The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-03-12

family. The SOILS and daughters who
shared the house with the old woman
were FESTIVE and talked Of creating
their own homes. Sons and daughters
who lived within communicable dis
thnce of the homestead were chary
off calling and grandchildren had rigid
Ii to be taught the duty Of their week
liz bow of Difference to the old patri-
arch of a woman who sat in tapestry
chair and who resembled the pirate
parrot.
But even the indomitable influence
Of this old woman was unable to cast
its shadow entirely on her family.
THE most dominant of her children,
the most endowed with the gift of per-
sonality and wit, was Wallace. AT
the end of the sixth year Of his mar
riage, he was occupying one of the
beautiful new houses Of the town. His
wife rode in imported motor cars and
the pair formed the nucleus Of one of
the VIGOROUSLY chic and gay social
sets in the town.
The catastrophe which the old wom-
an had SO doggedly foreseen as inevi-
liable came, however, sooner than even
she expected. A terrified. Mortified
and blasted group of her large fam
fly met one evening in the sitting
room of the old homestead to con-
front, in their plight and terrifying
dilemma, the hard, cold eyes of the
Grandmother.
Wallace had committed the unspeak-
able. Incredible as it might seem, the
shades of the prison house were
about to cast their ominous reflection
around his impeccable family. Hand
cuffs lowered over the wrists Of Wal
lace. He had defaulted and was
about to abscond.
It was a grim and panic-stricken
meeting of gay clan.
The old woman in her high-backed
chair presided like some menacing
Fury. Bitter, indicting words ratified
off the thin ridge of her lips. She
took occasion to scourge, not only the
STRICKEN figure of her son, seated there
before her in the limp attitude of de-
feat. but every member of the family.
WastRels, Spendthrifts, irresponsi-
lbles, cheats. Self-satiation had been
their uAdoing. Lack of moral respon
|sibilityJ selfishness, pretense, extrava-
Igance. Her scorn of them cracked
from her old lips. And all the while
her son. defeated sat before her, with
his head seeming to drop down into
the slot of his shoulders and his hor-
ror of the punishment of the law that
was going to descend upon him creas-
ing his face and aging him.
1t was then that the Grandmother
reached out her claw-like hand and
touched his head lightly. 1t was the
first gesture of affection her children
had seen from her in years; Curl
Gus. hesitant, embarrassed gesture that
somehow was painful. It was then
that che Grandmother, also, from
boxes and drawers that she ordered
servants to bring to her, began to tilt
upon the old family dining table the
riches of her resources. Pearls. The
square diamond ring. The thousand
dollar bill from Wallace, sapphire and
diamoh nd earrings. pendants, bracelets,
more jewels and expensive decora-
tons bf every conceivable type. And
from lone drawer alone, bank notes,
piles pf them, that had the quality of
flutte1ing out like live fingers unfold
ed, I'M sinuatingly.
Th9 table top might have been
strewh with the yield of a pirates
chestl Thousands and tens Of thou
sands lay in bulk there.
The moment which Grandmother
had dreaded and foreseen had arrived.
Her children were in need of what
she had boarded for them.
Sitting there, chastened, the shades
of tn prison house began to recede
from the face of her son, Wallace.