Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-11-01

serious. I'll go into the sitting-room
and wait for you. When you've nm
ished your coffee, come In"
She rose from her chair and walked
to the door. He noticed that she was
unusually unsmiling and 1t occurred
to him that she had been so all
through dinner.
What is it, honey" he said, extend
ing his hand toward her, short on
your allowance"
"Oh, no, It's just-just something.
she said, lifting the portiere. come
when you're ready, III be there"
She walked up the hall 10 the sit
tiug-room and there sat down In low
chair before the chimney-piece. The
chill Of the fog had penetrated the
house and a fire had been kindled In
the CRATE On it's quivering fluctuation
Of fame she fixed her eyes. With her
hands pressed between her knees she
sat immovable, thinking OF what she
was going TO say, and so nervous that
the blood sang in her ears and the
palms of her hands, clasped tight to-
gether, were damp. She had never IN
her life shrunk so before an allotted
task 1t sickened her and she was de-
termined to do it, to thresh 1t out TO
the end. When she heard her fathers
step in the passage her heart began
to beat like a wOman's waiting for her
lover. She Strengthened herself and
/
of her lungs to try to give herself
| breath wherewith to speak.
The old man flung himself iRo an
armchair at one side of the fireplace,
| jerked a small table to his elbow,
reached creakingly for an ash tray
and. having made himself comfortable,
took his cigar from his mouth and
said
We'll, let's hear about this serious
matter that's making you look like a
tragedy queen"
1T Is serious" she said slowly. TITS
something that you won't like to hear
| about"
Hit me with it," he said. wonder
ing a little what it could be. Genes
gone and a child could eat out OF my
hand now"
Looking into the fire, Rose said:
81 was out walking this afternoon
and down in the Union Street plaza
woman stopped me. I'd never seer
her before. She was Mrs. Dominica
Ryan"
| The old mans face became study
A certain whimsical tenderness tina
was generally in it when he spoke t
his daughter vanished as II by magic
1t was as if light had gone out. H
continued to look at her with some
J thing of Darkness in his countenancf
as II, for the first moment OF shoch
every faculty was held In suspense
waiting for the next words. He he'll
his cigar, nipped between a pair G
stumpy fingers, out away from NH
over the arm of the chair.
Well" he said quietly, "and wha
. had she to say to you,?"
| THE most disagreeable things
think any one ever said to me In m
life. II they're true, they're just to
| Qr6aQ1ul- she bloppcu, uoihhe AA0A
the final disclosure.
t Suppose you tell me what the
r were?" he said with the same almoi
] hushed Quietness.
y she said that you and Mrs. Rya
5 were offering her money! good de-
D of money, three hundred thousand dc
+ lars was the amount, think-to leaN
4 her husband so that he could get
8 divorce from her. and then" 81
swallowed as II to swallow down tn
+ last unbearable indignity-"and the
d be free to marry me-"
s So Berry had told all. II deep, u
d spoken curses could have killed he
she would have died that moment.
t lis 1t true?" Rose asked.
l. well, yes" said the old man in
u perfectly natural tone Of dubious CO
sideration, its fairly accurate stat
. ment."
r, "Oh, rapa," cried his daughts