Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-04
: S6e :
UNWELCONE
: WIFE, :
Chapter xXx1I
Mother-Love
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what excuse she would make
for arriving SO precipitately. she
better to wait a day or SO before
telling them the truth. Let them
think that all was we'll with Tony
and herself and that she had just
come to pay visit. This idea cheer
ed her up and when Jim finally turn
ed in from the road and stopped be-
fore the old-fashioned horse BLOCK
she was childishly eager to see her
mother.
at won't come in now" Jim said
as he helped her out.
She did not press him to, and he
climbed back into the buggy, clucked
to the horse and logged out of the
yard. Charlotte stood looking after
him a minute, and then she picked
up her bag and went toward the
house. Everything was just as usual,
and when she opened the kitchen door
she stood a moment on the. thresh-
old. she knew before she looked that
her mother would be washing dishes
at the sink under the window.
Mother" she said softly.
Mrs. Graves wheeled around
"Charlottev' she cried, and the girl
never forgot the sound Of that word,
the love and longing in it. She drop
per her bag and ran forward and the
mothers arms.
MY baby. my little girl" continued
Mrs. Graves over and over. And
Charlotte cried a little on her moth
er's shoulder. Here was love, all
she wanted in abundance, love that
asked nothing but the right to love,
and how carelessly she had thrown
did not really love her at all.
II came on a visit, had to come"
Charlotte explained when they had
at last become lucid and were sit
ting together on the kitchen lounge.
DO you think father will be glad
to see me?" she asked wistfully. -.
of R e0qrss ber he will Tonv he's dean missed aed
why. didn't you let us know you were
coming?"
"Tony couldn't get away and 1
wanted to surprise you. 1 thought
it would be such fun to arrive like
this"
She leaned forward and took her
mothers thin worn hands in her own.
There was a startling fragility about
her mother that alarmed Charlotte
You're we'll, are you, dear?"
20, yes, I'm we'll. get tired you
know, but now that you're here. you'll
lovely you look dear, and you're
changed, too. 1 think you've grown
older. You're very happy. aren't
YOU. You and Tony are still very
20, yes, mother, I'll always love
Tony all my life, he's my husband,
you see."
and you were right to marry the
man you love. Once I thought Jim
Winslow was the man for you"
20. he drove me over today, he was
down at the station, we had quite a
talk"
Hes doing we'll, but he's stingy.
He won't even buy a car when he can
afford it better than some who have
them. He joys around in that old
buggy Of his and never fixes up like
the other boys. But here must see
if your room Is all right. It's just
f5o yGT left w 1T dear Come SOMEHOW haet sDd
see me ZONE day, so I never chang
ed a thing"
She led the way up the stairs on
which the ingram carpet was laid,
and along the hall to the room where
Charlotte had stood in the window
looking out at the apple trees wait
Ing for her mother and father to go
to bed so that she could slip out and
meet Tony. How long ago it SEEM
ed Her room was the same but had
it always been so shabby? The crack
ed pitcher on the washstand, she had
a moments vision of her own white
bathroom at Hartman Hall, the hot
and cold water taps, the perfumed
soap, the aromatic bathsalts, and
she remembered suddenly that here
one carried pals of hot water up
stairs and poured them into tin
tub. Bathing was not a luxury at the
farm, but necessity.
CHAPTER xxxIII
Tony's Silence
~ HARLOTTE unpacked her bag
and put it's contents away.
~ Her mother stood by and ex-
claimed at the exquisite
lingerie, of silk and lace, the fragile
but Charlotte took no pride in her
possessions. When she had put her
few things in the drawer Of the old
fashioned bureau she put on one of
her own bingham dresses.
II want to go back to the old Char
lotte who used to live in this room,''
she explained when her mother pro-
tested.
but if Tony should come and find
you dressed that way, what would he
think?"
"He won't come unless he let's me
now We'll go down and finish the
dishes"
Charlotte rather dreaded meeting
her father. but when he came home at
the end Of the day it was not so bad
as she had thought it would be. He
greeted her gruffly, but not without
some feeling.
80 you've come back for a visit,
eh?"
YES, father
Not ashamed to wear one Of your
old dresses now that you're a fine
lady"
She shook her head, tears close to
her eyes. If he knew the truth what
would he think then? If he knew
that she had come home because she
hated being a fine lady; if he knew
that her husbands family thought
then? Would he put her out? He
would have to know some time, and
she could not hope to hide her secret
for long, she would have OF tell them
that, and then everything else would
come out. too.
She told her mother the great
secret that night and the two women
wept together as women will over
such things.
Us Tony very happy about it?' her
mother asked finally.
II haven't told him"
Mrs Graves started. How long
have you known"
"Not long" said Charlotte, evasive-
ly, and then quickly. Il wanted to
keep the secret as long os 1 could,
but | knew L would nave to tell you.
I wanted to, dear, more than any
thing, that was one reason why I
came home"
But after her mother had tucked
her up and kissed her good night,
Charlotte lay a long time staring into
the darkness. Something was dead
in her, and her eyes were dry. She
felt as if she could never weep again,
she was cried out, but there was a
dull ache in her heart that would al
ways be there unless she saw Tony
again.
In the morning she carried up pail
after pail of hot water for her bath,
and when she was dressed and eating
her breakfast in the sunny kitchen
the optimism Of youth asserted it.