The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-10-10

"Humphi First time I ever knew
you to be stumped by $50, Elnora."
said Sinton, patting her hand.
"It's the first time you ever knew me
10 want money" answered Elnora.
This Is different from anything that
ever happened to me. oh, how can
get II. Uncle wesleyT
Drive TO town with me In the morn
ing and Ill draw Il from the bank for
you. | owe you every cent OF H."
"You know you don't owe me a pen
ny, and wouldn't touch one from you
unless really could earn II. For any
thing that's past owe you and Aunt
Margaret for all the home life and love
I've ever known. I know how you
work. and I'll not take your money"
"Just loan. Elnora; just loan for
a little while until you can earn II.
You can be proud with all the rest OF
the world, but there's no secrets bc-
tween us. Is there. ElnoraT
"No," said Elnora, there are none.
You and Aunt Margaret have given me
all the love there has been In my life.
That IL the one reason above all others
why you shall not give me charity.
won't touch your money, but Ill win
some way. First I'm going home and
try mother It's just possible | could
find secondhand books, and perhaps
all the tuition need not be paid at once.
Maybe they would accept II quarterly.
But. oh. Uncle Wesley, you and Aunt
Margaret keep on loving me. I'm 80
lonely, and no one else cares"
Wesley Sinton's jaws met with
click. lie swallowed hard on bitter
words and changed the thing he would
have said three times before It became
articulate.
"Elnora," he said at last, III II hadn't
been for one thing I'd have tried 10
take legal steps to make you ours when
you were three years old. Maggie said
then II wasn't any use. but I've always
held on. You see. was the first man
there, honey. and there are things, you
see, that you can't ever make anybody
else understand. She loved him, FL.
nora. She Just made an idol of him.
There was that oozy green hole. with
the thick scum broke and two or three
big bubbles slowly rising that were the
breath Of his body. There she was In
spasms Of agony and beside her the
great heavy log she'd tried to throw
him. | can't ever forgive her for turn.
ing against you and spelling your child
hood as she has. but | couldn't forgive
anybody else for abusing her. Maggie
has got no mercy on her. but Maggie
didn't see what did. and I've never
tried to make II very clear to her. You
be a patient girl and wait a little long
er. After all. she's your mother, and
you're all she's got but a memory, and
II might do her good to let her know
that she was fooled in that"
at would kill herr" cried the girl
swiftly. Uncle Wesley, II would kill
her. What do you meanT'
Nothing" said Wesley Sinton sooth-
ingly. Nothing. honey. That was
Just one OF them fool things a man
says when he Is trying his best 20 be
wise. You see she loved him nightly.
and they'd been married only year.
and what she was loving was what she
thought he was. She hadn't really got
acquainted with the man yet. II Il
had been even one more year she could
have borne II and you'd have got jus
tice. Having been n teacher. she was
better educated and smarter than the
rest OF us, and so she was more sensi-
tive like. She can't understand she
was loving n dream. So say Il might
do her good II somebody that knew
could tell her, but I swear TO gracious
never could. I've heard her out at
the edge OF that quagmire calling in
them wild spells Of hers or and on for
the last sixteen years and implorlng
the swamp TO give him back to her.
and I've got out Of bed when l was
pretty tired and come down 10 see she
didn't go In herself or harm you. What
she feels Is too deep for me. I've got
to respectin' her grief. and can't get
over II. Go home and tell your ma.
honey. and ask her nice and kind TO
help you II she won't. then you got
to swallow that little lump Of pride In
your neck and come to Aunt Maggie.
like you been a-comlng all your life"
'I'll ask mother. but can't take
your money, Uncle Wesley. indeed I
can't. I'll wait a year and earn some
and enter next year."
There's one thing you don't consid.
or, Elnora." said the man earnestly.
"And that's what you are to Maggie.
She's a little like your una. She hasn't
given up 10 It, and she's struggling on
brave, but when we buried our second
little girl the light went out OF Mag
gie's eyes. and it's not come back. The
only time I ever see a hint Of II 10
when she thinks she's done something
that makes you happy, Elnora. Now.
you go easy about refusing her any
thing she wants to do for you"
"Uncle Wesley, you are a dear" said
Elnora-"just a dearl II l can't pos
sibly get that money any way else on
earth I'll come and borrow II of you,
and then I'll pay II back II dig ferns
from the swamp and sell them from
door TO door In the city. I'll even
plant them, so that they will be sure