Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-05-07

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
a foreigner"
His eyes fell. I'm sorry l said
that" he exclaimed. hoarsely.
Lydia, leaning rather heavily
against the door. spoke to him in .
low. cautious voice.
Did you tell Mr.. Dawes and Mr..
Riggs?"
He stopped short. NO! 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. I 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. or course,
we've shan't stay on, Freddy, Wen
have to go as soon as"
His eyes filed with tears. He seized
her in his arms and held her close.
It's a beastly. beastly shame, darling.
Oh. Lord, what a fool a man can make
OF himself"
You must not say such things" she
murmured, stroking his cheek with
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 noe
have married her II he had to marry
someone in"
Freddy she cried, putting her
hand over his mouth.
She kissed him swiftly. Her cheek
lay for a second against his own and
then. with a stifled goodnight. she
broke away from him. An instant
later she was gone; her door was
closed.
The next morning he came down
earlier than was his custom. His
night had been a troubled one. For
getting his W woes-or belittllng
them-he had thought only of what
this news from the sea would mean
to the dear woman he loved 30 well.
No one was In the library, but a huge
fire was blazing, A blizzard was rag
ing outof-doors. Once upon a time,
when he first came to the house, q
piano had stood In the ~drawing-room.
His Joy at that time knew no bounds;
he loved music. For his years he was
no mean musician. But m evening
his father, coming In Unexpectedly,
! heard the player at the instrument.
For a moment he stood transfxed In
the doorway watching the eager, al
most inspired face OF the lad. and
then, pale as a ghost, stole away with
out disturbing him. Strange to say,
Frederic was playing a dreamy waits
OF Ziehrer's. q waltz that his mother
had played when the honeymoon was
In the full. The following day the
piano was taken away by a storage
company. The boy never knew why
II was removed.
|. He picked up the morning paper.
His eyes traversed the front page rap
Idly. There were reports OF fearful
weather at sea. The Lusltania was
reported seven hundred miles out and
In the heart OF the hurricane. She
would be a day late.
He looked up from the paper. Mrs.
Desmond was coming toward him, q
queer little smile on her lips. She
was a tall, fair woman, an English
type, and still extremely handsome.
o Hers was an honest beauty that had
8 no fear Of age.
"She Is a stanch ship, Frederic" she
said, without any other form OF greet
ing. she will be late but-there's
really nothing to worry about"
4 I'm not worrying" he said con
fusedly. Lydia has told you the
the news?"
Yes"
A. Rather staggering, isn't IT." he said
Q with a wry smile. In spite OF himself
o he watched her face with curious In.
t%entness.
a Rather" she said briefly.
X 81 suppose you don't approve OF the
way L"
" Il know just how you feel, poor
le boy. Don't try to explain. know"
you always understand" ne said,
d. lowering his eyes.
mot always" she said quietly.
We'll, It's going to play hob with
e. everything" he said, tanning his
hands deep into his pockets. His
Is shoulders seemed to bunch forward
1t and to contract.
Il am especially sorry for Mr.. Dawes
II and Mr.. Riggs" she said. Her voice
o. was steady and full Of earnestness.
do they know"
10 "They we're up and about at day
u break, poor souls. Do you know
}" Freddy, they we're starting of in this
blizzard when I met them in the hall!'
8. "The deuce! II hope 1t wasn't or
D. account OF anything | may have said
| to them last night" he cried, In genu
Id inc contrition.
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