The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-12-17

II was to bring a crisis in his own af-
tairs. His brow was clear, his eye
sparkling, his serenity undisturbed
II there was thought in his mind
or YVonne he did not betray it by a
single outward manifestation. His in
terest was centered in the two young
people and their immediate future. 1t
would have been easy to believe, as
he stood there chatting gayly, that
there was no one else in all the world
so far as he was concerned. Quite
casually he expressed regret that poor
old Dawes and Riggs we're to be left
behind, but Of Yvonne not so much as
a word.
Lydia was something Of a diploma
fist, She left father and son after a
few minutes, excusing herself on the
ground that she wished to have a good,
long chat with Yvonne. She did not
delay her departure, but hurried into
the house, having rather adroitly pro-
vided Frederic with an opening for
an intercession in behalf of his lovely
stepmother. Her meaning glance was
not wasted on the young man.
He lost no time in following up the
advantage. See here, father, don't
like the idea of leaving Yvonne out in
the cold, so to speak. It's-it's pretty
darned rough, don't yo4 think? Down
in your heart you don't blame her for
what she started out to do, and after
all she's only human. Whatever hap
pened in the past we-well, it's all in
the past. She"
Brood stopped him with an impera-
tive gesture. my son, l will try to
explain something to you. You may
! be able to understand things better
than l. l fell in love with her once
because an influence that was her own
overpowered me- There was some
thing of your mother in her. She ad-
mits that to be true and now believe
it. Well, that neutrality-suspicious. it
was-is gone, 1t can never return.
She is not the same. Yvonne is The
reese. She is not the woman I loved
two months ago. She"
Nor am | the boy you hated two
months ago." argued Frederic isn't
there parallel to be seen there, IA
Their? l am your son. She is your
wife. YOU"
There never was a time when l
really hated you, my son. l tried to
but that is all over. We will not rake
up the ashes. AS for my wife-well, !
have tried to hate her. It is impossible
for me to do so. She is a wonderful
woman. But you must understand on
the other hand that / do not love her
l did when she looked at me with your
mothers eyes and spoke to me with
your mothers lips. But--she is not
the same"
"Give yourself chance, dad"
"a chance? What do you meant"
Just this: You will come to love
her for herself If only you will let go
of yourself. You are trying to be
hard. You"
Again Brood interrupted. His face
had gone very pale and his eyes grew
dark with pain.
"You don't know what you are say.
ing, Frederic. Let us discontinue the
subject"
Il want you to be happy want"
81 shall be happy. am happy Have
/ not found out the truth? Are you
not my beloved son? Are"
"And who convinced you Of all that,
sir? Who is responsible for your pres
ent happiness-and miner?
II know, know" exclaimed the IA
Their in some agitation.
You'll regret it all your life If you
fail her now, dad. Why, hang it all,
you're not an old man. You are less
than fifty. Your heart hasn't dried up
yet. Your blood is still hot. And she is
glorious. Give yourself chance. You
know that she's one woman In mil
lion, and-she's yours! She has made
you happy-she can make you still
happier"
mo, am not old. am far younger
than l was fifteen years ago. That's
what am afraid of--this youth real
ly never possessed till now. If gave
way to it now I'd-well, would be
like putty in her hands. She could
go on laughing at me, trifiing with me,
fooling me to-"
"She wouldn't do that" exclaimed
his son hotly.
II don't blame you for defending
her. It's right that you should. l, too,
defend her in way. You are forget
ting the one important condition, how
ever. She has a point of view of her
own, my son. She can never reconcile
herself to the position you would put
her in if l permitted You to persuade
me that"
81 can tell you one thing, father,
that you ought to know-if you are so
blind that you haven't discovered it
for yourself. She loves you"
My son, you are dealing with
graVer mystery than you can possibly
suspeet-the secret heart of wom-
oop