El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-16
Their Strength
- AUL MERAN said to Annette:
A short storv


you what he says. I love you Annette
and you may trust me-"
Standing at the window Annettee
saw him crossing the street with the
firm step of an energetic and de-
termined man. He was tall and broad
shouIdered while she was little and
fraiI as she sat down near the fireplace
she felt that she loved him even more
because of his strength Annette had
no doWry and she knew that NJ. Meran
expected his son to marry a girl with
money. The son of a peasant, he had
kept some Of the ataviSm of the races
too long oppressed, who have too long
bent their shoulders under the blows
of the mighty. When therefore he
had reached a position where he mad
others under him he used his authority
like a vengeance and the power OF
money had become his religion. He
was feared for his violent temper and
as Annette knew that he was de-
termined to get a rich daughterinlaW
she was awaiting the coming Of the
morrow with anxiety.
The bell rang. She ran out herself
to open the door and turned little
pale when she found herself face 10
face with Nine. Meran-
When they were alone in the room
Nine Meran was the first TO speak;
4 know my sons feelings for YOU
my child. I also know that you are
more than worthy of his love and L
should have liked nothing better than
to have seen you as his wife But
what can we do when my husband is
against it. Paul is quite crushed"
Annette buried her face in her hands
and the tears ran out between her
slender fingers
Then my heart. my love. my cour-
age counts for nothing, because / have
no money. Because / am a poor GIL
NJ. Meran parts Paul. and me. 1t IS
unjust, terribly UNJUST"
And Nine. Meran repeated:
Yes it is unjust" and because she
found nothing else 10 say. she caressed
Annette's hair with her hand and was
silent.
Il know that it is hard to make a
living" Annette went on. and l know
that Paul is not earning much money
now, but 1 did not mind that. he would
have got on better later 1 would have
shared his days. and bad ones with
the good, and later on We should feel
We were so much closer. because we
had gone through the struggle 90
gether. I would have been good
helpmate to him. 1 am not selfish
Nine Meran-"
4 know that. my child and I would
have learned to love you like a
mother. Don't cry dear, you will be
happy. You deserve it YOu can get
a better husband than my Paul would
have been to you Perhaps if you
come when you would have regretted
it
Never, for I love him. and no mat
ter what sOrrOws and trials might
tied me closer TO him, when we
thought Of the confidence with which
we began our life Oh madam Mer-
an. it is cruel to part us
7 feel so sorry for you my dear
child You speak just as I thought
80 years ago"
And when he thinks of that don't
YOU think NJ Meran viii give in?'
Give ini'
Nine. Meran spoke these words as
If she did not believe her own ears
She looked at Annette and her eyes
filled with tears
DO you think, dear" she said sadly.
that M husband ever remem berS
those days? Do you think he even
thinks of them for a single moment
OF course I married him because I
loved him and I loved him because
being timid and frail myself. I needed
to share his life and his burdens. Did
1 ever share them2 / was little. I
told you. and I loved him. Very
soon he got into the habit Of SAYING
Il want this" and Il want that" and
after while I was only a shadow Of
myself while he seemed to grow bigger
and I trembled at him. Ny husband.
He very quickly forgot that I had a
feelings for granted. as something
that was his by right. Yesterday he
said no" and Paul meekly gave IN.
as everybody else does to him
Paul Paul. who is SO firm and so
stern, and OF whom I have always
been just a little bit afraid though I
loved him"
Paul. firm2 Why he is meek, timid.
He has always been weak, and without
any Will Of his own I have known
that ever since he lay in his cradle"
He was firm and sometimes even
little dOmineering towards me and
I feared he would make a dreadful
scene and part from you in anger"
He did nothing of the kind And.
besides, what could he have done2 He
is absolutely dependent on his father"
Annette wrung her hands.
And I who thought him so brave
and strong Didn't he say anything,
didn't he put up a fight for me"
He could not. dear"
They We're both silent for a while.
Then Nine Meran said as if to her
Once. so years ago. my husband
had made a scene and treated me very
unjustly. He had left me sitting 1T
home quite crushed and scared at his
temper In the evening he came back
from the office. all upset with face
which I hardly recognized. He had
been unjustly called down by one of
his superiOrS. I thought he had made
q
I asked; And what did you say2
Nothing; he is stronger than I. isn't
he2" he replied Oh Annette that Jay
I knew what kind of courage he pos
sessed. and I also knew what a poor
companion I had been TO him 1 had
always submitted and because I was
weaker he had taken his revenge on
me, when he had been abused by one
stronger than himself When he
tyranized US il was because he knew
he had nothing to fear from US. And
Paul who loves YOU Annette would
have tyranized YOU. though he has no
courage himself
Annette listened no longer, a ter
rible feeling filled her heart, the feel
ing that she had come near giving
all that was best in her to man VINO
would not have understood to appre-
ciate it and who would have loved her
so little as TO make her either a
slave or a rebel
Old Nine Meran continued talking
of her youth. He did not even pro-
tect me. me who did not even dare
open my heart to him in my darkest
hours"
Annette listened no more. She cried
softly and murmurmed- Il had cour-
age. 7 was not afraid of life, / had
courage"
Nine Meran finished her though.
saying: They think they are brave.
because we. who love them. obey
them. They imagine they are strong.
though in reality they are the weak