The Springfield herald., 1913-06-27


~ costumes OF Colonial
"N days were threading
their way along to the music OF bands.
Flags were flying. The clatter OF hoofs
sounded in front of the Stock Ex-
change. Crowds were cheering. The
clicking of motion picture machines
came to us from the ledge nearby, as
the men OF the camera put into short
lived history the sights Of New York's
Fourth of July parade. Miss Clement
was silent, her eyes on the columns Of
figures as they turned, gay colored, in
to chasm-like Wall street could see
that the sight had gripped her. Just
as 1t had gripped me. and that she
was thinking Of other days. when de-
termined little groups Of men in the
same sort of costume. marched up
this same street to the music of fife
and drum. ready to highland fight
until the last drop of blood was gone.
1t was mixture of past and present
the skyscrapers Of today sheltering
years ago.
"A comparison that only New York
could give" remarked and Miss
Clement nodded her head.
An hour later. as we sat on the
screened veranda of the Cafe Boule-
varde. watching the holiday life Of
teeming Second avenue, Miss Clement
was still thoughtful-and still silent
a great deal of the time. became
jocular and she looked at me with that
little smile which always foretells the
coming story.
Its queer the hold that the past
can get on one," she said. mot that
I've been thinking anything about the
days of the revolution. I didn't live
that long ago." was added with q
laugh as the waiter served the cock
tails. But 1 have noticed when you
want to do something with a person.
you can paint the future forever with
out getting results. But paint the past
a few times and you're pretty sure to
get what you want.
at was about eight o'clock one night
three years ago when the buzzer of
my apartment in Chicago announced
someone at the door. A young girl
who gave her name as Miss Charles.
faced me a few moments later-styl-
ishly dressed, pretty, and with every
indication of fair position in life
about her. She hesitated moment.
looking around the room as II to as
sure herself that We were the only
two there. Then she drew her chair
close to me.
"'Miss Clement she said. I have
come to you to find out If you could
do some work for me-. Its
mot without the consent of the
captain l answered. But perhaps
that can be arranged. Is 1t anything
connected with criminals?'
1.-THE woman studied a moment
""That is what l don't know she
answered at last If / only did,
would feel better. The truth is that
my mother. who is fifty years old. is
running our fortune. In three months
she has gotten away with more than
seventy thousand dollars. What has
become Of 1t. cannot say. In fact.
i cannot swear absolutely that she
has parted with the money. All 1
know is, that she has turned stocks
into money and that she has been
drawing from her account at the bank
steadily. have tried to find out what
she has been doing with the money,
but that has been impossible. She
does not live at home with my brother
and myself, but has taken an apart
ment on the North Side. 1 have gone
there and tried to persuade her to al
low me to live with her, but she has
refused. She has also refused to come
home-and there is nothing that can
do.
"'Apd that is the reason L have
come to you.' the young woman con-
tinued. My brother has figured 1t out
that my mother is insane, and that
she should be taken before the pro-
bate court and adjudged SO. You
know what that would mean.' was
continued with heartbroken little
sigh, I Just couldn't stand it. I
thought that maybe II should come
to you, you could find out way to
straighten this, whole thing out. How
i don't know
"'Has your mother anything to wor-
ry her?' l asked. What does your
brother base his belief of insanity on?'
"'Nothing-except that she is evil
IDENTIFY trying to spend all the money
she possesses.
"'None at ALL
"'How many children are there?'
-Four; my brother and myself and
two married sisters, who live In Spo-
kane
mo black sheep in the family?'
mo
"'How long has your father been
dead?'
"The young woman looked at me
quickly.
81 can't tell you that she answer
ed at last, with a bit Of hidden pain
In her voice, I am not sure. We have
never been sure that he is dead
though we are reasonably satisfied.
My father went on an exploring expe-
dition into South America fifteen
years ago. after a series of quarrels
with my mother. Relations had not
been good for some time. He never
came back. Whether he died there
or whether he has merely remained
away, / do not know
81 listened to that explanation in
tensely. And with the explanation.