The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-23
The Cynical Miss Catherwaight.

was something distasteful to her,
something that seemed not altogether
unbjamable, in a woman g having two
men quarrel about her, neither Of whom
was the woman g husband. And yet
this girl of whom Latimer had spoken
must must be her mother, and she, Of course,
could do no wrong. 1t was very dis
quieting,. and she went on down the
rest of the way with one hand resting
heavily on the railing and with tho
other pressed against her cheeks, She
was greatly troubled. II now seemed
to her very sad indeed that these two
one'time friends should live in the same
city and meet, as they must meet, and
not recognize each other. She argued
that her mother must have been verv
young when it happened, or she would
have brought two such men together
again. Her mother could not have
known, she told herself; she was not 10
blame. For she felt sure that had she
herself known of such an accident she
would have done something, said some
thing, to make it right. And she was
not half the woman her mother had
been, she was sure of that
There was something very likable in
the old gentleman who came forward
10 greet her as she entered the draw
lng-room; something courtly and of
the old school, Of which she was SO
tired of hearing, but of which she
wished she could have seen more in the
men she met. Young Mr.. Latimer had
accompanied his guardian, exactly why
she did not see, but she recognized his
presence slightly. He seemed quite
content to remain in the background.
Mr., Lockwood, as she had expected,
explained that he had called to thank
her for the return Of the medal. He
had 1T In his hand as he spoke, aud
touched it gently with the tips of his
fingers as though caressing it.
II knew your father very well,"
said the lawyer, "and I at one time
had the honor Of being one Of your
mothers younger friends. That was
ago" He stopped and regarded the
derness. "You will pardon an old
man, old enough to be your father, if
be says" he went on, hthat you are
greatly. like your mother, my dear
young lady-greatly like. Your moth
or was very kind to me and I fear /
abused her kindness; abused it by mis-
understanding 1t. There was q great
deal Of Misunderstanding; and was
proud, and my friend was proud, and
so the misunderstanding continued, un-
til now it has become irretrievabIe.
He had forgotten her presence ap-
parently, and was speaking more to
himself than to her as he stood look
ing down at the medal in his hand.
fYou were very thoughtful to give
me this he continued; cit was very
good of you, / don't know why 7
should keep it though. now, although
] was distressed enough when lost it.
But now it is only reminder Of a
time that is past and put away, but
which was very, very dear to me. Per
haps I should tell you that / had
Misunderstanding with the friend who
gave it TO me, and since then we have
never met; have ceased to know ench
other. But I have always followed his
life as Judge and as a lawyer, and
respected him for his own sake as a
how he feels towards me.'
The old lawyer turned the medal
over in his hand and stood looking
down at it wistfully.
The cynical Miss Catherwaight could
not stand it any longer.
"Mr. Lockwood she said, impul.
sively, "Mr. Latimer has told me why
you and your friend separated, aud L
cannot bear to think that it was she
my mother-who should have been the
cause. She could not have understood;
she must have been innocent of any
knowledge Of the trouble she had
brought to men who %ere such friends
of hers and TO each other. 1t seems
to me as though my finding that coin
is more than coincidence. I some
how think that the daughter is to help
undo the harm that her mother has
caused. Keep the
medal and don't give it back to me, for
1 am sure your friend has kept his,
and r am sure he is still your friend
at heart. Don't think ! am speaking
hastily or that / am thoughtless in
what I am saying, but it seems to me
as if friends true friends-were
SO few that one cannot let them go
a word to bring them back.
But though I am only girl, and very
light and unfeeling girl, some people
think, T feel this very much, and do
wish I could bring your old friend