The Ely miner., 1930-12-26
THE
MOTHER
OF
RICHARD
BY FANNIE HURST



A s MRS. BRISBANE told her
"A self repeatedly when the news
4 came, ii was precisely what
she had expected. II was pre-
cisely what she had known would
happen. II this las1 is perhaps stretch
ing IL a trifle. II might he more con-
else 10 say that il was what Mrs.
Brisbane had for years tried TO make
herself believe she wanted 10 happen
No mother. however whole-hearted
her desire for the welfare of her son
may be. should be expected 10 take
the high hurdle of sans marriage
without al least a little crack. if not
q break, of heart
And the news that had Just come TO
Mrs. Brisbane was not only that of
the marriage OF her son. but Of the
marriage Of an adored and only child.
who up 10 two years before when be
had left TO accept temporary busi-
ness position in London. had been her
constant and devoted attendant.
The years away from him. while she
remained al home in Minneapolis
where as widow she had reared this
child into the fine fulfllment OF q
steady manhood. had been the lone
iest OF her life. with the exception.
Of course. Of those Immediately follow
ing her husbands death. when the boy
Richard had been six.
II was one of those sacrifices. her
permitting Richard TO accept the tenn
porary position with large mercan-
tile establishment in London. that
millions of mothers have been called
upon 10 make and have made valiant
ly. There was never moment when
Marion Brisbane heSifaIed in her en-
thusiasfic cooperation with plan
thai was 10 tear her son from her side
And now the two years were finished
The rwo inTerminably long years. when
her chief sus1enance had been eagerly
devoured from the letters of her son
II was moi thai his marriage had
come with the blow Of surprise From
her pretty little house in q charming
iVSiF4Elit4Gl Sl4CCa VI A1lLAcC lBAs84Ss
Marion Brisbane had seen the thing
happening overseas as clearly as if
the entire scene were taking place in
the retina of her eye.
Veronica Clayback. the girl Richard
was bringing home as bride. was an
American born girl who had lived in
England the greater part of ner life
Marion Brisbane had gone 10 school
with her mother. highly bred ST.
Paul girl. who had married a Britisher.
Everything about this marriage. gen
orally speaking. gave of the odor of
rightness The Claybacks stood for
fine stability. social distinction, 10 say
nothing of great wealth From all
she knew of this daughter OF her erst-
while school friend Richard was tax
ing unto himself a wife worthy of the
promise of q fine young manhood
The boy who had gone from her,
totally her own. was coming back the
property OF another. There was no
gainsaying there Millions of mothers
before her had tried to evade the bit
rerness of that truth. and millions
would after her.
Richard was no longer hers. solely.
triumphantly and dearly. He had
taken vows in the name Of this terrify-
ing stranger. Veronica Clayback. His
kiss of allegiance was sealed againsf
her strange lips.
II was then. as these shamins and
shameful jealousies began 10 crowd
in on Marion Brisbane. that she de-
termined willfully TO cast them out of
her heart
In the two months that lay between
her and the date of the return of her
child. Marion Brisbane determined 10
set her house in order. to adjust her
jealousies. to grind them ont, 10 pre-
pare her mind to receive, without
rancor. this stranger into her home
II was curious the way the mind of
Mrs Brisbane set about its task. She
determined TO meet her daughter-in-
law on the equable basis of woman TO
woman. Veronica Clayback Brisbane
was not going to be confronted by the
appalling situation presented BY an
antiquated. jealous mother-in-law.
From the bottom up, Marion Bris-
bane began mental and physical
renovation that would make her. in
the eyes of her daughter-in-law. the
modern, unsentimenfal. intelligent
mother-in-law that she proposed to be
The YeSuir was Interesting Mor;o,
Brisbane had her face lifted, and il
must be said that there was nothing
mask-iike about the results A new
youth flowed across the expression of
this woman, aided and abetted by the
new determination in her eyes. She
not only had her face lifted. she had her
hair tinted and permanently marcelled:
conservatively tinted. so that ii lay In