El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-07-17
= oNsTANCE 8IEDFORD was no I

n At-Ns1 ANIL -fLA4AfA ----- hl-1 Az
saint Sorrow and bereavement
had taught her a certain amount
Of unselfishness and consideration for
other people. These lessons she had
acquired with more ease than would
one of a less sunny temper But at
heart she was proud. Sincere herself
she could not stand any doubt Of her
own sincerity. To her lie was mean
sin. Having lived for years alone with
her father she had learned to despise
deception The girl who, she felt. knew
her intimately, had been her cousin
Edith. When Arthur Medford died his
heart broken daughter HAD thought at
once Of the only relatives whom she
loved. They had thought Of her as
swiftly and had come to her. bearing
her off to their home. She was sure
that Edith had complete faith in her;
that the girl had never grudged any Of
the favors shown her by John Hale and
his wife While she recognized that
Edith's nature was not deep, while she
occasionally felt a passing annoyance
with her facile likes and dislikes, she
had always loved her and had been
confident Of Edith's affection for her
self The younger girl had turned TO
her in perplexities Of all kinds sure
proof Of ones trust in friend
All these things Constance remem-
bered in the hours in which she was
alone through the fair May afternoon.
Her aunt came TO her room and asked
her II she would care to go for an
automobile drive with her, but Con-
stance pleaded a headache as an ex-
cuse for declining the invitation
1T is kind Of you TO ask me, aunt"
she said wistfully.
I'm sorry you can't go. dear child"
T-= Tn1 "a n
look pale and sick. Lie down now
dear, and let me darken your room"
It was easier TO yield than to resist,
Constance thought, and lay down
obediently while her aunt closed the
shutters and threw light cover over
her. When, after kissing. her again,
she had gone out Constance lay still
until she heard the automobile drive
away. Then she sat up in the dark
ened room. her hands cIasping her
throbbing head, and tried 10 think out
the situation And the thoughts Of
youth" that are Tong, long thoughts
drove her nearly wild.
Her Thoughts
Certain facts stood out clearly before
her One was that Ralph Morton
hated her and was trying TO 1nJure
her, but this in itself troubled her
little. That he had succeeded in max
ing Edith. her pet and best girl
friend, believe his scurrilOus lies, ate
into her very soul That John Hale
might question her terrified her. Not
that she was afraid Of herself but
she simply could not tell him Of the
cruel things his daughter, his only
and darling child. had said to a lonely
girl a beneficiary OF his bounty That
was what hurt-the hopelessness OF
ever clearing up the situation Here
she was, Constance Aedford. making
her home in the house Of a man whose
daughter believed her TO be a vile
schemer, who even tainted her with
the fact that she was a dependent
upon that man
As she pondered the situation she
reached the only decision possible.
She could not continue TO live here,
since she could not let her uncle know
what Ralph had said. For II she did,
he would denOunce Ralph and thus
Edith would be made wretched. But
where should she go2 She could
support herself in a way by teaching
music, but as her pupils were all in
Homewood. what would she do If she
left this place? It would make dis
agreeable comment were she to board
in this town now after having made
her home with her relatives. The only
thing for her 10 do would be to board
in New York and commute daily TO
HomewOod- She would explain this
to her uncle