The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-09-07
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take a chance. Molly. on your pref
udicing my daughter against me-"
\ X \
"You know I wouldn't do that,
Bob"
I'm not 50 jul 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 frail-
tiles. You're q rather stern person,
you know"
"Oh. Bob, I'm not. You talk as
! though ! had some dreadful concept
Of duty. As II I'd tell Rita all sorts Of
hateful. sordid things. You know I
wouldn't. And I wouldn't for all the
world ALLEVIATE her from you. I'd want
her to love you. even If she didn't love
me-"
Bob smoked silently. For several
minutes the room was ominously
quiet. Then he spoke again.
That isn't true, Molly. You've no
! scruples, when it comes to getting
what you want. I told you that be-
fore, and made YOU angry. You're
quite as ruthless as / am. You'd take
Rita from me. If you could. Only
you can't. And. because you are pow
erless, 1t has behooved you to be po-
lite and pleasant to me. To pre-
tend, even a certain fondneSS for my
company"
II never pretended a fondness for
your company she interrupted an
grily.
MY error he acknowledged Sc
renely. las I was saying, your futility
has made you tractable. But I trem-
BILE, my dear, to think of what might
happen II you should hold the whip
hand. If, for. instance. your influ-
ence over Rita should become SO pow
erful, that YOU could use 1t against
me-"
but I wouldn't, Bob! How can you
think such q thing?"
"Oh, yes you would" he insisted.
AT least, Molly, I think you would.
And that, you must admit, is a chance
I can scarcely afford to take. All
things considered, I feel that it would
be foolish to leave my daughter under
your influence.
Il don't want. to be unkind. I'm
not trying to punish you because you
despise me. That is your privilege,
and proof Of your good sense. But /
cannot let q woman who despiseS me
bring up my child. I'm not going to
take her from you in order to hurt
you, Molly. But ! am going to take
her."
He rose. and knocked the ashes
from his pipe.
Il think" he said, that I'd better
take her pretty quickly too"
Weakly. Molly collapsed in the
nearest chair. She vas trembling vio-
lently. She must compromise. Make
| some bargain. Contrive. somehow. to
keep Rita. It was unthinkable that
| Bob should cruelty her this way. She
would die, II he took Rita away. I'D
kill myself" she thought. II couldn't
live without her."
Don't do that!" she cried. "Why,
Bob. you couldn't do that"
"Oh, yes, I could" he assured her
grimly.
But Bob. there's nothing In the
| world ! wouldn't do for Rita! You
wouldn't take her away-deprive her
| Of all I can do for her."
He returned her agonized stare
steadily.
do you know what a sca -ancmone
Is, Molly? Rita and ! have watched
them at the aquarium. They look
like delicate flowers. They're pink, r
yellow, or lilac -colored. And they
float on the surface Of the water Is
gently as blossoms. Dainty, ~Quiyering
things. You'd never know to look at
them that they are cruel and relent-
less. They reach, suddenly, and grab
what they want. They send out show
ers Of singing, tiny darts. And. when
they've paralyzed their prey, they
take the things that feed them, and
eject everything else.
You're like a sea-anemone, Molly.
| You paralyze with your charms. You
take the things that feed your vanity,
and discard the rest. You threw Jack
Wells over You're playing o with
Flynn. You S Rita even. to slakc
your thirst for alteration. You'd con
sumo me, like the others, II you could.
but you can't, Molly. Because I know
what it's all about, you see. And the
rest don't. They've never watched .
sea-anemone."
"Oh. Bob!" Molly tried to laugh.
You can call me all the names you
please. I'll be an anemone, or q
shark. or any old thing. Only It's just
too silly to talk about me throwing
Jack over, and playing with Red. You
simply don't understand"
Don't you suppose I know that Red
kissed YOU out there in the hall?"
What II he did? You don't think
| that's being q sea-anemone, do your"
ITS not right" he insisted stiffly.
That's no sort Of carrytngs-0n, with
m innocent child In the house."
Molly laughed whole heartedly.
MY dear Bob, you're simply funny!
OF al the prtss = reformed rake Is the
| prigeiest. That you should talk about
'carryings-on!'"
"Well, now you know the way I feel
about 1t. I tell you. Molly. I shan't
have Red Flynn kissing you, not while
| Rita's around"
0Ut kSlt8 0OcSu . LuIuk tNeCe 3 any
| thing wrong about kissingl Neither
does Red. Neither do !. My dear Bob.
you're being perfectly ridiculous!
| What's . little kiss between friends7"
but hob was In no mood for Jest
Ing.
"I've said al I'm going TO say" he
| Announced. III VOL want Rita hadlv
enough. ! guess you could see your
WY to marrying her father. I
wouldn't bother you much, Molly. I've
learned . let about marriage and
women. since I married Rita. I
haven't talked to you about love. But
you know how ! feel. I'm % crazy
shout you. that I'm out Of my head
half the time. When ! talk like .
fool. It's desire Tor you that's driving
me insane. Well, We don't talk