Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-09-06
are more questions; but I want this
one answered first"

are more questions: but I want this
one answered first"
This Is pure insolencel"
"Insolence Of a kind, yea"
And | refuse to answer. have
some authority still"
Not so much. mother, as you had
yesterday. You refuse to explainr
Absolutely"
Then | shall Judge you without
mercy" Fortune rose. her eyes blaz-
ing passiontely. She caught her moth
er by the wrist, and she was the
stronger Of the two. Cant you un.
derstand? | am no longer child, I
am woman. ! do not ask, demand!"
She drew the older woman toward her,
eye to eve. "You palter, you always
palter; palter and evade. You do not
know what frankness and truth are.
Is the continual evasion calculated to
still my distrust! Yes, distrust you,
you, my mother. You have made the
mistake Of leaving me alone too much.
l have always distrusted you, but
never knew why"
Mrs. Chedsoye tugged, but lneifectu.
ally. Let go!"
mot 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
disappearances Of which l knew moth
ing except that one day you vanished
and upon another you came back? Did
you think that was a fool, that
had no time to wonder over these
things? You have never tried ia
make q friend of me; you have al
ways 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 concentrate It upon me
My father!r Fortune roughly fiunl
aside the arm. Who knows about
him, who he was, what he was, what
he looked like? As a child, used tC
ask you, but never would you speak
All / know about him nurse told me
This much has always burned m!
mind: you married him for wealth
that he did not have. What do you
mean by this simple young man across
the corridor?" -..
Mrs. Chedsoye was pale, and the ar
tistic touch Of rouge upon her cheek
did not disguise the pallor. The tru,
evidence lay In the wilderness Of he
nose. Never in her varied life hat
she felt more helpless, more impotent
To be wild with rage, and yet to b
powerless! That alertness Of mind
that mental buoyancy, which had al
ways given her the power to return
volley in kind, had deserted her
Moreover, she was distinctly alarmed
This little fool, with a turn Of he
hand, might send tottering into ruin
the skillful planning Of months.
Are you in love with him." aiminI
to gain time to regather her scattered
thoughts.
Lover" bitterly. 81 am in a fin,
mood to love any one. My question
my question" vehemently; my ques
TONI
Il refuse absolutely to answer you!
Anger was first to reorganize IL
forces; and Mrs. Chedsoye felt tn
heat Of 1t run through her veins. But
oddly enough, 1t was anger directe,
less toward the child than toward he
own palpable folly and oversight.
Then | shall leave you. l will g
out into the world and earn my owl
bread and butter. All" a little brol
emily, "if you had but given me a littl
kindness, you do not know how loya
l should have been to you! But no
am and always have been the chill
that wasn't wanted"
The despair in the gesture that fol
lowed these words stirred the moth
er's calloused heart, moved 1t strange
ly, mysteriously. my child" sh