The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-23
The Woman
He Married
nv IaArr1 IIrI1c
MOTHERS LETTER.
BY JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER rs.

MOTHERS LETTER.
CHAPTER rs.
| Dear Nan and Dick" Mother
! commenced her letter, 81 have been
| thinking very much of you in the
last few days, Nan, ever since I re-
ceived your letter, in which you so
nobly told me all your mistakes. I
! believe you, small-town product,
could not Withstand the lure of a
| big city. l also think Dick has been
too-what shall I say?-too easy
| going perhaps to be imperviouS to
its temptations. Don't be hurt or
angry at an old woman, Dick.
| don't know how else to express what
| I feel.
| 81 have known the banker in the
next town. Nan knows Lansing. the
| place, and she must also remember
! Mr.. Peabody, the banker I have
| had a long talk with him, telling
him nothing save that I want you
near me. and that Dick has been
with one house since he left college.
| He needs young man in the bank.
| He will give Dick the position. But
| he must know at once as there is
another applicant, also the son of
! an old friend. You may hate to give
| up your position. Dick, and your big
salary. 1 But talk it over, you and
IL
| telegraph Mr.. Peabody at once"
1 stopped reading to look at Dick.
'Give up my position--if she only
knew.' he groaned. Then, "If that
man knew 1 had been discharged he
would withdraw his offer mighty
quick: Banks are leary of men who
gamble"
"Oh, Dick. try to forget just for a
moment" Then it flashed over me
that Mr.. Burns might also interfere
with this opening if he heard of it,
might seek further to revenge himself
| on me. II tell you, dear, no one need
know anything about it. We will leave
no address. We will start all over
again just as we did when we were
first married-only this time we will
start right, and stay right"
but Nan, you would not Nike to
give up all your acquaintances in New
| York. all your friends" then before l
could answer,-"go on, read the rest of
the letter.
eff you accept this offer 1 would
| advise you to sell all your household
! effects. Moving them would be very
| expensive. Nan and Junior can re-
main with me for couple of months
| until you get a place to live, and
can save something for furniture.
What you get for that in your home
Will bring you here. Lansing Is so
near you can spend SUNDAYS with us,
y
lonely.
IT am hoping, yes, praying-my
dear children, that you will accept
| my plan; that you will wire Mr.. Pea
body that you will come. But what
ever you do, remember 1 love you
and have faith that in the end you
will come out all right. To go on
doing wrong when you realize it Is
wrong, is foreign to you both
with love-. and prayers Tor you
ALL MOTHER.
.We'u go." Dick exclaimed, un-
.shsm edlv wiping his eyes, We'll go
and prove her faith in us is not mis-
placed" >,
II urged. Dick was so depressed. so
uncertain these dark days, he might
change his mind.
The telegram had gone. There now
remained to get away as quickly and
as quietly as possible. When I thought
of leaving without telling Mrs. Gray
where we were going, 1 felt very
badly. I spoke of it to Dick, and he
said:
.'Tell her If you wish, Nan. She's
true blue. She'll never speak or 1t to
anyone"
So told her. showing her mothers
letter. but saying nothing about the
loss of Dicks position. That wasn't
necessary.
ct shall keep your secret, DEAR, she
said. land I believe your mother is
right. If you had been older, the lure
of the city would not have caught you
as it did Fill your mind with other
things, Nan. Read, study, help your
husband, and foget style. Not that
Won shouldn't look as well as yor ca l,
as well as you can afford-but when
vo1, try to do more, it invariably spells
trouble. 1 shall miss you all. dear
Junior especially. he has been such
comfort to me many times when
have been sad. VIII you write me,
and sometime when you get his pic
ture taken send me one2 don't
know that I ever told you but We
lost our boy
/ thought much of what Mrs. Gray
had said about helping Dick. Yes,
that was what I would try to do the
rest of my hfe-help Dick and not be
a hindrance, L knew many women
did big things nowadays. If 1 could
only do some small thing to show my
gratitude to him, prove to him that i
was not the shallow clothes-horse Il
had tried to be, That was what 1
called myself-simply something on
which 1 had wanted to drape clothes,
not a real woman. with a woman's
mind and heart My talk with Mrs
Gray had accentuated this feeling.
If there were more Mrs. Grays in
the world. there would be fewer un-
happy households. Even when first
knew her I realized that and felt her
influence for good, but would not let
myself be influenced In fact. fought
not to be-
.