The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-15
Chapter 21

Chapter 21
 T CANNOT yet write of the scene
 between Lucille and her father, can
 scarcely bear to think of it. But after bit I left them alone, unable to bear it longer. Half an hour after ward crept back to them and Lucille was in his arms. sobbing quietly, while the assured. her nothing would come of This arrest except the payment of fine and soothed her at best he could. He looked old, worn, and my heart bled with pity for him. tried to be cheer full, to talk during dinner as if nothing had happened. He soon led me, but Lucille was very quiet, scarcely spoke.
 The telephone rang and the maid called Lucille. strained my ears and the surprised, happy note in her voice astonished me. She came back to the table smiling. .
 "Ray wants me to go out with him." she said. "Oh, l thought he never would look at me again !" Neither. Mort nor I replied. I think 1 we both had felt as she did-that she would be dropped by the set she had been going with. was glad, so glad the tears came to my eyes. Perhaps Lucille, the other children, would mot have to suffer because of what Mort had done.
 Yet as this thought came to me. another followed on its heels. "The sins of the fathers sLall be visited ICIon the children--"
 Ray came fo.. Lucille and saw ITO change in his manner, either to her or to me. Mort had locked himself in his den, asking not to be disturbed. They left chatting as usual and some of my despair lifted. My beautiful girl was not going to be made too un-
 Now my days settled down into a dull routine. Mort had refused to al- low me to take the children from their schools. NOothing more had been said in the papers about him or his case. We were to have breathing spell for two months before his case came up in court.
 Lucille came and went almost as usual, a little more quiet, bit more subdued. Mort went regularly to the factory, yet I could not quite get the idea out of my head that he was still bootlegging in some way, perhaps get ting rid of what he had on hand, each ed somewhere.
 I asked him, warned him that it would go against him in court if he were. He assured me he was doing nothing and that he hadn't brought in case since his arrest. That he had not "sold" confirmed me in my sus- piciOn.
 realized he was being very care ful-if I were right-that he was talk ing few chances. He remained at home more and scarcely ever went out in the evening, but telephone calls were 1 frequent and he carefully closed the door before he talked.
 Dorian Matthews was a perfect tow CT of strength to me. She had not upbraided Mort, but she had made him see how I had suffered, had told him his friends would stand by him if he really had given up bootlegging. What else she had said when 1 was not by I had no way of knowing, but was sure she had seen him and talked to him for one day he came to me and said:
 "I'll never touch the stuff again, Stella-not to sell it."
 = ''Then you have been selling it since"
 'Only keeping faith with the men | Muu DOuBul DuL I duA NAIOuBus
 I was almost happy. Had not his trial, now but month away, loomed menacingly should have been con tent. He asked me to forgive him for the pain he had caused me, but 1 had nothing to forgive, as I told him. He had made a dreadful mistake, but I loved him just the same. After we had this talk we were nearer each other than we, had been in long time.
 I had noticed that he no longer car ried his revolver, that it lay in his chiffonier drawer. He was working hard at the factory. Clifford had been unusually kind, not discussing what he had done, but welcoming him at the works, and the business was going we'll, better than had dared hope. This encouraged Mort and at times he seemed almost his old gay self, seeming to forget the trial before him.
 There had been nothing more in the l newspapers and I had begun to hope we would ssscape further embarrassment