New Britain herald., 1929-01-05
Ashtoreth swallowed the lump in

After he died" she said. 1--WE
simply didn't know what to do.
Mother was all broken UP. So Sadie
mother-Mrs. Morton-she's A Won
derfully good hearted soui--she in
sisted upon taking us in. We were SO
hand that it didn't make bit of
difference who the Mortons we're
or what they were. They're Just as
common as they can be, Hollis-and
poor. And uneducated-and every
thing Butt hey were beautifully kind
to mother and me . and I'm a
perfect little beast to feel superior TO
Sadie"
AFTER ALL" She declared. Mrs.
Morton was mothers friend
Ashtoreth. unfortunately. had no
illusions about her mother. She was
furtively ashamed of Maize. and had
come to lie about her. Pretending
that she was cultured and educated
and a fine lady. Now. for the first
time, she was about to te'l iii" '"'''h
Not the entire truth. But enough to
save her pride, if the great and ia
nous Hollis Hart should ever mean
more to her than millionaires usually
mean to their stenographers.
Hollis was patting her hand sym
pathetically. and she was encourag-
cd to continue.
Speaking of my father" she said.
II have read that there are three
kinds Of Inheritance.
Yes" Hollis seemed interested.
IT'S a long time since I've studied
the laws of inheritance. I'm afraid
I've forgotten all about them"
"Well, there's blended inheri-
the child bears the marks of COM
posite authorship. That sounds like
book" she explained. because l
mcmorized it.
'Prepotent' Inheritance, where
one parent or remoter ancestor, is
supposed to be most effective In
stamping the offspring.
"And exclusive inheritance.
where the character of the child is
definitely that of one ancestor"
She paused, well pleased with her
little bit of erudition
And which Inheritance" inquir-
ed Hollis politely. lis yours"
oh. mine is exclusive Ashto-
reth declared. II inherited solely
from my father"
"Indeed?" Hollis stroked her
hand absent'y. You know I had an
idea you We're very like your
mother. ] remember of your telling
me how she had named you for the
moon goddess Of old Egypt. be-
cause of her interest in tho rrli-
gions of pagan people. You told me
that she WAS rather ID student Of
antiquities"
Ashtoreth flushed and was glad
of the dark h cause Tho man bcsile
her could not see the tcll-talc color
flooding her pale checks.
well" she admitted. II don't
know that mother is exactly a stu
dent. II was really Il most unusual
thing the way happened to be
christcnad. Would you like me TO
tell You about it"''
lie shifted comfortably in the
long, tropical chair that held his
outs'r"tch"d legs along its arms,
~ certainly would,' he asserted.
'Eut let me get You pillow first.
7 want to be sure you're quite COM
forta bic"
"Oh, but ] nm she assured him.
j.. . . She loved his small attentions.
"Theu YOU must let me got some
more cigarets," he said. I'M never
Il coed listener unless can smok"."
He went into the drawing room,
and was back in moment. AS he
stood reflected in the doorway he
struck a match and bent his head to
the flame. She reflected hun
bred thousand women had done be
fore her that no man is quite 50
hand enr1n as " hen his face is half
fEH'SI III III" llITH rl 1lS'"n.
Hollis Hart, considering his age Che
must have been all of 500, was an
extra ordinarily handsome person
Ashtoreth liked. particularly, the
gray hair at his temples. It vas quito
distingue she told herself. As. in
deed. it Was
We'll" she said. "once upon q
time lady had a dream. The lady
was my mother. And 7 vas three
weeks old, the night she dreamed
it.
i've heard my father tell about
II a hundred times. He was SOUND
asleep. and mother was lying on her
back, with her arm flung across his
chest. There was moonlight on he,
face. And her hair was spread across
the pillow like a golden veil.
'Carthag e.' she said When Dido
was queen. And Cleopatra. And
Judith of Tyre
Daddy woke up. and laughed
away. Mortified. For mo'hnr'>
eyers were staring the dreadful
unseeins eyes of tho Somnambulist
Ard her voice WAS strangely pitch
ed. and foreign.
She woke With a dreadful start
And closed her eyes and passed h.,
hand across them.
! Daddy took her in his arms, ana
tried to laugh. and comfort her. Sh.
seemed SO frightened But she dr"v
away from him. and began to talk
/ They were coming across the
desert. she said. Great caravans
/ ike ships in moonlight Elephant.
and apes and pcacocks. Broidor
rugs and precious stones And mc1
marching marching
well. naturally, father was scar.
Cd to death. You sne-if you knew
mother-you simply couldnn
imagine her talking like that-liks
a hook ! mean. Then sh" began