The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-03-25

gone and married some Cneap show
girl or miserable foreigner or heaven
knows"
Freddy! You are beside yourself.
Your father would not marry a cheap
show girl. You know that And you
must not forget that your mother was
foreigner"
His eyes fell. I'm sorry said
that" he exclaimed, hoarsely.
Lydia, leaning rather heavily
against the door, spoke to him in q
low, cautious voice.
did you tell Mr.. Dawes and Mr..
Riggs"
He stopped short. mo! And they
waited up to see II they could be Of
any assistance to him in an hour Of
peril! What a joke! Poor old beg
gars! I've never felt sorry for them
before. but, on my soul, do now,
What will she do to the poor old
chaps? / shudder to think of 1t. And
she'll make short work of everything
else she doesn't like around here, too.
Your mother, Lydia-why, God help
US, you know what will just have to
happen in her case. It's"
Don't speak so loudly, dear-please,
please! She is asleep. OF course,
we've shan't stay on, Freddy. Well
have to go as soon as"
His eyes filled with tears. He seized
her in his arms and held her close
IT'S a beastly, beastly shame, darling
Oh, Lord, what fool man can make
of himself"
you must not say such things" she
murmured, stroking his cheek Will
cold, trembling fingers.
But why couldn't he have done the
fine, sensible thing, Lydia? Why
couldn't he have-have fallen in love
with-with your mother? Why moi
have married her if he had to marry
someone in"
Freddy" she cried, putting hel
hand over his mouth.
She kissed him swiftly. Her cheel
lay for a second against his own ant
then, with a stifled goodnight, sh'
broke away from him. An instan
later she was gone; her door wal
closed.
The next morning he came dowl
earlier than was his custom. Hi
night had been a troubled one. Fol-
getting his own woeS-or belittlini
them-he had thought only OF wha
this news from the sea would meal
to the dear woman he loved so well
No one was in the library, but hug
fire was blazing. A blizzard was rag
ing out-of-doors Once upon a time
when he first came to the house,
piano had stood in the drawing-rooH
His Joy at that time knew no bounds
he loved music. For his years he wa
no mean musician. But one evenint
his father, coming in Unexpectedly
heard the player at the instrument
For a moment he stood transtixed i
the doorway watching the eager, a
most inspired face of the lad, an
then, pale as a ghost, stole away will
out disturbing him. Strange to say
Frederic was playing dreamy walt
of Ziehrer's, waltz that his mothe
had played when the honeymoon wa
in the full. The following day tn
piano was taken away by storag
company. The boy never knew VIII
1t was removed.
He picked up the morning pape
His eyes traversed the front page raj
idly. There we're reports of fearfl
weather at sea. The Lusitania wa
reported seven hundred miles out an
in the heart of the hurricane. Sh
would be day late.
He looked up from the paper. Mr.
Desmond was coming toward him,
queer little smile on her lips. Sh
was a tall, fair woman, an Englis
type, and still extremely handsom
Hers was an honest beauty that hs
no fear of age.
"She is a stanch ship, Frederic" 81
said, without any other form of gree
/ ing. "She will be late but-there
really nothing to worry about"
: "Im not worrying" he said co
} fusedly. Lydia has told you the
the news"
Yes"
j. Rather staggering, isn't it?" he sa
, with a wry smile In spite Of himse
} he watched her face with curious
tentness.
a Rather" she said briefly.
K 81 suppose you don't approve Of Il
D way +"
r 81 know just how you feel, pO
e boy. Don't try to explain. know
"You always understand" he sal
!. lowering his eyes.
mot always" she said quietly.
p? well, it's going to play hob wi
}. everything" he said, tanning
hands deep into his pockets. F
s shoulders seemed to hlnch forwa
t and to contract.
"I am especially sorry :or Mr.. Daw
4 and Mr.. Riggs" she said. Her vol
}. was steady and full of eArnestness.
n do they know?"
o "They we're up and about at dt
u break, poor souls. Do you kno
" Freddy, they were starting off in Il
Il blizzard when l met them in the hall
). 1.-THE deuce! II hope it wasn't
l. account of anything may have 81
l to them last night" he cried, il Sel
d inc contrition.
r She smiled. mo. They had tn
% own theory about the message. 7
y storm strengthened 1t. They We
It positive that your father was in gr'
n peril. They were determined to ch
1t ter vessel of some sort and start
s. in all this blizzard to search the {
m POr Mr. BROOD oh aren't fhoV W.