Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-24

hsr"-or going to be i'll
And after all, what right has the
nother Of a grown-up daughter to dream
81 romance?
1 have had mine, you will say!
Have I? I will tell you my story,
Ind leave you to Judge.
CHAPTER
TWAS an only child.
! I believe the correct way to tell a
story is to begin With nursery days; !;
- will just give you the briefest
outline Of mine.
was four years old when my mother
was killed in the hunting field I can
3ast dimly remember escaping from my
nurses vigilance and bursting into the
dining room in this very house where l
an now writing.
knew instinctively that there was
something the matter. TO begin with,
Nancc-my nurse-had been crying.
had never seen her cry before she
was rather hard sort Of woman, very
capable and trustworthy, but without
much heart.
Then I had seen the doctors car
riage In the drive.
The doctor always meant illness to
my child's way of thinking. and illness
was interesting, inasmuch as it meant
when l was the patient, Mt least
extra nice food. and being humored in
most things.
So when Nance turned her back for
Z moment. escaped down the stairs
and burst into the dining room, behind
the closed door Of which / could hear
tho subdued murmur of voices.
l had expected something unusual
but ! had not expected tragedy.
Child as / was, I can remember
stopping dead in tho doorway and
staring into the room with Mortified
eyes.
Ny mother was lying on the big
dining room table: she still wore the
start out early that morning, but it
was torn and dirty.
der eyes were closed, and her head
lay uncomfortably on one side as If she
vfe unconscious!
Hsr hair-she had such beautiful
aitr-was streaming inbound over the
table edge.
There were several men in the room
s-tmong them the doctor, and a young
Groom, and one Of the gardeners--and
my father.
He was kneeling by the table, hold
ing ny mothers hand; the doctor was
bending over her.
Nobody seemed to notice me, and
move.
Suddenly the doctor raised himself,
and ! heard him say something in an
undertone.
The young groom burst out crying,
and my father-evcn after all these
years shall never forget the terrible
srean that burst from his lips.
FOR my mother was dead.
~ always date the unhappiness of my
ilie from that day. Nothing went right
atter my mother died; they told me
when ! was older that from that hou,
my father began to drink heavily and
neglect his business; the house began
10 look kept and shabby: some of
Tue servants were dismissed.
My mother had always loved the
garden, but after she died it went to
vrack and ruin.
They said that my father could not
gear To walk through it; that he had
the hnest roses uprooted and thrown
Of her.
1T seemed to me. then, a strange way
Of bearing grief; I am not sure that ]
tnlhk so now when ! have had grief of
my own.
. Why. the sight of an old school cap
hanging in the hall has nearly driven
me frantic with grief--the sound of
- But J. must not tell my story
horse. 'A'
put with experience of my own to
hhelp me judge. ] can look back and
We sorry for the agony my father suf-
'erGd when mother died.
ny IN" time ! was eight years old
a ae was a haggard- looking man, with
uark eyes that seemed tho only 1.-Two
paIt OF his face. and thin lips that
n r"oxsd as If they We're folded on some
"esious secret, or unspeakable grief.
hs hardly ever took any notice of
me' ior which I was glad. was afraid
vi VI nim--if ! saw him coming, It was
s s. one ambition to escape without being
You should love your father" so
:srhce :srhce would say to me reprovingly.
va.is poor man has only you in all the
:. That used to worry me and I began
H. zee! sorry; but the next time I saw
n.. hls herce eyes and forbidding man :
mad ss Drought back all my old fear, and
maze me long to hide.
~ Wneh ! was ten years old he got rid
sch Nahce and seut me to a boarding
NJ was then--for the second time In
ny tI life saw Nance cry.
ana l wept floods OF tears in
Tiher's arms, though don't think
meant. "'a' 'ui par
ho..anIce nance had tried her best to paint
bsdraing school In glowing colors she
nic. iu toid me ] should meet plenty OF
sS"S, Ss Sirls Of my own age-that we
aSuad SoNa play games together, and have
IL time. She told me was grow
m INTO . young lady; shc interested
49, my new clothes and the bra nd :
~ eox With my initials paiMted On II,
s-I..n g look fnrwc-d 70 scbsol
u NJ tss,ss \, y VI