The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-07
THE CLIMAX.


Synopsis Of Preceding Chapters.
At IS Aunt Enid Haines looks so,
and is considered by her family and
the village as a hopeless old maid.
the family consists OF critical sister
in-law, Esther; Jim, Ends brother;
and three grown children, Laura,
James and Violet Enid is taken from
this hopeless rut by Violet, who wants
to go to college. Enid gives vi her
little legacy and they go to the city
together.
There they awake to possibilities
of life--Enid begins to make herself
young again and pretty, vi natures
hearing of his case comes up. vi is
in love with Bud Pearsoll, of whom
her family disapproves; Enid falls in
love with Francis Meade, Buds EN-
ployer.
Bud falls in with a crowd of un-
scrupulous men, and when he is rob-
bed of some money he was carrying
for his firm, everyone believes him
guilty. Enid and Francis become en-
gagged, and try to help Bud when the
hearing of his case canes up. vi is
heartbroken. When the trial comes
up Bud is caught in lie and things
look bad for him.
THE CLIMAX.
Chapter 81.
I'll never forget those few days fol-
lowing that Christmas. The special
morning when Esther and myself
came perilously near quarrel is par
ticularly clear to me.
For it was another milestone in my
career Before, l would never have
dared answer her as l did. Indeed,
for some years while I was living with
her, would scarcely have dared to
disagree with her-even mentally
while as for standing up and telling
her she was wrong! Well, l could not
have done it.
But now I was out of my shell. /
had re-made myself, and l was happy.
| had sufficiently developed myself in
q comparatively short time, to the
point where could take my place by
the side of such man as Francis
Meade. And I was happy-far happier
than l ever thought it was possible
to be.
| wanted to give some of this to
Esther. Why shouldn't she do what
! had done? | looked at her-but no,
there was a certain complacency,
certain stubborness about her. l be-
lieve she liked being what she was.
Jim won't ever consent to vi mar
rying Bud" she said finally. And in
her tones was that curious pleasure
which never could understand
Some women who are we'll
meaning, and charitable, and
good have this Incompetent
sibe quality certain virtuous
pleasure in giving pain to others.
1t is because they have let bitter
ness and disappointment eat into
their souls, and where they have
missed something sweet in life,
they grudge it to others.
had seen this in Esther before
but if Jim, who hated the Pearsolls'
intended to make things unpleasant
and if Esther intended to back him
up, why it only made the whole af-
fair harder for us.
She might marry without his con-
sent" / answered. after all, she is
no child And this is the twentieth
century. Jim sometimes thinks we
are back in medieval times
She might, but l doubt it, Esther
said xvi is very sweet, but she is
soft, too, and l don't think she would
do anything directly against her faith
ers orders
wondered. Violet's feminine charm
was partly this sweet yieldingness-
but the girl was very much in love,
highly romantic, and quite apt to run
off and marry Bud in spite of her
family.
Il am going to send her through
college, told Esther. Il haven't the
money myself now, but Francis likes
her very much. and he will be glad
to stand the cost of it. ONLY want
to adopt her.
1t came as a surprise to me, this
statement of mine. l had thought that
vi and | were so close to each other
in our relationship of aunt and niece,
that we could not be closer. But sud-
denly | knew l wanted to feel that
she was my daughter-this child who