The Benson signal., 1915-10-23

had an automobile and often took
Molly out driving. Her stepmOther,
who hated John with a cold, implaca-
BILE hatred, seemed to approve of this
friendly interest on Sayles' part, as
did her stepsister.
Mamma" said the little girl one
afternoon, lis Mr.. Sayles going to be-
my new papa?'
Molly, startled at the childish query,
turned upon the little girl sharply.
What nonsense!" she exclaimed.
why do you ask me such thing?"
Because" answered the child, 81
heard stepmother talking with the
ladies at the tea yesterday about your
divorce"
my what?" cried Molly
isn't that the right word, mamma?
They said you were going to get di-
vorce and that Mr. Sayles was going
to be my new papa. And l won't have
him." she continued, stamping her lit
tie foot Il want my old papa"
Molly looked at her aghast But be-
fore she had time to collect her wits
Ml. OhyI O1ONC up LII AAo duLOAuOOIAO
and the two went out along the streets
and into the country.
Sayles turned and saw that Molly
was crying into her handkerchief.
''Why, Mrs. GARRETT" he exclaimed.
What is the matter?"
That was too much for Molly. She
felt that she had always been neglect
ed and misunderstood. She told him
the child's remarks. Sayles listened,
and, when she had ended, he put his
arm about her and drew her head
down upon his shoulder.
'T guess the child had about the
hang of it, didn't she, Molly?" he
asked
"You mean" ..
''Why, dear, everybody knows that
John Garrett isn't worthy to blacken
your shoes You've had a miserable
life since you married him, and-and
I've always loved you Molly. Now let
me tell you something. I have
chance to open a branch of the firm
out West 1t isn't as good as some
thing else have my eye on, but can
wait six months while you're getting
the legal preliminaries settled Come
out with me, and you can get the di-
vorce afterward.''
He took her in his arms, and Molly
frankly abandoned herself to this new
love that had come into her heart,
She was to tell her family that John
had sent for her to Kansas City. They
would never know. Then she was to
slip off to New York and meet Sayles
there. There was only week of wait
ing before he could wind up his af-
fairs. But on the fifth day Doris de.
veloped a feverish cold, on the sixth
she was down with pneumonia, and on
the seventh she was apparently dying.
Il want my papa!" moaned the little
girl as she fought for breath.
Molly telegraphed for John. Sayles
was a constant visitor at the house.
When Doris illness developed into
pneumonia he seemed like a man dis
tracted. He could not bear the thought
of postponement. He came into the
sickroom and stood looking at Doris,
who was delirious.
molly, is this-going to keep us
apart?" he asked.
"Oh, I can't leave her now," Molly
answered.
'But why not?" the man persisted.
You can do no good and you are only
wearing yourself out Your stepmoth-
er will take care of the child, and after
she is well she can come on to us"
Molly looked duly at him. Her heart
was torn between love of the child,
newly awakened in her, and Sayles.
She did not think at all of the man
who just then came into the sickroom
John.
He sat down at the bedside and took
Doris hand in his. The child knew
him, she smiled at him. Presently she
was fast asleep. For hours John Gar
rett sat at her side, holding the hot
little hand in his, and never stirred.
His presence seemed to infuse new
atmosphere into the room.
Sayles had gone long ago. Molly
sat upon the other side of the bed
The presence of John always awak.
ened in her heart sentiments that she
was incapable of analyzing. Dimly
she felt that John was a good man, in
spite of his vulgarity, in spite Of his
noisiness. She was thinking now as
she had never thought before.
She saw herself again, with the
tyrannous stepmother who had taken
the place of her own mother, now only
a dim figure in the mists of her child
hood. She saw how the two women
had always tyrannized over her, how
she had been a plant tool in their
supple hands. She remembered her
courtship, how John had taken her
away, their honeymoon together, the
long years before her stepmother had
forgiven her. Would John have acted
as Sayles had done? Molly felt in
| stinctiya1v that she could NOT ninturn