South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-09

i
in his. looking into my eyes soberly.
He did not have far 70 look, for /
was still sitting on his lap, whittier
he had drawn me when l had made
my confession TO him concerning my
knowledge Of Mr.. GordOns espion-
age.
Il want YOU to feel free to tell me
/ anything you wish, sweetheart" he
said, but l also want you to know
that I'm not asking you TO tell me
lanything."
! His voice held a wistful note I
Wondered If I had inadvertently said
! anything 10 wound him. But l knew
| him we'll enough TO realize that
would never ind out by asking him.
So l went on with what 1 had de-
cided to tell Dicky about my feel
Iings.
| L cannot hope to make you un-
derstand, Dicky," l began, how
confused my emotions are concern
ling Mr.. Gordon. 1 think, perhaps, 1
can tell you best by referring TO
something about which We have
never talked but once-the story l
told you before we were married Of
the tragedy in my mothers life"
Your Fathers Disappearance"
Across Dicky's face swept a star
tied look, a look which vanished as
soon as IL appeared. Ii was as if he
suddenly had thought Of something
surprising and then banished the
| thought as one worth little notice.
had no time TO wonder concerning
his expression for his words came
swiftly, interrupting me.
You mean your fathers disap-
pearance ?"
Yes" returned, JaconicaUy.
thankful that Dicky had not put
into words the terrible wrong con-
Injected with my fathers leaving, the
fact that when i was a tiny girl he
had run away with by mothers best
friend.
Il believe YOU told me that neith>
I your mother nor you had ever heard
anything OF your father since he
left" Dicky's voice was casual, but
there was a note in it that puzzled
me.
That is true."I answered, and
then stopped for the conviction had
suddenly come 10 me that while L
had never seen or heard from my
father since he left us-indeed, had
Ino recollection of him-yet 1 was
not sure whether or not my mother
had ever received any communica-
ton from him. 1 had heard her soy
she had no idea whether he was lC-
ing or dead. and received my i'm
preston from that. But even as
answered Dicky's question there
came 10 my mind the memory of an
injunction my mother had once laid
upon me. an injunction which con
cerned a locked and sealed box
among her belongings.
/ felt that 1 could not speak Of j.
even to Dicky, SO put ali thought Of
it aside until / should be alone
The Only Line"
Il do not believe / can make you
understand" 1 began, how torn be-
tween two emotions / have always
been when 1 think of my father OF
course. the predominant feeling to-
ward him has always been hatred
for the awful suffering he caused my
mother. l never heard anything 10
foster this feeling. however. from
my mother. She rarely spoke OF him,
but when she did it was always TO
tell me Of the alteration he had felt
OF me as a baby. of the care and
money he had lavished on me- But
while with one part OF me 1 longed
TO hear her tell me of those early
days. yet the hatred T felt for him
always surged so upon me as to
make me refuse TO listen 10 any
mention Of him.
But since she went away from
me the desire 10 know something Of
my father has become an obsession
with me. My hatred Of his treach-
cry to my mother is still as strong
as ever. but in my mothers last ill
ness she told me that she forgave
him, and asked me If ever he came
into my life TO forget the past and
remember only that he was my
father. I am afraid I never could
do that, but yet I long so earnestly
10 know something OF him.
so now you see. Dicky." I con-
cluded. why Mr. Gordon has such a
fascination for me. He knew my
father and my mother-from his
own words I felt that he was the
nearest person 10 them. He is the
only link connecting me with my
babyhOOd, for Jack Beckett. my
nearest relative. was but a young
boy himself when my father left,
land remembered little about H.
don't want to displease YOU. Dicky.
I 70 70
don occasionally"