The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-04-04


~ johnston believed that mere
parenthOOd gave neither man nor
woman ownership or legal rights
In human beings. She believed that
parents were indeed privileged
when their offspring truly loved
them. She believed that her child
should be utterly free to love her
ar not. to 80 from her or stay, 40
she chose. but oh. If she could
only own Mary. body and soul. for
4 few moments!
Life was going to be very diff
cult for her. from now on. unless
she could get Mary to see the ne
cessity fortnight from the pursuing
grocer! II Mary were only twelve
years old once more!
In the morning Polly Johnston
looked like u princess In exile. but
she acted like q weary. bored wOm-
an. and she had no time for any
thing but the necessary words re-
Quired to start them on their work
OF packing and last minute shop
ping. Mary was to attend to the
shopping.
Mary had that morning venture6.
to open the subject. discussed 50
freely last night. only to find her
self snubbed for her pains. ~ her
mother absolutely refused to an
swer questions.
What Mary did not know was
that her mothers attitude had been
aggravated by an early morning
message to the effect that q Mr.
Carter wished to speak to her on
the telephone.
Ned had arrived In town ut an
hour too late for q casual acQuajnt-
ance to call or telephone, and this
morning the hotel operator had
called Mrs. Johnston instead Of
Miss Johnston.
Mrs. Johnston was very gracious
when she understood who was
speaking. She was glad that he
was in town. and quite willing to
take any message for Miss John
st0n. who had gone out. No. Mrs.
Johnston could not tell when her
daughter would return to the no.
tel. Mary was with some dear
friends, who might only part with
her when they brought her to the
steamer in time for sailing.
Mr.. Carter was disappointed and
alarmed. though he endeavOred not
10 let the latter fact become ap-
parent.
Are you sailing todsy:" Ned
had asked.
NO. not today had been Mrs.
JOhnstOn's half-infOrmative answer.
After that there was nothing for
Ned to do but end the CONVERSE
ton.
He had to face the fact that
short Of giving away Claude's plans
and his own. he must talk no more
10 Mrs. Johnston. Nor must he
try to see Mary until they met on
the steamer. Mrs. Johnston was
capable Of rendering Il extremely
unpleasant for him. II he did.
lie left word for Claude lIahbs
ut their hotel. and went ont To do
his best Ia the matter Uf finding
the sailing date Of the JOhnstOns.
aud secure their own passage.
only when she had said the FINAL
and conventional good-by and hung
up the, receiver, did Polly IohnstOn|
relax. A wave Of loneliness crept|
over her. She had no real link
with the actual world now. save
through Mary. Mary. who must
soon leave her for some man.
IT, the back OF her mind. when
she was honest with herself. Polly
knew that the fear was not that
Mary would marry. or leave her.
but that Mary would marry some
one Of whom she. Polly. did not ap-
prove. and who would like, land
side with. Claude Dabbs.
1t was Claude Dabbs' shadow
that darkened the sky for Polly 4
What power could Claude have
over her. unless she chose to give
him that power? The answer al.
ways Knocked her. She was afraid
of Claude Dabbs because she had
treated him unfairly. and she had
always been afraid Of him because
OF Mary. It had been because OF
that fear she had lived abroad with
the child for 80 many years. AZ
Mary grew older and there was no
sign from Claude. she had grown
bOlder and rOamed freely about
America, until like a fool she had
carelessly blundered into his very
stronghold.
In her minds eye she pictured
Claude 40 a great, fat. middle. aged
man. She knew that she was only
drawing on her imagination, and
that Mary, who had seen him, did
not seem to have been physically
repealed. Polly would, OF course,
expire by slow torture before she
asked Mary what he looked like.
(TO RE cONTrNUED.D