The Topeka state journal., 1921-07-29
THE REVOLT OF
VERA SANDERSON
BY JANE PHELPS
HER WORLD IN RUNS.
BY JANE PHELPS

Never had 1 been quite natural,
| quite myself with Keith since the day
when 1 overheard him accuse Marga-
ret of being the cause OF his not
marrying Alice De Lisle. I felt con-
stantly as If there were something be-
tween US, something that should be
cleared away. Yet hesitated to
speak. Perhaps I feared Keith might
admit he was sorry he had married
me instead of the widow-or that l
might, at least, sense his regret even
| tho he did not admit it
| I was in a mood when companion
ship, sympathy, even tho unexpressed, d,
| appealed strongly to me. l felt quite
at home with Tom Benedict, so much
SO that on the nurses day out 1 would
take June with me and he would push
| the carriage. 1 knew he was sorry for
me altho he never had said soE But I
| had seen a look on his face when Mar
garet would say something disagree
able, or treat me with scorn, that
showed. me he understood and SYM
pathized.
Then came a day when my world
| lay in ruins s-about my feet; when all 1
wanted was to die. Ny darling baby
! had been taken from me in a night,
/ the blacklist have ever known. Years
have passed since then, and even yet
can scarcely talk or write of that night
| of agony. The only comfort l had in
/ ali that blackness was that never had
| I been separated from her, never
failed to give her all of mother s
love-a mothers care.
| How do women wh6 leave their
| children to servants endure the agony
| of self-reproach when they lose them !?
| For months I was i'll. Keith
| grieved, too, but he had his business
and his outside interests to take his
| thoughts from his sorrow, while I had
nothing. Margaret pretended to think
I might pull myself together if
would. But my will to live was gone.
My unhappiness had sapped my
strength, and when the blow came it
4 finished me.
1t was not until baby had been gone
two months and we were back in
town that ] understood Margaret's ac-
ton in throwing Tom Benedict and
me together while he was at the coun-
| try club.
Irene was with me. Suddenly she
Did you love Tom Benedict, Aunt
Vera? mean before baby went
away"
Irene had developed a great taste
for hectic fiction. imagined she had
| been reading something that made
her ask the question, and SO answered
carelessly:
Tom was just a good friend, Irene
| We don't love our friends in the way
your story book people speak of love-
| DuL 4hOlHSE SdlO you ana 1OIn were
falling in love with each other and
that she was glad of it. I heard her,
she repeated, $50 you needn't shake
your head"
| ,'Why should your mother be glad
to have me fall in love with Tom when
I am married to Uncle Keith ?"
''I'm sure 1 don't know unless she
thought she'd have Uncle Keith all to
herself. Mothers awful selfish with
Uncle Keith. She won't even let him
take me places now 1 am most grown
up unless she is along. I guess she's
| afraid he'll like me better than he
does her.
you are too much grown up, irene
to talk like that about your mother
"Well, don't tell anything but the
truth. Mother told Mrs. De LislC
more than have told youi She SAID
she was going to help the affair along
all she could! She meant your affair
with Tom Benedict. I know from what
Mrs. De Lisle said
more"
I've tired you. haven't II" She wa.
contrite at once. Poor Aunt Vera
I don't mean to be an old tattletale
but mother makes me sort of mad"
I made no reply, and shut my eyes
I wanted to be alone Irene saw tina
I was weary and left me.
Many things now were plain tha
had puzzled me. 1t seemed a long
long time ago-so long, and so mucf
had happened that it and everything
else were of little moment.
Margaret had deliberately thrown u
together. helped make things pleasan
for US, so that we would fall in lov'
with each other and do something
: foolish that would free Keith.
what a wicked woman!" I sait