The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-11
Chapter As
AN UGLY SUSPICION,


| gave up trying to convince Esther
after time that l did not want to
have anything to do with Mark Up
john. She had curious mind, this
sister-in-law of mine. Once an idea
was fixed in her head, it was practical
~ impossible to get it out again.
She knew that Is years or more ago
had liked Mark. I was not sure then
hat l ever had liked him. think
was in love with love, not with the
mantle case with most young girls.
And in all the years that passed. she
had let the idea grow more firmly
rooted-that I was broken-hearted
when Mark went away and married,
and that | must be overjoyed when he
came back again, looking for a second
wife
If she only knew.
1t was not that disliked Mark.
No woman thoroughly dislikes any
man who is in love with her. She
may not love him, she may not
approve of him, but she will never
be completely Indifferent Perhaps
1t Il; the ego.ist in all of US. We
at least approve OF the man for
having the good sense to see our
desirable qualities.
But never saw Mark these summer
days, or thought of him, without hav-
ing another image come before my
eyes-another man Marks age, more
successful than Mark, who had other
qualities.
This man was Francis Meade Bud s
employer, who that one evening had
explored our end of the town with us
and ended by stretching himself out in
our most comfortable chair and smok-
ing a long cigar while vi and | made
coffee.
remember he said he made it a
point to know all his employees per-
sonally, even to his office boys, and
when he found real ability in any one
of them, to push the boy as hard as
he could-to give him start in bust
ness.
Mark had said something like that
but in what different way. He was
taking what he considered a kindly
interest in his nephew Billy-but
Billy's family were afraid to contradict
him for fear he would withdraw his
favor, which he made them feel every
day. AS for Billy, he frequently worked
IA hours out of the "a, for Mark.
And there was the physical differ
ence, too. Mark at 40 was fat and
settled. his hair was thin, worn out in
spots, and rolls of flesh spoiled the
outline of his face, no matter what
angle you looked. Francis Meade at
40 was tall and slim and we'll knit; he
said he played tennis in odd moments
and that he spent many evenings at
an athletic club keeping himself fit
But of course | could not tell Esther
this. I was not even conscious of it
all myself. l simply knew that the
only sort of man | ever could like
would be a man of Francis Meade's
tynr--never one like Mark,
Them as can't get what they want,
should take what they can get Esther
remarked very ungrammatically in an
swer to some such thought of mine.
IF | can't have what | want, Id
rather do without" I answered.
Yes" she said, you always was
fool Enid"
And seeming to feel at rest about
me now, she went on about some
work, and left me alone in the room.
And she was at rest in her mind, too
For we had worried the family a great
Zeal when we came back. We were
different, yet they could not exactly
find the difference. For even when
we dressed in the badly made
clothes that we had owned for years,
and worked until we were thoroughly
tired out-even then, there was diff
ference. After a time, | began to
realize what this difference was.
But as Esther left the room, Violet
came in. had seen her standing out
at the gate. broom in hand and her
damp hair blowing off her forehead
talking to Billy Diggs. Violet was one
of the few girls who could look charm.
ing under any circumstances. She had
been scrubbing the porch, and has her
skirt tied up over a bright petticoat
and she looked a little like the statues
of Dresden china shepherdesses, with
her broom for the shepherdess crook
Billy, delivering groceries, showed
little desire to drive on.
Billy brought us some mail on his
way past the post office" she said
''This looks like letter for you from
Helen
Did you get MALI" I asked. Bud