it hard for me, mother"
she said But ! have come back to
ask for another chance. 1t isn't too late
yet for me to be your daughter again
we can love away the memory of
what has passed"
Not too late?" cried the mother.
Not TOO late for the great Made
moselle Jeanne to find broken old
woman on an impoverished farm some
where and proclaim her as her mother?
What would the grand friends of Made
moiselle Jeanne think Of But
won't argue it with you"
"As If | would care what they
thought cried the actress proudly.
Il want you, mother, as | never did
before-I need you-"
You spoke of your life being ruin
ed" said her mother, rs it--a MANI"
81 lows him." she said simply.
60 on"
"Oh, it has made such a change in
me! 1t has touched my heartless am
bilious life with magic wand and
turned it into tenderness and misery
mother
rs there something-have you come
here to tell me there Is some reason
why you should not marry hm?"
IN ha
are thinking Of am worthy to be
his wife
The older woman gazed steadily for
moment. Il believe YOU
1T isn't that. But once, after knew
his greatness, | heard him speak Of
his dislike for brilliant woman we
both knew. He disliked her because
she had disowned her mother He
wrote my great play, and in 1t be
heaped his scorn upon child who
was uEgrateful to her poor, toil-scar-
red parents. Nightly | had to play
that part, had to suffer horribly in
silence, for | knew then | loved him.
But | thought he did not know
of my part and was careful MOTTO
et--him-learn-ab
In a way | tried to justify myself.
God knows | tried to hold your love.
sent money
"As If we could have accepted it,"
you sent it back | was proud. My
work swallowed me up and | drifted
away My love for him has made me
see it all over again, oh, so clearly. And
then one might've had eaten together
i humbled my pride and told him Of
my love. Mother, | was frightened;
am getting old; | knew this was the
only love that would ever come into
my life.
Il told him, and he replied that he
knew about you. Then | abased my
pride and pleaded with him. He caught
me in his arms and kissed me-then
he put me away.
He said he had grown to love me
in spite of himself, but that he would
never marry woman such as l."
The hardness came back into the
older woman's eyes.
so" she said, you have come here
to make a dicker?" The actress threw
herself forward and hid her face upon
her mothers knees.
Don't you see, mother" she cried,
that | haven't come for that? That
now even if he asked it, couldn't be
his wife unless ] were your little girl
fgan?' Her shoulders shook with sob
bling.
he mother bent forward over the
bright head. her lips quivered curl
ously.
Mary" And the word cracked with
its weight of love