The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-05-15

are young you are trusting Your les
son viii cost you a great deal. my
dear
You are mistaken I do understand
myself she said graveIy. May
speak plainly. Mr.. Brood?''
Certainly. I intend to speak plain
y to you"
Frederic loves me. He does not
love YvOnne- He is fascinated, as
also am fascinated by her, and you
too, Mr.. Brood. The spell has fallen
| over all Of u.s. Let me go on, please.
You say that Frederic loves like his
father before him. That is true He
| loves but one woman. You love but
one woman, and she is dead. You viii
always love her Frederic is like you.
He loves Yvonne as you doh,
know it hurts She cast her spell over
you, why not over him? Is he stronger
| than you? Is it strange that she
should attract him as she attracted
you? You glory in her beauty. her
| charm, her perfect loneliness. and yet
you lOve-yes love, Mr. Brood-the
woman who was Fredeic's mother. Do
I make my meaning plain? Well. so it
| is that Frederic loves me. I am con-
| tent to wait know he loves me"
Through all this, Brood stared at
/ her in sheer establishment He had no
| feeling Of anger, no resentment. no
| thought Of protest
'You-you astound me, Lydia Is
/ this your own impression or has IL
been suggested to you by-by an
other?"
4 am only agreeing with you when
you say that he loves as his father
| loved before him-but not lightly All.
not lightly, Mr.. Brood"
You don't know what you are say
ing" he muttered-
"Oh. yes, I do she cried earnestly.
You invite my opinion;-I trust you
/ will accept it for what it is worth Be
| fore you utter another word against
Frederic, let me remind you that /
! have known both Of you for a long.
long time. In all the years 1 have
been in this house, have never known
you to grant him a tender. loving
word. My heart has ached for him.
There have been times when I almost
hated you He feels your neglect,
your harshness. your-your cruelty
| He"
Cruelty"
1T is nothing less You do not like
| him. l cannot understand why you
should treat him as you do. He shrinks
frOrl you. Is it right, Mr.. Brood, that
| a son should shrink from his father as
a dog cringes at the voice Of an IN
| kind master? I might be ;-ble to IN
derstand your attitude toward him If
| your unkindness was of recent origin,
! but
Recent origin?" he demanded
quickly.
If it had begun with the advent Of
Mrs. Brood" she explained frankly.
undismayed by his scowl 81 do not
understand all that has gone before. Is
it surprising, Mr. Brood. that your
son finds it difficult to love you? Do
you deserve"
Brood stopped her with a gesture II
/ his hand.
The time has come for frankresa
on my part You set me an example,.
Lydia You have the courage of yoar
/ father. For months I have had it IN
my mind to tell you the truth abogP
Frederic, but my courage has alway >
/ failed me. Perhaps I use the wrong
word. It may be something very En-
like cowardice that has held me back
1 am going to put direct question -
you first OF all, and l ask you TO an
| swer truthfully. Would you say that
Frederic is like-that is, resembles his
father?" He was leaning forward, his
manner intense
Lydia was surprised. What an odd
thing to sayI OF course he resembles
his father. I have never seen q Dor-
trait Of his mother, but"
You mean that he looks like me?-
demanded Brood
when he is angry he is very much
like you, MI Brood. 1 have often won
dered why he is unlike you at other
times. Now 1 know. He is like his
mother She must have been lovely,
gentle, patient"
''WaitI Suppose I were to tell you
that Frederic is not my SON
q should not believe you. MI.
Brood" she replied fatty What is it
that you are trying to say to me?'
will you understand if 1 say to you
that-Freceric is not my SOM"
Her eyes filed with horror How
y
He is your son How can you say"
His father was the man who wrote
the accused waltz he has just been
playingi Could there be anything
more devilish than the conviction il
carries? After all these years. he"
Stop, Mr.. Brood"
81 am sorry If hurt you, Lydia You
have asked me why hate him Need
I say anything more?"
q do not believe all that you have
told me. He is your SON. He is. Mr..
Brood
q would to God 1 could believe
that" he cried, in voice Of agony i
would to God it were true"
You could believe it If you chose to
believe your own eyes, your own
heart" She lowered her voice to q
haIf-whisper. '+DOes-dOes Frederic
know? Does ne know that his mother
oh. can't believe it,"
He does not know"
And you did drive her out Of this