The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-25
THE REVOLT OF
VERA SANDERSON
VERA TALKS WITH KEITRS
MOTHER.
BY JANE PHELPS

Chapter 10.
I was racked with indecision.
Mother Sanderson was coming home
in few days. Should I appeal to
her, not about Kei.h's intimacy with
Alice De Lisle. but to beg her to use
her influence once again to get me q
home of my own, however simplef
Or should make Keith jealous and SO
work on his feelings that he woul9 be
willing to promise me a home? Then
came the startling thought--suppose
instead OF making him jealous.
should simply be making 1t possible
for him to rid himself OF me and
marry Mrs. De Lisie? Or OF giving
Margaret a chance to make him send
me away?
I decided to go to Mother Sander
son.
Tom Benedict was my devoted ad
mirer. He had not been able to hide
perhaps he had not tried-that he
was becoming very fond of me. Not
that there was a thought of wrong in
either of us, but We were both young,
craved companionship, and happiness
and We found it when together.
I decided to Lave q talk with
Mother before I said a word more to
Keith. He had said L might visit her,
so would have every opportunity for
| a good long talk with her.
While Keith had been away Tom
Benedict had often dropped in to tea,
and twice 1 had played cards with
him at Erma's. Margare. knew moth
/ ing of this, but she openly sneered at
what she called his calf love" and
threatened to tell Keith.
do. 1t will surely worry him be-
cause have written him every time
anyone called, and who" Margaret
| looked furious. I had swept the
! ground from under her feet as far as
| telling of Tom was concerned. At first
| had thought I -ould let Marga ret
carrV out her threat so that Keith
would be jealous. but the more I
thought of ii. the less likely did 1
| think it would affect him that way. !
loved him. 1 wanted no one else. So
why risk putting into his and Mar
garet's hands anything they could use
| against me?
Two days after Keith came home
! and four days 8fter 1 had overheard
him tell Margaret that it was her
fault he had not. married Alice De
Lisle, took June and went down to
Mother Sandersons for a week Keith
took us down-he was to remain over
night-then he would come at the enc
| of the week and take us home He
had matters at the factory to attend
| to each time, aside from his desire
to see his mother.
/ I never shall forget how delighted
was when Mother first saw June
and the way she fused over her. Mar
| garet paid my baby no attention what
ever. unless it WIS to complain o
something she did or the way she wa
dressed. But Mother cooed over her
petted and loved her so that I aamos
cried, was so happy.
/ I put off my talk until the day Keitl
was to come for me. 1t had been Sucl
a happy time I hated to even speal
of anything that might bring argu
ment. But at last I ventured to say
Mother, will you try to put your
self in my place If I talk to you o
something? Lam not finding faul
with Keith. I think you know low
him more than ever now that 1 hav
Baby. But I must talk to some one.
i go on, dear child. I will try t.
remember that I was once young
She smiled so sweetly at me that M
eyes filled.
started from the beginning. I toll
her of many episodes. I tried to b.
} fair to Margaret. and often stoppe,
J my story to insert something she di,
} that was done better than I possibI,
could have done it. But told of m
feeling that I was an absolute non
entity in the house, altho Keith pail
, over half of the expenses I told O
: Martha being taken from me, an
that I was not allowed to call upol
the maids for anything. I confesse,
the hurt had when not permitted t
choose my own clothes. 1 spoke o
, the motor. Keith paid for it, paid tn
garage charges, but in all the time
twice. L rode in it when Keith an,
Margaret were along, I told her, Blu
. to take Erma. or my young friend
, out. to use it when 1 needed to go out
that had not been allowed.
. You should have insisted upon tax