Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-09-27

straight boy. Cornelia couldn't do pct
ter"
That's what | think" said the moth
er. who. however. looked grave and
worried. "Cornelias thirty. It's time
for her to settle. and she'll make a
good wife. They'll live here, TOO.
There1l 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.
| want 10 know where Cons money Is
going to-"
She sighed, and It was obvious that
her heart was heavy.
Yes" she said, ITS a good mar
rage and I'm pleased at II. Jacks
Roman Catholic but you cant have
everything down here in this world
The Ryans were Protestants, almost
the only prominent Irish-American
family in San Francisco which be-
longed to that church. Cornelius
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.
ooh WELL" said Cannon with
/ shrug Of vague tolerance, "a mans be
liefs don't matter With a woman It's
a 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 a sigh:
We'll. thank God, one OF my chill
dren's going to marry as l 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 from
her, you've had one disappointment
That's enough"
Disappointment" she echoed in
loud voice. Disappointment? I've
lost my son; lost him as If he wal
dead-worse than If he was dead, fol
then I'd know he was happy and saf'
somewhere"
II was a cry of pain, Rachel mourn
ing for her child The note of feeling
in It checked the remark on Cannon
lips. He understood what her suffer
ing was and respected it.
why. Bill Cannon" she went on
turning the perturbed fierCeness of ne
, face on him, how often do you thin
, see my boy? What ties do yo'
think he has with his home? He cam
up here after he'd got back from Ante
lope, but before that I'd only seen hin
once in six weeks"
That's pretty hard" he commented
, his elbow on the arm Of the chair, hi
chin sunk in the cup Of his up-curle
! hand. That's pretty tough. | didn
! know It was as bad as that"
| Nobody knows anything about hin
, He won't let them. He won't let mt
, He's proud. and trying to hide it al
4 That's the reason he comes up here S
seldom. He knows ! can see into hin
4 see through him, clear through hin
and he don't want me to see how mi
e cradle he is"
I Obi" said the old man, movin
1 slightly and raising his eyes to look {
her. The interjection was full Of si
nifcance, pregnant with understan,
ing, appreciation and enlightenment
He was surprised himself. He ha
thought, and had understood frol
Dominick. that no one, especially I
one of his own people. know OF II
young mans domestic infelicitie
Neither Of them was shrewd enough
realize that the mother would CUES
4 would know by instinct.
Z And what do you suppose he can
L up for that once?" pursued Mrs. Rya
4 You could guess a lot OF times bl
II | you never SJIlhe IL. Alc came I
Y here the night of my ball to ask n
= to give him an invitation for his wife
= She stared at her visitor with h
face set in stony hardness, a har
ness reminiscent of that which hf
! marked 1t when Domlnick had askC
y for the invitation. Cannon saw 1t al
\ checked the remark that rose to h
y lips. He was going to say: WI
didn't you give it to him." and
saw that II was too light comme
for what had been a tragic occasio
All he did was to utter a grunt tn
might have meant anything and WI
=. consequently safe.
That's what his marriage has dol
for him. and that's the state that VOL
n an has ground him down to. She
% worked on him till she'd got him
come up here and ask for It fe
,e minutes before the people began
d. arrive! That's what she made hi
dol"
AZ And you wouldn't give it," he
q ouired mildly, inwardly surprised,
70 he had been often before, at the ra
y cor displayed by women In their qua
a rels.
or Give it?" she exclaimed. well.
TO guess not. 1t would have been 4
surrender. I'd have thrown up t
r. fight forever If l did that" And tn
as II she had read his thoughts: 81