The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-09-07
lAe FazMlM CAe0z
BY RUDY v M.

| his mother What have you beer doing to him?" she demanded an. grily.
 Mark recovered himself with a) effort. Its all right" he triec to smile. Its my fault got angry. all about nothing. Tn all right-don't ook so frightened Sonda. just leave me a1on. for moment"
 Mrs. Merriman came forward her eyes piteous.
 T didn't mean it, Mark. il wasn't true. i. not one word of it Oh my dear boy. ;" T think you had better fetch the nurse" Sondra said. And don't go, please. .. I want .o speak to you" .sf, She took Marks hand and held it to her cheek. His eyes were on her face, with almost agonized enquiry.
 What is it, Mark? Oh, what is it?" she asked in distress.
 But he only turned his head away.
 Mrs Merriman was downstairs in the waitingroom when Sondra presently sought her. There was nobody about, and Sondra closed the door behind her.
 Mrs. Merriman turned around from the window, her face pale, and strained How is he?" she asked eagerly.
 The doctor says he will be all |right-tl1at he had overdone things a little"
 There was a sf ort silence, then Sondra said in tense voice. T heard what you were saying-I heard what you were saying as T opened the door," and then as the elder woman said nothing. she broke out passionately. Oh, how could you have been so cruel your own son?"
 Tt was true what I said-every word was true"
 Does that make it any the less cruel?" Sondra said.
 Mrs. Merriman broke into bit ter weeping. You've taken my son from mcneil never be the same to me again, and you don't love him, know you don't really care for him at all."
 Everyone will hear, if you cry like that" Sondra said.
 l, In spite of herself, there was a vague pity for this woman in her heart. It was true-she had taken Mark away-true that she did not love him, and yet-she knew she would rather have died than hurt him as his mother had done.
 She supposed eiully that it was jealousy, but somehow she had never imagined Mrs. Merriman felt like that towards her; out wardly at all events they had been good friends.
 She said patiently: "If you will listen to me for a moment, I will try to explain. I know what you think of course-I daresay you are not the only one who thinks it, but you are quite wrong-Mr. An derson has never been anything to me but good friend. I heard you tell Mark that he has paid for all of my clothes-that is not | true either-he has given me pres ents, expensive presents, but not | since. =. since T married Mark. | You wouldn't understand if I tried i to explain how differently you and | look at things; you've been | brought up so differently, but I | hope you will believe me when I | say that. .. that I meant to do my best-always for Mark, to make him happy" Her voice trailed | away desolately, remembering that | only an hour ago she had tried | to say something like this to Am ierson.
 It had been a terrible time for her; both of them trying to talk lightly and of every subject but the one nearest to both their hearts and then just before she eft him Sondra bad said
 'I can't ever thank you for all | you've done for us, but I'll try. | .. to be decent; I'll try to do | what you said-to stand by my and not. not vent l ,hem on some eone who is, innocent" 1" | She wondered little of herself, l and why it was that she was so | determined that Mark should not |