The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-07-14
BA Ms! 5:./...I.', 55 81! ; NC: "!

ELINOR had had a hard battle
II with her aunt and uncle be-
fore persuading them to say they
would take a share of the for
tune. Before it was settled she
admitted a truth she had never
voiced even 70 her aunt who was
so close to her.
Aunt Bessie" she said on day
in January when she was al
most worn out by her futile argu-
ment with proud obstinacy, L have
never said this before. I wouldn't
say il now. but I must. I know.
Aunt Bessie, that you and Uncle
jim we're remembered substantially
in Aunt Elias will year ago.
MY mother found out about it,
and she so cleverly planted sugges-
tons about your inability TO handle
money that she persuaded Aunt
Ella TO change her plans. The sum
want you and Uncle jim and the
BOYS 10 have is yours. It's exactly
what was left you until my mother
robbed you of it.
Are you going to burden me al
my life with the consciousness of
! having stolen your money? Bar
rett and 1 both know this money
is yours and that more might have
been yours if you had been willing
to do what my mother did. There
has been plenty Of gossip about
mother that you could have told
aunt Ella"
L never did tell Aunt Ella any
thing about your mother" Bessie
admitted. once I thought of it
l never did, though-and 1 was so
glad even right after Aunt Ella S
death that I didn't"
jim Thrope heard all this and
considered it. Barrett put in his
voice, and at last they were per-
suaded. After that came the &c
static hunt for house with nice
grounds and space around it"
There's not a dark room in i'll"
Bessie would pant, shopping with
Elinor. And Elinor would press her
aunts arm closer to her side, say
ing, Barrett thinks it is a marvel
Gus bargain"
WET the girl was happy; ex-
L tremely and patiently happy.
She talked of their games Of chess,
/ Of plays she saw with Barrett, of
playing the piano for him. She
hurried home toward the close of
each afternoon in order to be in
for tea. There was a new bright
ness in her eyes, new sweetness
in her face. She was gentler than
ever and she had always been
gentle.
But" Bessie thought, something
about it iS-not quite right"
Ida made innumerable new pur-
chaSes- matching snakeskin purse
and shoes, a vibrating machine
which she used once, frocks that
had seemed attractive and that she
discarded after one wearing, Italian
pottery, cOlored glass.
She was feveriSh in her search
] for diverSion-and no diversion
helped her to forget that Vance
Carter had been locked up as in
sane in order to escape a less COM
Portable place of Imprisonment.
Vance wrote Ida now and again,
his letters smuggled out of the
asylum to a post box by bribed
guard. The letters were bitter ar
raignment Of her, of his folly in
having believed in her
After the accident" she had had
to deny even the slightest interest in
Vance Carter She had admitted
publicly that he had annoyed" her
for some time. She implied that
her nature was housekeeping one.
Seeing her mothers name in news
paper headlines made Elinor shrink.
1t was all so sordid. She thought
of Vance Carter with hot pity She
knew what her mother had done to
add weakness to weakness.
Don't think of it," Barrett often
urged. He was learning by her
changing expressions to know the
emotions they mirrored. He was
learning, too, that he could not bear
to have her anything but happy
He supposed as the weeks passed
that he was being fool again. but
he could not help it. He tried to
steel himself against her, to ig-
more her natural appeal and he
failed.