Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-09-17
you did. eli =

you dld, Ell!
"a cool two thousand" said the
other, with satisfaction that bOr-
dered on exultation. by the way,
changing the subject, I'd like to ask
you question. Has a mother the
legal right to disinherit son in case
said son marries contrary to her
wiSheS?"
Kenneth looked at him sharply.
Could it be possible that Lapelle's
mother objected to his marriage with
Viola, and was prepared to take dras-
tic action in case he did so?
"Wel, it would depend largely on
circumstances" said Kenneth, judicial
ly. II doubt whether a will would
stand in case a parent attempted to
deprive a child of his or her share of
an estate descending from another
parent who was deceased. OF course,
you understand, there is nothing to
prevent her making such a will. But
you could contest it and break 1T, l
am sure"
That's all l want to know" said
the other, drawing a deep breath as of
relief. "A close friend of mine is like
ly to be mixed up in just that sort of
unpleasantness, and was little curl
Gus to find out whether such will
would stand the test"
Kenneth would have been surprised
and disturbed if he could have known
all that lay behind these casual ques-
tions. But it was not for him to know
that Viola had repeated Mrs. Gwyn'S
threat to her impatient, arrogant lover,
nor was it for him to connect sim
pie question of law with the ugly plot
that had been revealed to Isaac Stain
by Moll Hawk.
After two nights of troubled
thought, Barry Lapelle had hit upon
an extraordinary means to circumvent
Rachel Gwyn. With Machiavellian
! cunning he had devised way to make
Viola his wife without jeopardizing
/ her or his own prospects for the fu-
| ture No mother, he argued, could be
! so unreasonable as to disinherit
daughter who had been carried away
by force and was compelled to wed
her captor rather than submit to
more sinister alternative.
Shortly after the noon meal, Ken
meth rode up to the old Gwyn house.
He found Zachariah beaming on the
front doorstep.
1t was late in the afternoon before
he saw either OF his relatives. He
was on his front doorstep, contem-
plating with secret despair the jungle
of weeds and shrubbery that lay be-
fore him, completely obliterating the
ancient path down to the gate. He
was not aware of Violas presence on
the other side Of the fence dividing
the two yards until her voice fell upon
his ears. It was clear and sweet and
bantering.
II suppose you are wondering why
we haven't weeded the yard for you.
brother Kenny"
AS he made his way through the
weeds to the fence, upon which she
rested her elbows while she gaZed up
on him with a mocking smile ne ex-
perienced a sudden riotous tumult IT,
the region of his heart.
"Not at ALL" he rejoined. II am
wondering just where I'd better be-
gin"
did you find the house all rightT
"Yes. You have saved me lot of
trouble Viola"
Don't give me credit for it. Mother
did everything. I suppose you know
that the furniture and other things
belong to you by rights. She didn'
give them to you out Of charity"
"The last thing in the world e.
expect would be charity from your
mother" he said, stung by the obvious
jibe.
He had come up to the fence and
was standing with his hand on the top
rail. She met his gaze for a moment
and then lowered her eyes,
II wish 1t were possible for us to be
friends. Kenny" she surprised him by
saying. SIT doesn't seem right for US
to hate each other" she went on, look
ing up at him again. 'Tt's not our
fault that we are who and what we
are. / can understand mothers atti-
tude toward you. You are the son Of
another woman, and I suppose 1t Is
only natural for her to be Jealous. But
you and had the same father. It-at
ought to be different with us, oughtn't
itf"
"It ought to be-and It shall be-,
|