Evening star., 1914-07-21

Emeline heard him making ready to
go out, and finally saw him go in his best
overcoat with the unmended garment
over his arm Hes headed for Mrs.
Benefits" she thought, and clasped her
hands against her fiuttering breast.
Mrs. Bennett was a widow and for
long time Emeline had felt certain that
her father was interested in the big. rosy,
wheezy woman for whom she herself had
always felt a curious distrust and dis
taste. At Seventy-three Mr. Whipple still
felt himself young enough to marry. In
fact, he considered that he looked ten
years younger than he was and would
have acted accordingly except for Eme-
line He had lived. loved and married
and had vast experience of life. All
Emeline knew was to sit at home Eme-
line was exactly like her mother who
had been a woman of no looks, spirit or
aptitude. Indeed. MIR. Whipplc had often
wondered audibly at his ever marrying
Emelines mother. OF course, there had
been her money. That had come i'll
very handy: What if he had made some
mistakes and lost portion of it? Cor
nelia would not have done so well had
she been left to manage it herself. At
the last she had proved herself to be ut
terly ungrateful by turning over the little
she had left to Emeline-the house and
a sum of money in the bank. He was left
dependent upon his pension. OF course.
he still managed affairs: he had to. for
what did Emeline know save to sit at
home? He often reminded Emeline that
between her books and crochet work she
was likely to lose the little sense she
had.
He always had been disgusted with
Emeline because she had not married. 1t
amused him to keep the fact of her unfit
ness for matrimonial selection continually
before her Marriage was womans nat
ural sphere COrnelia and Emeline were
counterpar:s. He had taken pity upon
Cornelia and welded her There was no.
body to wed E,meline. Had she ever had
a beau in her life or made any effort to
get one? God knew what would become
of her when he was no longer there to
look after her. Frankly. old Mr.. Whipple
doubted his daughters ability to feed
herself unless the food was presented to
her mouth
Emeline had her own ideas on the sub
iect and she kept in her safe. true heart
certain condolences which her harassed.
heartsick mother had made to her She
knew her father to be other than he
thought he had compelled her to know
him. There We're no Illusions concerning
him in Emeline's mind. But she feared
him. and her great fear for him con-
trolled her. Once he had beaten her in
her little Girlhood. and she had never
outlived the awful humiliation and injus-
tice of it, which were so much more bit
ter than any pain her body had suf-
fered. Even now, when he was seventy
three and she forty-one. she feared lest
all else she endured because of him. she
kept secret. People saw in her father a
gay. affable old gentleman. who led his
tlmld, unpopular daughter out on his arm
and apologized constantly for her timidity
and unpopularity by comparing her to
her mother. Emeline never spoke of him
except in terms of the most exact filial
respect. Even when she was teased on
account of her spinsterhood she held her
peace. In her heart she knew that her
mothers married experience had sickened
her of ever wishing to have one for her
self.
Now. as she watched her father going
toward Mrs. BENEFITS Emeline's heart al
most failed. She shrank from a publicity
which his act would give her. To Mrs.
Bennett she would appear an undutiful
daughter and silly. worthless creature
Mrs. Bennett would mend the coat in
triumph. Her father would return home
with it mended and for weeks she would
have no further peace. He would perhaps
not speak to her kindly again in days
The crouch had attacked him. Emeline
knew all the symptoms. Had she not
passed through the same ordeal "a hun
dred times before? She sat down. COW
ering her face with her hands. Her slim.
thin shoulders rose and fell Imply as she
life did not seem worth very much to
Emeline Whipple.
1t did not seem long to her before
the doorbell rang. but in reality it must
nave been more than half an hour. 1t
rang again while she vas on her way to
answer it. She opened the door i'll the
face OF big. snappins-eyed woman with
a thick brown shawl over her head-a
woman whose face was very red and
angry. it was Soduska Bennett
Emeine Whipple. you let me in this
minute. she commanded ,
AS E.meline shrank back, Mrs. Bennett
slipped in. took the door out OF her hand
and closed it. Then. sweeping off her
shawl she faced Emeline's widened gaze
'Emeline Whipple. she said. IF you
were young you. look this minute I'd
take you across my knee and spank you