Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-09-03

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The Room Was Cold. The Fire Had
Died Down.
you, mother Let him think what he
pleases. He comes here and the very
first thing he does is to-"
''He will think what he pleases, my
child" broke in her mother; $50 do
not flatter yourself that he will be
affected by your opinion of him. We
will not discuss him, if you please, He
ours. There need be no conflict be-
tween us. What did he say to you out
there?
"He was abominablel Officious, sar-
castle, insolent-"
I'm plain words, he gave you a good
talking to-" Interrupted Mrs. Gwyn,
rather grimly.
"He said some things | can never
forgive"
about you and Barry~
"Well-not so much about me and
Barry as about the way L Oh, you
needn't smile, mother. He isn't going
to make any fuss over Barry. He told
me in plain words that he did not
care whether l married him or not
or ran away with him, for that matter.
And now / have something l want to
say to you. We may as well have it
out now as any other time. l am going
to marry Barry Lapelle./ There was
a ring of defiance in her voice
Rachel Gwyn looked at her steadily
for moment before responding to
this out-and-out challenge.
81 think it would be only fair of
you" she began, levelly, ito tell Mr..
Lapelle just what he may expect in
case he marries you. Tell him that
you will never receive a penny or an
inch of land when I die. / shall cut
you off completely. Tell him that. 1t
may make some difference in his cal
culations."
Viola fiared. "You have no right to
insinuate that he wants TO marry me
for your money or your lands. He
wants me for myself-he wants me
because he loves me-"
II grant you that" said Mrs Gwyn,
nodding her head slowly. 'He would
be fool not to want you now. You
are young and you are very pretty.
But after he has been married a few
years and you have become an old
song to him. he will feel differently
@h nd
Lapelle and his stripe. They run
through with love as they run through
with money-quickly. And when he
has wasted all his love, Barry Lapelle
will still want money to waste. Be
good enough to make him understand
that he will never have a dollar of
my money to waste-never, my child,
even though his wife were starving to
death. l mean It'll"
'"Then," cried Viola, hotly, "you are
the most unnatural, cruel mother that
ever"
stop You will not find me cruel
and inhuman mother when you come
creeping back to my door after Barry
Lapelle has cast you off. have moth
ing more to say"
But have something more to say"
C.ied the girl. Il shall tell him all
YOU have said, and | shall marry him
ii spite of everything. / am not
afraid of starving. l don't want pen
ny of fathers money. He did not
choose to give 1t to me; he gave half
of all he possessed to his son by an
other woman, he ignored me, he cut
me off as If l were a."
BE careful, my child" warned
Rachel Gwyn, her eyes narrowing. II
cannot permit you to question his
acts or his motives He did what he
thought was best-and wei mean
you and I--must abide by his deci-
sion"
Il am no, questioning your hus-
bands act" sai0 Viola, stubbornly. II
am questioning my fathers act"
Mrs. Gwyn started. For e second or
'wo her eyes wavered and then fell.
me corner of her mouth worked curl
sly. Then. without a word, she
turned away from the girl and left
the room.
Viola, greatly offended. heard her
ascend the stairs and close door;
then her slow, heavy tread on the
boards above. Suddenly the girls
anger melted. The tears rushed to her
eyes.
"Oh, what beast was to hurt her
like that" she murmured. forgetting
the harsh, unfeeling words that had
aroused her Ire. thinking only Of the