The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-11-29
The Trevor
Wonel
By MYRA cuTRIs LANE
%. 1928. Western Newspaper Union,

n BE Trevor women '*ere queer,
l every one agreed-old Miss Mary
and her niece, Helen. Three days be.
fore the date set for Miss Marys wed.
ding she had been Tilted; her lover
had run away with anotacr woman.
Miss Mary Trevor had withdrawn
into her house, no man had been al
lowed to enter it thereafter.
She was known as a man-hater. In
her old age she adopted her Niece
Helen. BY this time Mary Trevor
was a harsh, gaunt, eagle-beaked old
woman, universally dreaded in the
village. She walked with mascu-
line stride and treated men as If they
were the dirt beneath her feet.
The women lived In wing of the
Trevor home. All the rest had been
shut up. left just as 1t was when
Mary Trevor was Tilted. When she
adopted Helen and made her her
heiress 1t was understood that Helen
was never to speak to a man, was to
carry on her tradition of man-hatred
throughout her own days.
Scandal flies quickly through a
small town. At twenty-five Helen
Trevor was small, pretty. with quick,
bright. timid way about her. People
said it was a shame that she couldn't
even have a beau. Then they began
to couple the name of the squire's son
with hers.
All eyes were in the conspiracy of
observation. If the squire's son, Jim
Benson, were near, 1t was said Helens
quick color came and went. 1t was
rumored that they had been seen talk
ing on the outskirts Of the town.
Everybody said that If old Mary
learned of 1t Helen Trevor would be
turned out without penny. The old
squire had nothing, and large fam
lily to support on it. Jim Benson had
clerical position in the bank. 1t
would be madness to affront rich old
Mary Trevor.
Nevertheless the gossip persisted
Once 1t was said they had been seen
together at a nearby town, walking
hand in hand along the roads. Moth
ing more developed, however. Not
for a long time, at least.
Did old Miss Mary really expec: 80
mold her niece into . man-hater like
her grabbed, bitter old self? She was
as sharp as a hawk; she watched
Helen all the time from behind her
shade-even when the postman came
or the baker called. No man had
ever set foot within the precincts of
the Trevor home since she had been
Tilted. Age was creeping on her, but,
instead Of softening, she grew harder.
She was even, folks said, suspicious
of the airplanes that sometimes flew
overhead, for fear that some lover
of Helen's might be aboard. looking
down. 1t was a mania, of course
Helen grew more wistful as the sum-
mer days grew into winter. One day
a whisper ran like wildfire through
the town, a terrible, devastating whis-
per. Another day 1t was confirmed.
After that the women watched her
from behind their shades. Some
turned away when she passed.
Old Mary began to watch. She be-
gan to taunt her. She grew sarcastic;
then she grew sweet. Then one day
her rage overfowed In a fury like
storm.
1t beat down the defenses of the
stammering, terrified girl, and that
young, beringed, accusing finger point
ed at her like a sword.
"You -r'
1t was a word that had never
passed Miss Mary's lips before.
Its true!"
Helen could not speak. A mist was
circling round her. out of 1t those ter
rible old eyes. blazing into hers.
go Into the streetsl Stop! Who
is the MANI"
The name filtered through Helen's
lips.
II shall kill him. We Trevor wom-
en- are able to defend our own honor
Suddenly Helen fell at her feet
and clasped her knees. 'Listenl You
shall listen to me now. Jim and are
married"
"whatY'
1--WE we're married last spring In
Tilton. We loved each other. We
couldn. live without each other. Many
a time I've wanted to tell you and beg
your forgiveness. but I didn't dare.
Now I'm going, but I'm not ashamed.
love Jim. and I'm proud Of him|
She walked to the door. head up,
shoulders squared. Then something
IA Miss Helen broke.
"Helenr'
The girl turned.
Run and open up the rest of the
house, my dear We've been shut up
in this wing too long"