The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-05-15

evil woman in my eyes. Hold me in
your lap. mother dear. 1 shall ALWAYS
feel safe then"
Rachel's lips and chin quivered.
A long time afterward the girl gently
disengaged herself from the strong.
tense embrace and rose to her feet.
You say that Kenneth hates you,"
she said, land you say that you do not
blame him. Is 1t right and fair that
he should hate You any more than
should hate his father?"
YES" replied Rachel Carter, at is
right and fair. was his mothers best
friend. His father did not betray his
best friend, as 1 did, for my husband
was dead. There is difference, my
child"
Viola shook her head stubbornly. 81
don't see why the woman must always
be crucified and the man allowed to
60 his way"
TT is no use, VIOLA" interrupted
Rachel, rising. Her face had hardened
again. I'VE cannot change the ways
OF the world" She crossed the room,
but stopped with her hand on the door
latch. Turning to her daughter, she
said: Whatever Kenneth may think
OF me. he has the greatest respect and
admiration for you. He bears no
grudge against you. You must bear
no grudge against him. You and he
are children who have walked in dark
ness for twenty years, but now you
have come to place where there is
light. See to it, Viola, that you are as
fair to him as you would have him be
to you. You stand on common ground
with the light of understanding all
about you. Do not turn your backs
upon each other. Face one another.
1t is the only way"
Viola's eyes flashed. She lifted her
chin.
II am not ashamed to look Kenneth
Gwynne in the face" said she, a GER
tain crispness in her voice. Then,
with a quick change to tenderness,
You are SO tired, mother. Won't you
lie down and sleep awhile%
after 1 have eaten something.
Come downstairs. l want to hear
what happened here this morning.
Kenneth told me very little and you
have done nothing but ask questions
of me-"
Did he tell you that he struck Bar
~ Lapelle?"
mo"
"Or how near 1 came to shooting
him?"
'Merciful heaven,"
"Well, 1 guess Barry won't rest till
he has told the whole town what we
are, and then we'll have to face some
thing cruel, mother. But we will face
it together
She put her arm about her mothers
shoulders and they went down the
narrow staircase together.
at will not cost me single friend,
VIOLA" remarked Rachel grimly. II
have none to lose. But with you 1t
will be different"
1--WE don't have to stay In the old
town." said Viola bravely. The world
is large. We can move on. Just as
we used to before we came here to
live. Always moving on, we were"
Rachel shook her head. They were
at the bottom of the stairs.
IT will not move on. This is where
intend to live and die. The man I
lived for is up yonder in the grave
yard. I will not go away and leave
him now-not after all these years.
But you, my child, you must move on.
You have something else to live for.
have nothing. But can hold my
head up, even here. You will not find
it SO easy. You will"
'It will be as easy for me as it will
for Kenneth Gwynne," broke in the
girl. "Wait and see which one Of us
runs away first. 1t won't be me-"
"He will not go away and leave.
you," said Rachel Carter.
Viola gave her quick, startled
look. They were in the kitchen, how
ever, before she spoke. Then it was
to say:
"Now 1 understand why I have
never been able to think of him as my
brother" That, and nothing more;
there was an odd, almost frightened
expression in her eyes.
Later on they sat on the little front
porch, where the older woman, with
scant recourse to the graphic. mar
rated the story of Moll Hawk. Pain
and horror dwelt in viola's wide, love-
ly eyes.
"Oh, poor, poor Moll," she mur-
INJURED at the end Of the wretched
tale. "She has never known moth
er's love, or mothers care. She has
never had a chance"
Then Rachel Carter said a strange
thing. when all this is over and she
Is free, intend to offer her a home
with me-"
The girl stared. open-mouthed.
with you? Here with us7"
"You will not always be here with
me-" said her mother.
"How can you say such thing?"
with honest indignation. Then quick
lv. "I know I MANNED to run Off and