Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-29
CHATTER XXI
The Soul Of HAealr

Two hours had passed. Bessie was
IN her bcdroom-the little one.eyed
chamber (entered from the 6rst landing
on the stsirs) In which she had dressed
for Douglas. But the sheet Of silvered
glass on the whitewashed wall which
had shons then with the light Of her
beaming eyes was,, nov sfsi5ecetn -
broken, tear stained, woebeSono race.
She knew that her journey had been
wasted. Her child was not to be still.
born. Through the closed door she
heard Dan Baidromma going OF in the
sti6 cart. He was going to the Speaker,
to threaten him with the shame Of her
unborn child, and to call upon him to
compel his con TO mafry herr
wild, blind error! But what would
be the result? Alick would hear Of her
whereabouts and learn Of her condition
and that would be the end OF everything
between them. All her secret scheme to
wipe out her fault, to keep. her name
clean for Alick, to preserve his beauti.
fuI faith IN her, would be destroyed,
and he would be dead to her forever.
But no, come what would that should
not beI And II the only way to pre-.
vent II was to make away with her
child when II came she must do 80.
Only nobody must know-not even her
mime Time and again the old woman came
hobbling upstairs, bringing food and
trying to comfort her:
"Wil I send for DR.. clueas. Bss'
.:Ne. 10. I shall b better in the
The day passed heavily, She could
80 a. Snvv~ nttsvNAn aha nat m
the edge Of the bed; sometimes stood
and held on to the end Of It; and some
times walked to and fro In the narrow
space Of her bedroom foor. Having no
window in her room her only sight Of
tie world without was through the sky
light in the thatch, which showed moth.
ing but the sky. The only sound that
reached her was the sQuealing OF pig
that was being killed at q neighborins
farm.
she had been thinking Of her unborn
child with a certain tenderness, even
. certain pity. But now, In the Wild
disorder Of her senses. she began to
hate 1t. 1t seemed to be some evil spirit
that was coming into 4he world to de-
etroy everybody. Why shouldn't she
kill It? She would Only she must be
alone-quite alone.
shivering, perspirins, weak, diszy,
she was sitting in the darkness when
her mother came to say good night.
''Here are few broth. Take them.
They'll warm thee
"Come, let me coax thee, bogh."
Bessie refused again, and the old
woman's eyes began to fill.
"Will / stay up the night with thee,
Reskie?"
"Oh. no. no."
"I'Ii leave my door open then, and II
thou art wanting anything rhou'll call. !"
"Thy father isn't homo yet, and II
thou'rt no bettsr when he. goes BY thy
door thou must tell him and he'll let
me know"
Bessie raised her eyes in astonish. .
ment, end the old woman, with q
shamefaced look, began to apologize for
her husband. He was not 10 bad after
all, and when woman had taken .
man for. better OF. worse
'Do you say that, m6therT'
Something. quivered In the old
woman's wrinkled throat.
We'll. we women are all alike. thou
"Gooa-nisht and 80 70 alssp'
Bessie hustled her mother out Of the
| room, but hardly had she gone than
she wanted to call her back.
"Mother! Mother!" she cried In the
m,dden access OF her pain, but though
her door was MAR her mother. who wal
going deaf, did not hear her.
AT the next moment she was glad
Her mother believed In God and reli
pion, To burden her conscience with
any knowledge Of what she usant to do
would be too cruel.
Hut Bessie's terror increased at every
moment. The might optside w.s quiet
ssias. AZ tie hddiRg ef'gene i1stine.
tve impulso ~ bla3 ~ ~ candle
and then. In ~ dastA4 solitude,
: great terror toe w. Ass.