Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-31


"Why, child, what Is the matter?"
the mother asked. The face she saw
was not tear-stained; 1t was as cold
and passionless as that by which sculp-
tors represent their interpretations Of
Justice.
Natter" Fortune spoke, In tone
that did not reassure the other. "In
the first place have only one real
question to ask. 1t depends upon how
you answer 1t. Am really your
daughter?"
Really my daughter?" Mrs. Ched-
soye stepped back, genuinely aston
ished. Really my daughter? The
child is mad!" as If addressing an i'm
aginary third person. what makes
you ask such silly question:" She
was in a hurry to change her dress,
but the new attitude OF this child OF
hers warranted some patience.
"That is no answer" said Fortune,
with the unmoved elaboration of a
prosecuting attorney.
Certainly you are my daughter"
Good. II you had denied 1t,
should have held my peace; but since
you admit that 1 am of your flesh and
blood, I am going to force you to rec
ognize that in such capacity l have
some rights. / did not ask to como
into this world; but insomuch as am
here, I propose to become an indi-
,vidual, not thing to be given bread
and butter upon sufferance. l have
been talking with Horace. I met him
i'm the ba.aars this morning. He said
some things which you must answer"
Horace? And what has he said,
pray tell7" Her expression was flip.
pant, but certain inQuietude pene-
:trated her heart and accelerated its
beating. What had the loVe-lorn fool
said to the child?
"He said that he was not a good
man, and that you tolerated him be
cause ne ran errands for you. What
kind Of errands?"
/; Mrs. Chcdsoye did not know wheth'
ier to laugh or take the child by the
shoulders and shake her soundly. He
was laughing when he said that. Ell
.rands? One would scarcely call 1t
that"
"Why did you renew the ecquaint
ance with Mr.. Jones, when you knew
that you never intended paying back
that loan?"
Here was question, Mrs Chedsoys
realized, from the look Of the child
that would not bear evasion
What makes you think I never In
tended to repay him?"
Fortune laughed. 1t did not sound
grateful in the mothers ears.
Mother, this is crisis; it can not
be met by counter-questions nor by
flippancy. You know that you did
not intend to pay him. What l de
mand to know is, why you spoke tc
him again, so affably, why you seemed
so eager to enter into his good graces
once more. Answer that"
" Her mother pondered. For once she
was really at loss The unexpected.
ness of this phase caught her OH her
balance. She saw one thing wildly,
Sregretfully: she had missed valuable
point in the game by not adjusting
her play to the growth of the child
who had, with the phenomenal sud
denness which still battles the psy'
biologists, stepped out Of girlhooC
into womanhood, all in day. What
fool she had been not to have left
the child at Mentone!
II am waiting" said Fortune "There
are more questions; but want this
one answered first"
"This is pure insolence!"
"Insolence of a kind, yes"
"And refuse to answer. I have
some authority still"
mot so much, mother, as you had
yesterday. You refuse to explain"
Absolutely"
Then l 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 u lilo LNO' Soh JSu IA
derstand9 ! am no longer a, child,
am woman. do not ask. I demand"
She drew the older woman toward her,
eye to eye. "You palter, you always
palter; palter and evade. You do not
know what frankness and truth are.
lis 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.
I have always distrusted you, but !
never knew why"
Mrs. Chedsoye tugged, but ineffectu-
ally. "Let gol"
"Not 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
disappearance Of which knew moth
ing except that one day you vanished
and uaon another you came back? Did
you think that l was q fool, that /
had no time to wonder over these
,b;p4s3 Won have never tried to