Evening star., 1926-04-18
BY MARY SYNON

again, ne aodeQ, HLtie note ol
apology creeping into his tone.
EOR a pulse.beat she fought against
the strangling tightness in her
| throat. Her voice was not quite
steady when she asked. You didn't
marry-her?"
NO" he said II married a girl
who taught school in a little town in
| southern Indiana. She's not our sort,
Peggy. She doesn't know the tracks
at ALL
"I suppose" Peggy said bitterly.
that she's been the one who reform
ed you"
Il don't know" he said. II expect
she's helped. but I guess it's usually
| time that gets a man to seeing
| straight, even when woman gets the
credit. Sometimes wonder why she
married me. Anyhow, she did. ana
we're doing what we can to make each
other happy" He paused. biting his
| under-ltp as il uncertain for the first
| time of the urge of his errand. she
found out about you and Blossom"
he went on. I'VE haven't any chill
dren. and she thinks / ought to do
more for the kid than I'm doing. We
could do. lot for her. Peggy.
Things have been breaking pretty we'll
! for me for the past couple of years"
! What do you want to do for herr"
! More plainly than words her stare
demanded sight of the joker in his
pack of fair words. "If you pay what
the law orders you TO give US, we can
ma mage"
You needn't worry about your ali
mony," he told her. II only held back
to see If you wouldn't meet me. When
you wouldn't, had to chance coming
! here"
Then what is it?"
II suppose he went on, shifting
| toward the dresser and leaning his
| weight against it, that you've some
idea Of the sort of thing you'd like
the kid to have, a nice home and the
trimmings girl likes. You know
you?" He watched for her acqui-
! you?" He watched for her acqui
escence, but she gave no sign
wouldn't you like to have her living
in place where she could have all
the things she wants? It's q real
home. house out near the park, and
Edith'll be good to her You don't
need to worry about that! And L
well. you know how I always fel,
about the kid
What do you mean" Her voice
changed into fear. She thrust her
! hands behind her back trembling, but
her eyes flashed lightning at him.
What are you talking about?"
| why. my house." he said. Cant
you understand? We want Blossom
to come and live with u.s.
You mean"-behind her back her
hands interlocked tensely-'to try to
take her away from me?"
Il wouldn't put 1t that way, Peggy"
he said. III I didn't think that we
could give Blossom something that
you can't. something she needs.
wouldn't come near you. Now. don't
jump at a decision he interposed.
glimpstng the fire in her eyes. Think
it over. You can come down and
look over the place IL you want to-
Edith1l be hurt Il little, / suppose. in
seeing you, but she'll understand.
She has sense of justice that's
stronger than anything else in her
That's why I'm here. She thinks I
owe this to Blossom
! Doesn't she think you owe any
thing-to me?''
That's different" His voice rasped
our score long time ago. You're
getting what the law allows. aren't
you?"
II didn't get it today"
LIE took roll of bills from an inner
pocket, f1inging them on the
dresser. Well. you've got it now."
he said, and she WINGED under the con.
| tempt in his tone
| Did he think that money was all the
reparation a woman wanted? Did he
suppose that she would ever have
sought a cent from him had it not
been for Blossom? She ached to fling
back the money at him. to be able to
tell him that he need never send her
more, but the thought of the child's
, need of so many things that money
would buy restrained her She had to
take it. but she felt a sudden sense
of relief IN the realization that hts
scornful tribute had freed her from,
! the last chain of his domination.
! Through the years of their separation
she had been seeing in him the old
| Kennedy Loonis. the man she had
| loved, and married. and divorced, and
kept on loving. Now she saw him as
a stranger, an enemy who threw a
| dole of coin at her as he sought to
| take her child.
II won't let her go to you she
said
do you think that's fair to herr"
he demanded. What right have you
to keep her here? What can you give
her? A room with you in a un-down
| lodging house that a mans ashamed
to be seen coming into. a hand-to-
mouth existence, a haphazard chance
at life. What's ahead for her? What
sort of men can she meet? What
kind of women?'
IF you'd ever really loved her." she
said, you wouldn't have let her live
| this way for FIVE years. You could
| have afforded to give us more money
| so that Blossom could live in a decent
| house, and go to a decent school, and
| wear the clothes your daughter
should wear. II you loved her. you'd
give it to her now, without taking her
away from me. But you don't! 1t isn't
| that. You want a. child, you and that
other woman, and you'd rather have
your own child than another. That
all. Well, can't give Blossom any
thing except what your money let's
me get for her. and that's little
enough. ] can't give her any of the
| things you think are SO important for
her, and you can give them to her
But just the same, / won't give her up
! to YOU
| Aren't you forgetting" he asked
her, that l have some claim that the
law will recognize? I haven't pressed
| it, but il you force me to do it, l
SHALL"
| "1f you do" she told him, ''Ill go
down to your town, and I'll fling to
the four winds 'all the testimony /
didn't give when sued you for d.
vorce." She saw him vince under the
lash of her threat. How'll your Edith
like that? Whatll her sense of justice
do for her then? VIII it bring her to
seeing the right that even. courts can't
take into account? Are you willing to
have me use those weapons7"
For the moment. facing him in the
knowledge Of the righteousness Of her
stand, she flung back Of her all the
dismal dreariness Of the years, all the
dun misery of her environment. all the