The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-03-04
CHAPTER ".
HOLLOW GROUND

HOLLOW GROUND
''Sit down, JOY" said Agnes OAR
ing, an understanding kindness in
her tone.
John Daring pulled his big chair
out for the girl who half tottered into
it. The man and woman looked at
her bowed head. On her, their child,
their Judge and jury, fell the brunt
of this disaster. Neither could help
her, until she gave the signal that
would indicate which one of them
had failed the least in duty to her
youth!
Joyce lifted her head.
"Dads,'' she said brokenly, holding
out a hand to him. Dads, dear
Dads, it isn't true what you said a
moment ago, is it-that you, that
you and Mother dear are, are going
to get" she faltered before the
deadly word,-"a separation"
John Daring set his face grimly.
He must see this fight through. With
all his heart he believed that the mo-
ment had arrived for them all to set
their feet on new paths.
'sLet your mother speak first lass,
he said kindly enough, though he
made no motion toward taking the
hand outstretched to him.
''Yes, Joyce. Hear the truth. I'm
not afraid of your decision. know
what it will be when you know what
you must have suspected for long
time" Agnes Daring stepped closer
to her daughter, then turned her
gaze to confront her husband.
Joyce looked at her mother level
eyed, All the evening, the happy
evening vanished into past too far
away to be remembered. Somehow
she felt herself growing older. To-
night her girlhood would die, die
and be buried along with the love
she knew her father and mother
must once have had for each other.
Now her mothers voice recalled
her. She listened with every fibre
of her being.
.'When your father and I were
married, twenty years ago." said
Agnes Daring, "I loved him with all
my heart, but he was like his Scotch
mother, reserved, cold, afraid to
show me any love, such as my ma
ture craved.
eve had been married less than
a year when he came to think OF
me only as someone to keep his
house, mend his clothes, save his
money. Scarcely a kind word had
from him from one days end to the
other-scarcely a kind one, and
never loving one.
'"Then you came to us. At last l
had someone to love. All my life 1
had starved for love, and now you
were here to let me hold you and
kiss your baby face, and make over
you as I had right to expect my
husband to cherish me.
'But even this was denied. You
spoiled her. your father would say.
And I had to wait until he had gone
to his work to show you how l
adored you. But no one could resist
you. You crept into even his cold
heart until I was amazed at his
softness with you. Nights he walked
the floor with you. Your slightest
whin was his law.
"All this while you were baby.
Then you grew older and more will
full. You will never know-unless
you marry this cold Scotch Davey of
his-how many cruel whippings 1
saved you from, how many little lies
1 told to save you from his anger,
for he needed the old teaching of
his mother, spare the rod and spoil
the child Then as you grew still
older and started to school we had
not enough money to dress you as
the other girls were dressed.
81 sewed and worked in the house
and did all I could to make you fine.
But he was as stingy with his money
as with his love, and it was all l
could do to keep you looking decent.
''Then when the war came and
everyone who wanted it could have
q Job, I went to work. AT first your
father was pleased. He liked the
thought of extra money. You were
In school all day. packed your
lunch and his in the morning before
/ left and we saw ahead of us some
chance of owning our home, of CIV
ing you the education we both
wanted you to have.
''But 1 soon found that he ex-
pected me not only to keep the house
going, the cooking, cleaning, wash
ing, ironing, mending, but that he
wanted me to give him a large part
Of the money I earned. wanted it
for you, for the pretty clothes, the
nice furniture, the things other girls
had.
tThen the war ended and men
came back to their jobs. / lost my
daytime job and for month strug-
gled on in the old way. But began
to want some pretty things for my
self. Your father thought cotton
stockings, one silk dress in three
years. the old fashions of his mother.
good enough for me. ! saw you grow
Ing, up, young, pretty, and I longed
to look more like your sister, your
friend. your chum, less like your old,
worn out mother.
80 took the night job in the res
taurant. Every pretty thing you've
had I've paid for. Every good time
you've had, I've fought for. And
now, when you are ready to leave
school and to live your life he wants
to stifle every good time that is
ahead of you.
mo pretty dresses, no beaux, no
-