The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-09

was the superintendent. He got out
OF Virginia with his pile, didn't lose
1t like the others. He had an easy
three million when he came down here
and bought the Bristed house on Pine
street. And Jacks the best of his
children. Maggie, who married the
English baronet, was a nice sort Of
girl, but she's never come back, and
Terry's smart enough, but not the
kind you can bank on. Jacks a good,
straight boy. Cornelia couldn't do bet
ter"
That's what think" said the moth
er. who. however. looked grave and
worried. "Cornelia's thirty. It's time
for her to settle, and she'll make a
good wife. They'll live here, too.
ThereTl be no kicking up of their
heads and going of to Europe or New
York and thinking themselves too
good to come back to California, like
Maggie Duffy and her baronet l want
them here. / want to see some grand
children round this house before / die.
I want to know where Cons money is
going to-"
She sighed, and it was obvious that
| her heart was heavy.
YES" she said, 'ft's a good mar
rage and I'm pleased at It. Jacks a
Roman Catholic but you can't have
everything down here in this world"
The Ryans were Protestants, almost
the only prominent Irish-American
family in San Francisco which be-
longed to that church. Cornelius
Ryan had been a North-country man,
| and went out with the Orangemen
when they paraded. He had been firm
| in his faith and so had his wife, and
with the Hibernian's violent devotion
| to creed they had made public their
antipathy to the Church of Rome and
their hopes that their children would
not make alliances with its members.
"Oh WELL" said Cannon with a
shrug of vague tolerance, "a mans be-
liefs don't matter. With a woman it's
different thing. She brings up the
children and takes her religion hard
! Jack won't interfere with Cornelia
that way"
! Perhaps not" said the mother
There was a slight pause and then
she said with a sigh:
We'll, thank God, one of my chill
dren's going to marry as want
She was gazing into the fire and did
not notice the quick look, sly and
piercing, that her companion shot al
her. The conversation had suddenly
without any effort of his, fallen upon
the subject to which he had intended
directing 1t.
YES" he said, looking away from
her, you've had one disappointment
| That's enough"
Disappointment" she echoed in a
loud voice. disappointment? I've
lost my son; lost him as if he was
dead-worse than II he was dead, fol
then I'd know he was happy and safe
somewhere"
1t was a cry of pain, Rachel mourn
ing for her child. The note of feeling
in it checked the remark on Cannon's
lips. He understood what her suffer
ing was and respected it.
why, Bill Cannon" she went on
turning the perturbed fierceness of heI
see my boy? What ties do you
think he has with his home? He came
up here after he'd got back from Ante
lope. but before that I'd only seen him
once in six weeks"
That's pretty hard" he commented
his elbow on the arm Of the chair, his
chin sunk in the cup Of his up-curled
hand. That's pretty tough. I didn't
know 1t was as bad as that"
Nobody knows anything about him
He won't let them. He won't let me
He's proud, and trying to hide it all
That's the reason he comes up here sc
seldom. He knows I can see into him
see through him, clear through him
and he don't want me to see how mis-
cradle he Isl
Obi" said the old man, moving
slightly and raising his eyes to look a
her. The intersection was full Of sig
nificance, pregnant with understand
ing, appreciation and enlightenment
He was surprised himself. He ha(
thought, and had understood from
Dominick, that no one, especially NJ
one of his own people. know Of the
young mans domestic infelicities
Neither of them was shrewd enough tt
realize that the mother would guess
would know by instinct.
! And what do you suppose he came
up for that once?" pursued Mrs. Ryan
You could guess a lot Of times bu
you'd never strike it. He came III
here the night of my ball to ask m.
to give him an invitation for his wife!
She stared at her visitor with he,
face set in a stony hardness, hard
ness reminiscent of that which haC
marked 1t when Dominick had asked
for the invitation. Cannon saw it anG
checked the remark that rose to hi!
lips. He was going to say: "Wh.
didn't you give 1t to him." and b.
saw that it was too light a commen
for what had been a tragic occasion
All he did was to utter grunt tina
might have meant anything and wa
consequently safe.
That's what his marriage has dom
for him. and that's the state that WON
an has ground him down to. She't
worked on him till she'd got him Il
come up here and ask for 1t a few
minutes before the people began t
arrive! That's what she made hin
dol"
And you wouldn't give it?" he in
quired mildly, inwardly surprised, a
he had been often before, at the ran
cor displayed by women in their quar-
i rels
Give it?" she exclaimed, well,