The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-09-21
Revelations
ola Wife
How DieI<y's Mother ApoIosized to
Madae and Then Made Matters
Worse,
BY ADELE GARRISON,

Has he gomez" My mother in laws
anxious query greeted me as soon as
opened the door of the woman's rest
room in the Aquarium, where she was
sitting.
Yes, I saw him go through the ferry
entrance, and the boat is just leaving"
L did not think it necessary to tell her
that Harry Underwood. the man whose
unexpected presence had so annoyed
her, had spoken to me again, or that
he had warned me against telling her
that he was Lillian Gales husband.
When she had imagined that Harry
Underwood was a friend Of mine and
had enraged me by her insulting words
concerning the ridiculous scene to
which he had subjected us, I had told
her that he and his wife. Lillian Gale
were Dicky's friends and not mine.
She had found some hidden signifi-
canoe in my words that had brought on
one of her heart attacks. While 1
was ministering to her 1 had heard
her mur1nur:
Lillian Gale! Lillian Gale! How
blind I've been"
l realized that any further refer
ence to Harry Underwood would excite
her seriously and l was glad that she
accepted my statement that he had de-
parted, without further questioning.
How do you feel now?" 1 asked
her with real anxiety, for her attack,
mild though it had been, had terrified
me in its likeness to the seizures to
which my own mother had been sub
ject.
Much better, thank you," she re-
piled. Then in a tone had never
heard from her lips before: Come
here, my child"
1 could hardly credit my own ears.
Surely, those gentle words, that soft
tone could not belong to my Husbands
mother, who in the short time she
had been an inmate of our home, had
lost no opportunity to show her dis
like for me, and her resentment that
her son had married me.
But l obeyed her and came to her
side She put up her hand and took
mine, and 1 saw her proud old fact
work with emotion.
A Strange Apology.
II was unjust to you few mo-
ments ago, Margaret" she said, 4" and
l want to beg your PARDON.
If she had not been old, in feeble
health and my husbands mother, I
would have considered the words scant
PREPARATION for the contemptuous
my spirit a few moments before.
Margaret. am I to understand that
this man is typical of your associates? ?"
she said. IF SO, 1 am indeed sorrier
than ever that my son was ever in
weighed into marrying you"
'Inveigled into marrying you!"
do not think I shall ever forget those
words. They are craven in my brain
in letters of fire. The time may come
when / shall sincerely like my mother
in-law, but the bitter memory of that
scathing phrase will always be mine
But 1 was sane enough to know that
the simple L beg you pardon" from
the lips of the elder Mrs. Graham
was equivalent to a whole torrent of
apologies from any ordinary person. 1
knew my mother in laws type of
mind. To admit she was wrong, to
ask for ones forgiveness, was to her
a most bitter thing.
So 1 put aside from me every other
feeling but consideration of the proud
old woman holding my hand, and said
gently:
Il can assure you that 1 cherish no
resentment. Let us not speak of it
again"
Il am afraid we shall have to speak
of it, at least of the incident which
led me to say the things to you l
did" she returned. l saw with amaze
ment that she was trying to conquer
an emotion, the reason for which felt
certain had something to do with her
discovery that the Unde-wood's were
Dicky's friends.
"Take My Advice"
II have a duty to you to perform"
she went on, "a very painful duty,
which involves the reviving of IN old
controversy with my son. I beg that
you will not try to find out anything
concerning its nature. 1t is far bet
ter that you do not"
Almost the same words which Har- /
ry Underwood had used,
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 /
1eIt smother, as II "CAS DCdAS
swathed in folds upon folds Of black
cloth. What could this mystery be,
this secret in the past friendship of
my husband and Lillian Gale, the
woman whom he had introduced to me
as his best friend, and into whose
companionship and that of her hus-
band, Harry Underwood, he had
thrown me as mucn as possible.
A hot anger rose within me. What
right had anyone to deny me knowl-
edge of such a secret, or to discour-
age me in any attempt to find out its
nature? 1 resolved to lose no time IL
probing the unworthy thing to its
depths. for from the emotion OF my
husbands mother, and the agitation
displayed by Harry Underwood, l
could not but argue that the mystery
had something questionable about it
My mother in laws words crystal
lized my determination.
Il think 1 ought to see Richard at
once" she said. It am sorry to give