River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-10-16

pIII9g iNfA Il
"Me and you and Doc is going across
the ocean,"
asst me about it this morning, and |
told him all right and you could come
with us if you was good. He said
couldn't l go without you if you was
busy and couldn't come and | told him
you would put things down and come
If | said so. Won't you. Molly? 1t
won't be no fun without you and you'd
cry all by yourself with me gone" His
little face was all drawn up with anxi-
ETY. and sympathy at my lonely estate
with him out of it. and a cry rose up
from my heart with kind of primi-
tive savagery at what | felt was COM
ing down upon me.
Without waiting to take him with
me or think or do anything but feel
deadly. savage anger, / hurried across
the garden and into Dr. Moore's office,
where he was just laying off his gloves
and dust coat.
"What do you mean. John Moore, by
daring-daring to think you can go and
take Billy away from me?' l demand
ed. looking at him with what must
have been such fear and madness in
NV face that he was startled as he
came close to the table against which
l leaned. His face had grown white
and quiet at my attack, and he waited
to answer for a long, horrible minute
that pulled me apart like one of those
inquisition machines they used to tor
ture women with when they didn't
know any better modern way to do it.
II didn't know Bill would tell you so
soon, Mrs Molly" he said at last gent
ly looking past me out of the window
into the garden. Il was coming over
just as soon as | got back from this
call to talk with you about it, even
if it did seem to intrude Bills and my
affairs into a day that-that ought to
be all yours to be-be happy in. But
Bill, you see, is no respecter of-of 9th
er peoples happy days if he wants
them in his"
"Billy's happy days are mine. and
mine are his and he has the heart not
to leave me out even If you would
have himr' | exclaimed, q sob gather
ing in my heart at the thought that my
little lover hadn't even taken in sit
uation that would separate him from
me across an ocean.
"Bill is too young to understand
when he isis being bereaved, Molly"
he said, and still he didn't look at me.
81 have been appointed a delegate to
represent the State Medical association
at the centennial congress in London
the middle of next month, and some
how | feel a bit pulled lately, and
/ thought | would take the little chap
and have-have q 'wanderjahr.' You
won't need him now, Mrs. Peaches,
and | couldn't G. without him, could
II" The sadness in his voice would
have killed me If / hadn't let it mad
den me instead.
won't need Billy any more?" l ex-
claimed, with a rage that made my
voice literally scorch past my lips.
"Was there ever a minute in his life
that | haven't needed Billy? How dare
you say such thing to me? You are
cruel, cruel, and have always known
it-cold and cruel like all other men
who don't care how they wiring the life
blood out of women's hearts and are
willing to use their children to do it
with. Even the law doesn't help us
poor helpless creatures, and you can
take our children and go with them to
the ends of the earth and leave us sur
fering. 1 have gone on and believed
that you were not like what the wo-
men say all men are and that you
cared whether you hurt people or not,
but now l see that you are just the
same, and you'll take my baby away
if you want to, and l can do nothing
to prevent it-nothing in the wide
world. l am completely and absolute
~ helpless. You coward, you'll"
When that awful word, the worst
word that woman can use to man,
left my lips fame shot up into his
eyes that thought would burn me up.
but in a half second it was eXtingu1sh-
ed by the strangest thing in the world
for the situation-a perfect flood or
mirth. He sat down in his chair ana
shook all over, with his head in his
hands. until l saw tears creep through
his fingers. | had Gained down so
suddenly that l was about to begin TO
cry in good earnest when he wiped his
eyes and said, with a low laugh In his
throat:
1.-THE case is yours, Molly, settled out
of court, and the possession nine
points of the law clause works in
some cases for a woman against
man. Generally speaking anyway, the
pup belongs to the man who can whis-
tie him down, and you can whistle Bill
from me any day. I'm just his father.
and what | think or want doesn't mat
ter. You had better take him and
keep him."
II intend TO-" | answered haughtily.
uncertain as to whether | had better
give In and be agreeable or stay pre-
pared to cry in case there was further
argument. But suddenly a strange diff
fdence came into his eyes, and he look
ed away from me as he said in queer.
hesitating words:
/ "You see, Mrs. Molly, thought from
now on your life wouldn't have exact
Iy a place for Bill. Have you consid-
cred that you have trained him to de-
mand you ell the time and all Of you?
How would you manage Bill-and-
and other claims|
i Continued next week.