The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-06-01

Soou IAillC. 1oul aulll JoAC ooSo
| did. 1 heard her telling one of the
neighbors that last night. She had a
very fine dinner. and she invited Mrs.
Darling and Miss Snow and Miss San
born to eat 1t with US. She said she
didn't want me TO feel lonesome But
i you can feel real lonesome in a crowd
sometimes. Did you know that, Mary?
"But left them to their chatter aft
er dinner and went out to the observa-
tory. think must have fallen asleep
on the couch there, for it was quite
dark when I awoke But didn't mind
that, for there were some observations
wanted to take. 1t was beautifully
clear night. so I stayed there till near
ly morning.
"How about It? 1 suppose Marie
plays the piano every day, now. doesn't
she? The piano here hasn't been
touched since you went away. On,
yes, it was touched once. Your aunt
played hymns On it for missionary
meeting.
"Well, what did you do Christmas?
Suppose you write and tell
"Your Father"
I'd been reading the letter out loud,
and when I got through Mother was
pacing up and down the room. For
a minute she didn't say anything; then
she whirled round suddenly and faced
ene, and said, just as if something In
side of her was making her say It:
II notice there Is no mention Of
your mother "a. that letter, Marie. /
suppose-your father has quite, forgot
ten that there is such a person in the
world as-I."
But I told her no, oh, no, and that
was sure he remembered her, for he
used to ask me questions often about
what she did, and the violinist and all.
1.-THE violinist!" cried Mother, whirl-
ing around on me again. (She'd be-
gun to walk up and down once more.)
"You don't mean to say you ever told
your father about hm!"
"Oh, no, not everything" explained,
trying to show how patient I was, so
she would be patient, too. (But 1t
didn't work.) II couldn't tell him
everything because everything hadn't
happened then. But told about his
being here, and about the others, too;
but, Of course, said didn't know
which you'd take, and"
"You told him you didn't know which
I'd take!" gasped Mother.
Just like that she interrupted, and
she looked so shocked. Then she be-
gan to walk again. up and down, up
and down. Then, all of sudden, she
flung herself on the couch and began
to cry and sob as if her heart would
break. And when I tried to comfort
her, I only seemed to make it worse,
for she threw her arms around me
and cried:
"Oh, my darling, my darling, don't
you see how dreadful it Is, how dread
full it is?" >..
And then is when she began to talk
some more about being married, and
unmarried as we were. She held me
close again and began to sob and cry.
"Oh, my darling, don't you see how
dreadful it all is-how unnatural 1t Is
for US to live-this way? And for
you-you poor child what could be
worse for you? And here am, jeal-
ous-jealous Of your own father, for
fear you'll love him better than you
do me!
"Oh, I know I ought not to say all
this to you'll know I ought not to.
But I can't-help it. I want you! I
want you every minute; but I have
to give you up-six whole months Of
every year I have to give you up to
him. And he's your father, Marie.
And he's good man. know he's a
good man. l know it all the better
now since I've seen-other men. And
I ought to tell you to love him. But
I'm so afraid-you'l love him better
than you do me, and want to leave.
me. And I can't give you up! I can't
give you up!'
Then 1 tried to tell her, Of course,
that she wouldn't have to give me up,
and that loved her whole lot bet
ter than I did Father. But even that
didn't comfort her, cause she said l
ought to love him. That he was lone
some and needed me. He needed me
just as much as she needed me, and
maybe more. And then she went on
again about how unnatural and awful
it was to live the way we were living.
And she called herself wicked wom-
an that she'd ever allowed things to
get to such pass. And she said If
she could only. have her life to live
over again she'd do so differently-eh,
so differently.
Then she began to cry again, and
I couldn't do a thing with her; and,
of course, that worked me all up and
I began to cry.
She stopped then, right off short,
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