The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-03
THE REVOLT OF
VERA SANDERSON
BY JANE PHELPS
A LITTLE CHILD OFTEN HELPS
TO HAPPINESS.
BY JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER 8.


CHAPTER 8.
The next morning after Keith had
left, 1 said to Annie said it before
Margaret purposely-
Annie, when you commence my
rooms 1 want you to finish them be-
fore you leave to do anything else" 1t
had spoken to her before breakfast,
surmise of the night before and
thanked her, so I knew she would I'M
derstand.
Eyes, ma'am."
81 called Annie, and as I am the
mistress of this house and hire the
servants. she will come when / call
her or she can find another place"
Margaret said in venomouS voice, as
Annie left the room.
Keith has told me many times he
paid half the servants wages. And l
can not see, Margaret, why you insist
1 have no right to use them, am not
entitled to their services.
IF you are to have the use of ser
wants to do work that is only what yon
should do for your health, keith Will
have to hire more help AS nave
told you, the children need maid.
can't attend to them and also to my
social duties. I am surprised that you
| think for a moment that keith would
allow anything to interfere with what
L wish to do
IL
say he must hire another servant or
else I, his wife, must take the part or
one. 1 shall see that his friends under"
stand the situation"
l left the room before she could re-
"oh, if I only dared to talk to
Keith" [ moaned when I reached my
own room. IF he only would under
standv 1 knew perfectly wen that
should not tell him what L mad threat
ened to, that probably Margaret "oulu
repeat it with embellishments. l must
keep my mouth shut if I were to live
| in that house.
AS 1 look back I see that I mini
mized many of the pleasant Things
about my life; that I exaggerated al
that was unpleasant. I wanted to nave
a home of my own so dreadfulIy-lI
only two or three rooms, that L failed
to see the comfort and luxury or the
one my husband provided for me-
Margaret's two little girls, irene
| and Gloria, were perfect dears. Irene
was nearly 10 years old, Gloria 8. They
were so pretty. SO perfectly dressed,
that loved to take them out with me
Their manners, too, were very nice Tor
such small children. This was one
thing I did to which Margaret never
| objected. am sure she felt safe when
the children were with me. Often 1
would go with them when they TOOK
| their riding lessons. They looked SO
| cute on their little ponies. They poth
| loved me, Gloria especially, who some
| times cried when 1 refused to go out
with them instead of the maid. once
Margaret said:
s'If Aunt Vera doesn't love you
enough to give up some foolish en-
gagement to go out with you, you
mustn't tease her"
l made. no reply, simply looked
straight at Margaret, the disgust 1 felt
showing in my face. Indeed, 1 made
no effort to hide it. Margaret had the
grace to blush, then stammered:
you mustn't tease Aunt Vera,
Gloria"
she does love me, Don't you?'
| Gloria turned to me-
Indeed I do, Gloria. and your
mother knows it. She also knows that
| I take great care of you and Irene
when 1 take you out. Hereafter l
shall not feel like taking you so often"
1 knew when 1 made the unpleasant
speech that it would hurt Margaret;
that she loved to have me with the
| children. 1t was one thing in which
would not compel me to play nurse
| girl unless I wished. SO with her face
! flaming, Margaret said:
You know I didn't mean that. Vera.
| You are very nice to the children.
But L am nervous today. and hate to
hear Gloria cry"
I think she thought would give up
my engagement-it was for tea with
one of the girls I knew-but I said
no more, simply kissed Gloria, and
left the house.
! But L determined to have my sister
visit me. L was homesick for some
one belonging to me, some one to
whom 1 could unburden myself I
never had spoken to a living soul of
Margaret's treatment of me. of the in
fluence she had over Keith. But 1
knew Sallie would understand Yet
how was 1 going to manage her visit +?
Like a flash came the thought:
Use your care of the children as a
| lever"
| That afternoon when Margaret and
were alone for a moment said:
Margaret, 1 have written for my
sister to come and visit me. She will
be crazy over the children. She loves
them almost more than do"
| when is she coming and how long
will she remain"
| Tomorrow-Madcap SaIlie is invited
to VISIT