Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1913-08-01

girl. 6ur she's never come back. and
Terry's smart enough. but not the
kind you can bank on. Jacks good.
straight boy. Cornelin couldn't do bet
ter"
That's what think" said the moth
er. who. however. looked grave and
worried. "Cornelia's thirty. It's time
for her to settle. and she'll make
good wife. They'll live here. too.
There'n be no kicking up OF their
heads and going off to Europe or New
York and thinking themselves too
good to come back to California, like
Maggie Duffy and her baronet. want
them here. / want to see some grand
children round this house before die.
l want to know where Cons money 1s
going to-"
She sighed, and 1t was obvious that
her heart was heavy.
YES" she said. Its good mar
riage and I'm pleased at 1t. Jacks
Roman Catholic but you can't have
everything down here in this world"
The Ryans were Professionals, almost
the only prominent Irish-American
family in San Francisco which be-
longed to that church. Cornelius
Ryan had been North-country man.
and went out with the Orangemen
when they paraded. He had been firm
in his faith and so had his wife. and
with the Hibernian's violent devotion
to creed they had made public their
antipathy to the Church of Rome and
their hopes that their children would
not make alliances with its members.
"Oh WELL" said Cannon with a
shrug Of vague tolerance. "a mans be-
liefs don't matter. With woman It's
different thing. She brings up the
children and takes her religion hard.
Jack won't interfere with Cornelia
that way"
Perhaps not" said the mother
There was a slight pause and then
she said with sigh:
well. thank God. one of my chill
dren's going to marry as I want"
She was gazing into the fire and did
not notice the quick look. sly and
piercing, that her companion shot at
her. The conversation had suddenly,
without any effort of his. fallen upon
the subject to which he had intended
directing it.
YES" he said, looking away frodh
her, you've had one disappointment
That's enough"
disappointment" she echoed in
loud voice. Disappointment? I've
lost my son; lost him as II he was
dead-worse than If he was dead. for
then I'd know he was happy and safe
somewhere"
It was cry of pain. Rachel mourn
ing for her child. The note Of feeling
in 1t checked the remark on Cannon's
lips. He understood what her suffer
ing was and respected 1t. $50
why, Bill Cannon" she went on.
turning the perturbed fierceness Of her
face on him, how often do you think
see my boy? What ties do you
think he has with his home? He came
up here after he'd got back from Ante
lope. but before that I'd only seen him
once in six weeks"
That's pretty hard" he commented,
his elbow on the arm Of the chair, his
chin sunk in the cup of his up-curled
hand. That's pretty tough. didn't
know 1t was as bad as that"
Nobody knows anything about him.
He won't let them. He won't let me.
He's proud. and trying to hide It all.
That's the reason he comes up here so
seldom. He knows can see into him.
see through him. clear through him.
and he don't want me to see how mis-
cradle he is
Obi" said the old man. moving
slightly and raising hts eyes to look at
her. The interjection was full of sig
nificance, pregnant with understand
Ing, appreciation and enlightenment.
He was surprised himself He had
thought, and had understood from
Dominick, that no one, especially no
one of his own people, know of the
young mans domestic infelicities.
Neither of them was shrewd enough TO
realize that the mother would guess,
would know by instinct.
And what do you suppose he came
up for that once?" pursued Mrs. Ryan,
You could guess a lot of times but
you'd never strike 1t. He came up
here the night of my ball to ask me
to give him an invitation for his wife!"
She stared at her visitor with her
face set in a stony hardness. hard
ness reminiscent of that which had
marked 1t when Dominick had asked
for the invitation. Cannon saw 1t and
checked the remark that rose to his
lips. He was going to say: why
didn't you give It to him." and he
saw that It was too light p comment
for what had been tragic occasion.
All he did was to utter a grunt that
might have meant anything and was
consequently safe.
That's what his marriage has done
for him. and that's the state that wom-
an has ground him down to. Shed
worked on him till she'd got him to