The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-03-28

her neck ana some diamond orna-
ments in her acknowledgement gray
hair.
"There!" said Cornelia. Now
they're all even." and she wheeled
slowly, her glance slipping along the
yelled lights Of the sconces. In its
circuit it encountered Dominick's fig
ure in the doorway.
"Dominick!" she cried, and stood
staring. naively astonished and dis
mayed.
Mrs. Ryan turned with start, her
face suffused with color. The one
word seemed to have an electrifying
effect upon her, joyous, perturbing-
unquestionably exciting.
My boy!" she said, and she rustled
across the room with her hands out.
Dominick walked toward her. He
was grave, pale, and looked thor
oughly miserable. He had his cane
in one hand, his hat in the other. AS
he approached her he moved the hat
to his left hand and took hsrs
You've come" she said fondly. 81
knew you would. That's my boy. I
knew you'd come when your mother
asked you"
yes, I've come" he said slowly,
and looking down as If desiring to
avoid her eyes. Eyes, I've come.
but"
His mothers glance fell from his
face to his figure and saw under the
loose fronts of his overcoat that he
wore his business suit. Her counte4
nance instantly, with almost electric
suddenness, stiffened into aItagonism
Her eye lost it's love, and hardened
into stony look of defiant indigna-
ton. She pulled her hand from his
| and jerked back the front of his coat
with it.
What's this mean?" she said sharp
ly. why aren't you dressed? The
people will be here in minute. You
can't come this way"
81 was going home to Dress" he
said, Il am not sure yet that can
come"
"Why?" she demanded
II came to ask you for an invita-:
ton for Berry,"
"Hah!" said his mother, expelling
her breath in an angry ejaculation OF
confirmed suspicion. That's it. is
| it? I thought as muchi"
Mammal" said the girl who had
been standing by, uneasily listening.
| Mamma dear"
Keep quiet, Cornie," said her
mother, you're not in this"-turning
to Dominick. And so your wife sent
you up here to beg for an invitation
She's got you under her thumb to
that extent? Well, go back to her
and tell her that she can send you
forty times and you'll not get it-not
while this is my house. When I'm
dead you can do what you like"
She turned away from him, her face
dark with stirred blood, her body
quivering. Anger was not the only
passion that shook her. Deeper than
this went outraged pride, love turned
to gall, impotent fury that the woman
her son had married had power over
him SO to reduce his pride and hum.
| BILE his manhood-her only son, the
| Joy and glory of her old age, her Ben,
jamin.
He looked after her, uncertain
frowning, desperate.
Its not right" he protested. TITS
not fair. You're unjust to her and
| to me-"
The old woman moved across the
room to the corner where she had
been standing when he entered. She
did not turn, and he continued:
You're asking people to this ball
that you hardly know. Everybody in
San Francisco's going. What harm
has Berry done that you should leave
her out this way?"
81 don't want women with that kind
of record in my house. l don't ask
| decent people here to meet that sort, .
said his mother over her shoulder.
Are you ever going to forget the
past, mother?"
She wheeled round toward him al
most shouting:
"No-no-no! Never! Never! Make
your mind up to that"
They looked at each other across
the open space, the angry defiance
in their faces not hiding the love and
appeal that spoke in their eyes.
ooh, mother!" he exclaimed, half.
turning away with movement Of de-
spair
His mother looked at him from I'M
der her lowered brows. her under lip
thrust out, her face unrelenting.
Come here whenever you like" she
said, "as often as you want. It's your
home, Dominick, mine and yours
But it's not your wife's. Understand
that"
She turned away and again moved
slowly toward the corner, her rich
skirts trailing fanwise over the par
quet. He stood, sick at heart, look,
ing at the tip of his cane as it rested
on the floor.
"Dominick," said his sisters voice
beside him, go; that's the only thing
to do. You see it's no USE" She made
a backward jerk of her head toward