Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-16
MOONLIGHT AND MONEY.
BY Marion Rubincam
THE FAITH \
Chapter LXlI.

Chapter LAll.
She doesn't want to see you, tathcr,
Louise said, one evening, rs she took her
place at the opposite end OF the dinner
table.
Better not force it, p" the man answered,
quietly "She may change her mind, you
know. Though ] don't believe she Will:
I've never known her to change her mind
when she had it fairly set IN any one
groove
Louise gave a little sigh-a sound of
sheer WEAKNESS. Anne put the soup be-
fore her. with a little whispered remark
that at was extra good tonight, Mrs.
Morton" /" Anne had already learned that
Louise had to be coaxed through half her
dinner.
Presently Mr.. Driscom looked up at
her.
"You might tell her, sometime, that
I would like to see her, he suggested.
but don t think that would make any
difference. Your mother is curiously hard
IN many ways.
Its rather hard on you" Louise SYM
pathized. Il can see her all the time, and
wait on her, and do little things for her
that give her pleasure. But you ca" t.
do anything but wait around and / pc
that the doctor will have good news
he s given up hope. He won't confess
t. but | can tell by his manner whom he
leaves her room. " Mr. Driscom said
Louise looked over the table ut her
father. His white ha.r was not rs beauti-
fully kept as usual. His va~'e, gentle
eyes looked almost haunted b wory.
1 he skin that was ordinarily healthy
pink was old-looking and white. All her
sympathies went out to him. She wished
a. d.,
To comfort him, for she was sure he was
suffering, too.
She waited until Anne had served the
dessert and coffee and had left the room
and unt.l her father 1T his cigar. Instinct
lively, she knew that this was one Of the
most comfortable periods of the day for q
man. Even though her mother WAS at the
point OF death she felt that this particular
moment was not without a certain amount
OF rest and pleasure for her father. Then
she began:
Mother told me q little about about
what happened between you years ago.
She SAID she never tried to find out whcth-
er anything serious happened between
you and another woman. or other
women She said she never dared Try be
cause illusions die hard
i don't wan: Ia know for myself, for
! was a baby then and il doesn't mater,
But | think, Tor her sake, # | told her
that there had never been anything any
thing, she she might really have been
jealous about, Louise was stumbling
along. for 1t was hard TO talk this way. Il
think She might die happier She was !
relieved suddenly that she had Sald It.
Her father eyes grew vs,guc again, he
wa, looking back many years, and when be
answered hcr finally, his voice sounded, to
her low and ind!stInct, simost as though
i were coming out Of the past.
There WAS a woman. She WAS hcaut-
full and sweet. She was the soft. yielding,
very feminine type that man finds so
attractive and vet she hsd 3 vast amount .
OF common sense and lo: of intelligence.
was in love with her when | was young.
She was almost IS old as |. Your mother,
YOU see, was at least II years younger,
But VIC outgrew the love affair, and !
v hen | married YOUR mother. she was sin-
cere in wishing US both happiness. ]
don ( think though, that she quite liked
your mother and know your mother dis
liked her lot.
And mother was jealous" Louise
asked
Yes, and made the mistake Of showing
Il
Il know " Louise said. ''Shc told me
she nagged and you Quarrelcd.
We quarreled continually after
while her father went on. Il stayed
away from the other woman 10 please her.
hut she was unhappy because she thought
] was miserable when away from the
other Your mother was highly magma
tive she would he sure things had occurred
that never happened and would quarrel
over them. In desperation. sometimes ] |
would GO to see the other woman.
She offered all your mother couldn't. |
She was gentle and soothing. She rested !
me. She took cheerful and 8 common
sense view OF it sll She quieted my
nerves when your mother had them all .
IN edge. She sent me back TO my wife I
when / was ready to leave her because .