New Britain herald., 1916-03-20
How Dicky's Mother ApOlogized to Madge and Then Made Matters
 Worse.

laws anxious query greeted me as soon as I opened the door of the | women's rest room in the Aquarium, where she was sitting 1 "Yes, 1 saw him go through the 1 ferry entrance and the boat is just ] leaving" I did not think it necessary
 tJ tell her that Harry Underwood, the
 men whose unexpected presence had 1 so annoyed her, had spoken to me
 again, or that he had warned me
 against telling her that he was 1 Lillian Gales husband. l When she had ina gincd that Harry l Underwood was a friend of mine and l had enraged me by her insulting
 words concerning the ridiculous scene
 10 which he had subjected us, I had l told her that he and his wife, Lillian 1 Gale, were Dickys friends. not mine. l She had found some hidden signifi-
 canoe in my words that had brought
 on one of her heart attacks. While
 I was ministering to her I heard her murmur:
 "Lillian Gale, Lillian Gale. How 1 blind I've been!'
 I realized that any further refer
 once to Harry Underwood would cN-
 cite her seriously. and I was glad
 that she accepted my statement that he had departed without further
 questioning.
 ''How do you feel nowo" I asked l Der with real anxiety, for her attack,
 mild though it had been, had terrified 1 me in it's likeness to the seizures to which my own mother had been
 subject.
 ''Much better. thank you" she re- 1 piled. Then in tone I had never 1 heard from her lips before: ''Come 1 here, my child"
 l I could hardly credit my own ears. 1 Surely, those gentle words, that soft 1 tone could not belong to my hus- hands mother. who, in the short time She had been an inmate of our home, bad lost no opportunity to show her dislike for mo, and her resentment that her son had married me. But I obcyed her and came to her side. She put up her hand and took mine and I saw her proud old face work with emotion.
 \ Strange Apology. "T was unjust to you a few mo- ments ago. Margaret" she said, "and want to beg your pardon.' If she had not been old. in feeble health and my husbands mother. I should have considered tho words Scant reparation for the contemptuous phrases with which she had scourged 1nN spirit q foW moments before.
 'Margarct. am I to understand that this man is typical of Nour associates and friends " she said. If so, I am indeed sOrriCr than ever that my son was ever inveigled into marrying you"
 'InVeisled into marrying you!" I t;o not think I shall ever forget those words. They are graven on my brain in letters of fire. The time may come when I shall sincerely like my mother-in-la but the bitter memory of that scathng phrase will always ne mine.
 But I was sane enough to know that the simple T beg your pardon" from the lips of the elder Mrs. Graham was equivalent to a whole torrent of apologies from any ordi- nary person. I knew my mother-in- laws type of mind. To admit she was wrong. to ask any one s forgive ness was to her a most bitter thing.
 So I put aside from me every other feeling but consideration of the proud old woman holding my hand, and said gently:
 1T can assure you I cherish no re- sentiment Let us not speak of it again..
 "I am afraid We shall have to speak of it, at least of the incident which jed be to say the things to you I did" she returned. saw with amazement that she was trying to conquer an emotion, the reason for which I felt certain had something to do with her discovery that the Under woods were Dicky's friends. "Takc My Advice. l q have a. duty to you to perform she went on, "a very palntul duty, which involves the reNiVin2 of an old controversy with my son. beg that you will not try to find out anything ! concerning it's nature. It is far better that you do not"
 Almost the same words which Harry Underwood had uScd' 'There is no need that you ever should knoW," he had said. "Tt is a matter that doesn't concern you in
 the least. Take my advice, and don't ever try to find out
 I felt smOthered, as if l were being
 &Wathed in folds upon folds of black cloth. What could this mystery be,
 this secret in the past friendship of 1 my husband and Lillian Gale, the 1 woman whom he had introduced to
 me as his best friend, and into whose
 companionship and that of her hus- 1 band, Harry Underwood, he had 1 thrown me as much as possible. | A hot anger rose within me. What right had any one to deny me know 1 ledge of such a secret, or to discOur-
 age me in any attempt to find out it's
 nature? I resolved to lose no time in
 probing the unworthy thing to it's
 depths. for from the emotion of my l husbands mother and the agitation | displayed by Harry Underwood, I 1 could not but argue that the mystery l had sonnet hing uueStiOna ble about it.