The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-03-11

my mother, let's tank about yours. Do
you know what she was? Say, do your
DO you know what she did? She was
a a woman. She was a woman Ike
well, you know what French Fanny
is down In Fourth street, don't you?
She keeps a. house OF III fame. Nobody
speaks to her, do they? Amt every
girl In town warned against being the
kind OF woman she is7 Well, Aunt
Mary was like French Fanny. She was
a prostitute. She
Eric was upon him like a wildcat,
punimelling, scratching and kicking.
The attack was so sudden that the
older boy fell back before 1t, shouting
in mingled rage and dismay. The
smaller boy, blinded by fury, struck
wildly n without much effect, bu
Chetwynd would have fled from his at
tack IL 1t had been possible. The trellis
barred the way to escape. He was
compelled to stand and defend. For
tune favored him in an unexpected
manner. Eric stumbled and fell to his
knees. Before he could recover, the
larger boy was upon him, bearing him
to the ground.
Despite his most valiant efforts, Eric
could not throw him off. He was forced
TO endure a vicious pummelling. His
nose, his lips and an ear were soon
bleeding. Tears Of rage and chagrin
ran down his cheeks. He was power
less, but his cousin was relentless.
Between blows. Chetwynd ground out
the bitterest taunts he could invent.
There was nothing too vile for him to
apply to the father and mother Of his
helpless victim.
That's what she was!" he kept on
repeating. And that's what our sis
ter will be, too. She'll go to the devil,
Just as Aunt Mary did. Shut your
mouth, blame you! There! ThatTl
shut IT, I guess. And you'll be as dirty
body says so. They're just waiting to
see when 1t crops out. I've heard 'em
say so. They pray for you. Did you
know that? They pray for you and
Mary. The have Mr.. Pressure pray for
you, too. He does it every Sunday.
But you'll both go to the gutter. Pray
ers won't help, you car bet on that.
back some day and Mary's going to be
a-Ouch! Oh, you will, win you?
Take that, and that! I guess father
ought to know. He's your mothers
brother. II he hasn't q good word for
her, I'd like to know who has. But
what does he say about her? Mother
tells me all about 1t. She don't lie. She
tells the truth"
He would have gone on until ex-
hausted, perhaps, had not Intervention
occurred to release the painting, beaten
boy. Little Mary had been attracted
by sounds of the conflict. A glance had
shown here the situation. She
screaming to the house, alarming her
aunt. Mrs. Blagden lost no time In
going TO the rescue OF her son!
She separated them n dragged Eric
to his feet, shaking him violently by
the collar. Then she led him by the ear
to the house harranguing him every
step of the way. while Chetwynd fol-
lowed close behind bawling out trium-
phantly that Eric had called her q liar,
and a thief. n a bad woman.
The victim was thrust unceremont-
ously into q dark closet, without being
allowed to utter a word in his own de-
tense.
your uncle shall attend to you when
he comes home from the bank. young
man." said Aunt Rena as she locked
the door. Then she went downstairs
and made the exa~sperating mistake Of
asking Chetwynd how badly the little
ruff1an had injured him. Her son fiung
himself from the room, much to her
dismay. II she had been listening
closely she might have heard herself
alluded to as a "darned old fool" by her
precious offspring.
For three bleak, unhappy hours the
small boy who is to become the hero
OF this narrative remained in the dark
ened w~indowless closet, from which
there was no escape. He chafed for a
long time under the rank injustice that
put him there. His little heart was full
OF the bitterest hatred for these unfair
inquisitors; his soul writhed In an ag-
ony Of shame and humiliation. out OF
which sprung the ever recurring hope
that he might die, there in his prison,
II only to make his aunt feel that she
had been the cause Of his death. He
was not old enough to be a philosopher;
he could not see beyond the present in
dignity. There was no hope ahead, SO
far as he could see. His whole life
seemed cramped and squeezed into this
narrow cruel hour or two OF despair.
He was crushed, but there was q dog
ged fury in his soul that would not be
conquered. Chetwynd had reviled his
mother. He could not get owe that,
He could not at once grasp the full
force Of the charges brought against
her, but there was no doubt In his mind
that French Fanny was the lowest OF
all Gods creatures. To compare his
dear, pretty mother to that dreadful
woman was the ugliest thought that
could come TO his mind. And yet Chef
wynd had said h was as bad as
French Fanny. And he had said, too,
that little Mary would grow UT to be
the same kind OF woman. The poor
boy threw himself on the floor OF his
cell, and wept bitter tears, sobbing
himself into q slumber from which he
was aroused by the faint sound OF tap