New Britain herald., 1929-08-26

No" she said duly. II don't. I'm sick of telling lies, and pre- tending"
 Well, that being so ." He drew deliberately on his pipe, and when he took it from his mouth. he spoke slowly Weighing his words.
 That being so, you can under stand how I feel about leaving Rita with you any longer l can scarcely take ,a chance, Molly, on your prej- udicing my daughter against me-
 You know l wouldn't do that, Bob"
 I'm not so sure. There are things you would probably think 1t your duty to tell Rita as she grew older Things that might entail an unsympathetic understanding of her fathers frailtes, You're rather stern person. you know"
 "Oh. Bob. I'm not. You talk as though I had some dreadful con- i cept of duty. As if I'd tell Rita i all sorts of hateful, sordid things. You know I wouldn't. And l wouldn't for all the world alienate her from you. I'd want her to love you. even if she didn't love me"
 Rob smoked silently. For sev- eral minutes the room was omi nously quiet Then he spoke again.
 That's isn't true, Molly. You've no scruples, when it comes to get ting what you want. I told you that before, and made you angry. You're quite as ruthless as ] am. You'd take Rita from me, if you could. Only you cant. And, because you are powerless. it has behooved you to be polite and pleasant to me. To pretend, even. certain fondness for my company"
 q never pretended a fondness for your company" she inter rupted angrily.
 My error," he acknowledged sercnely. AS I was saying your futility has made you tractable. But I tremble, my dear to think of what might happen if you should hold the whip hand. If for in- stance, your influence over Rita should become so powerful. that you could use it against me"
 But I wouldn't, Bob! How can you think such a thing"
 "Oh, yes you would" he insisted At least. Molly, l think you would. And that, you must admit is q chance I can scarcely afford to fake. All things considered, l feel that 1t would be foolish to leave my daughter under you influence. T don't want to be unkind. I'm not trying to punish you because !, you despise me. That is your priVi- lege, and proof of your good sense ! But I cannot let a woman whc despises me bring up my child I'm not going to take her from yo, [ in order to hurt you, Molly. Bu I am going to take her" ' He rose, and knocked the ashe' {. from his pipe.
 f T think" he said. that I'd bet ter take her pretty quickly too.' Weakly, Molly collapsed in tn l nearest chair. She was trembling violently. She must compromise = Make some bargain. Contrive 3 somehow. to keep Rita. It was un [ thinkable that Bob should crucif, 2 her this way. She would die, i S he took Rita away. "I'd kill myself 7 she thought. T couldn't live with { out her" l Don't do that.' she cried. Why ] Bob. you couldn't do that!'
 "Oh, yes, l could" he assure l her grimly.
 t But, Bob. there's nothing in tn
 world I wouldn't do for Rita! Yo
 wouldn't take her away-deprive he 0 of all l can do for her"
 He returned her agonized star f steadily.
 e DO you know what a ses if anemone is. Molly? Rita and 0 have watched them at the aqua V rum. They look like delicate flow
 CTS. They're pink, or yellow,
 lilac-colored And they float on Il
 surface of the water as gently { = blossoms. Dainty, quivering thing d You'd never know to look at thel V that they are cruel and relentles l. They reach, suddenly, and gra u what they want.S They send o,
 showers of stingng, tiny dart t And, when they've paralyzed the
 prey, they take the things that fee tt them, and eject everything else. ,f "Youre like seaanemon g Molly. You paralyze with yo, l. charms. You take the things th I feed your vanity, and discard u 10 rest. You threw Jack Wells ore u You're playing now with Flyn l. You use Rita even, to slake vol E thirst for adoration. You'd col
 sume me, like the others. if yt l. could But you can't Molly. B
 cause ] know what it's all abol le you see. And the rest don't. They "a never watched a sea-anomone.' e "Oh, Bob" Molly tried to 'aug ID You can call me all the nam
 you please. I'll be an anemone, i'd q shark, or any old thing. On ,e it's just too silly to talk about T ID throwing Jack over, and playil
 with Red. You simply don't u d Iere+and"
 se Don't you suppose l know tn l Red kissed you out there in tl n- hallo"
 e. What if he did? You dor E. think that's being a sea -anemor t. do you?"
 It's not right he insist IT, stiffly That's no sort of carr Tt ings-on with an innocent child II. the house.
 h. Molly laughed whole -heartedly