The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-22
CoDyright lgd by the Bo5os- Merrill Co,
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Wall Across the Way.

1t was dark when Rose reached
home. She had walked rapidly, me-
chanically taking familiar turns, crest.
ing the long slope Of the hill at
painting speed, rounding corners where
gushes of light revealed her as dark,
fitting figure hurrying by almost at
a run.
She was as oblivious to her sur.
roundings as Berry, left motionless on
the park bench. Never before in her
life had anything like this touched her.
Such few troubles as she had known
had been those Of a sheltered domes-
tic life-the life of a cherished child
whose dainty self-respect had never
been blurred by coarse breath. Now
had come this horrible revelation. 1t
shook the pretty world she had lived
in like an earthquake. Idols lay
broken in the dust. She had often
seen her father rough and brutal az
he was to Gene, but that was a diff
ferent thing to her fathers buying
that wretched woman's husband, buy
ing him for her. Berny's face rose up
on the darkness with its pitiful assump-
ton of jaunty bravado, its mean
shrewishness under the coating Of
powder and rouge.
How could they do it," the girl
painted to herself. How could they
ever do such a thing?"
She did not suspect Dominick. She
could not have believed he was party
to such an action unless he had told
l.. AL. 1t II,
ried on the thought that this was the
woman he had bound himself to for
the rest of his life mingled with
the other more poignantly-hateful
thoughts, with a last sickening sense
of wretchedness. The sudden, aghast
consciousness of chaos, of an abrupt
demolishing of the pleasant, familiar
some, came to Rose that evening as
she ran home through the fog.
She entered the house noiselessly
and sped up to her room. 1t was time
to dress for dinner, and an old wom-
an-servant who had once been her
nurse was waiting to help her. The
mistress and maid were on terms of
Of the toilet was generally enlivened
by gossip and laughter. Tonight the
girl was singularly silent, responding
with monosyllables and sometimes not
at all to the remarks Of her assistant.
AS the woman drew the fastenings of
the dress together, she could feel that
the body the gown clipped so closely
quivered, like the casing of machinery,
vibrating to powerful conclusions
within.
The silence that continued to hold
her throughout dinner passed unno.
ticed, as Gene was there and enlivened
the passage Of the meal by contrib
uting an almost unbroken stream OF
talk. The night before he had been to
play, the plot of which, and it's de
velopment in four acts, he now related
with fullness of detail which testi
fed to the closeness of his attention
and the accuracy of his memory As
each course was removed from the
table, and the young man could once
more give his undivided attention tc
the matter Of discourse, he leaned
back in his chair and took up the
dropped thread with a fresh zest anG
some such remarks as:
I'm the beginning Of the next act
the hero comes in with his hat on
and first he says"-and so on.
With each Of these renewals of the
narrative the Bonanza King subsidet
against his chair-back in a limp atti
tude, staring with gloomy fixity at hill
boy, and expelling his breath in a Ions
audible rush Of air, which was some
times a sigh and sometimes ap
preached the proportions Of a groan.
AT the end. Of dinner, when Gene
announced his intention Of leaving al
he was to attend a vaudeville perform
ance, the old man began to show signs
Of reviving animation, going 80 far al
politely to ask his son where he was
going and with whom. His manner
was marked by a warm, hearty encour
agement, as he said:
Get the whole vaudeville program
down by heart, Gene, and you can tell
1t to us tomorrow night. There'll be
about twelve parts to II, and Rose car
|
and we might hire some men with
stringed instruments for an accom-
paniment."
Gene, with innocent good-humor. re
sponded gaily:
All right, father, I'll give 1t my best
attention, and If there's anything es
pecially good, I'll report to you. You
and Rose might like to go some night.
His father, disappointed that his
shaft had made no impression upor
the young mans invulnerable ami
ability, emitted scornful snort, and
made no further response to Genes
CHEEKY Good night"
There" he Said, in tones express
ing his relief, as the portiere dropped
behind his sons departing figure. hes
gone! Now, Rosey, you and l car
have a talk"
Yes" said his daughter, looking al
her coffee-cup, that's what l wanted
want to have long talk with yor
tonight, papa"
Fire away" said the old man. 1--WE
had to listen to that fool for an hour
and it's broken my spirit. You car
say anything you like"
Not here" said his daughter; eli
the sitting-room. I'll go in there ant
wait for you"
why not here? What's the matter
with here? / like it better than the
sitting-room. I'm more comfortable
"No tho SarvantS will want m clea