The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-06
CHAPTER FoRTY-sEvEN

Married TO Michael Heatheroe
weeks ago. He is here with me. Both
ask blessing and forgiveness"
Victor almost had apoplexy. Ber-
tine did not do much to soothe him.
What with this outlandish tale, Vic
tor fumedl Katharine wandering
around the Southwest with God
knew whom, lost in the desert,
found by this extraordinary young
men who had taught riding class
in Innicock and who, amazingly
enough, had been married 10 Kath-
arine for weeks.
Berthe said again and again that
she could not get over it. She re-
peated the phrase impressively, as
though the very weight of her words
must stun the listener.
People got bored hearing it, Ida
Parker, who was fond Of Berthe,
said so roundly.
You really must stop raving
about Kay" Ida told her friend.
People will think there's some
thing odd about the whole affair,
and it's really very romantic. 1t
isn't as if this young Heatheroe
hadn't turned out extraordinarily
well. He has a title if he cares to
use it. Zoe tells me. 1t was all in
The Tihic;,.
Newspaper stories" said Kath-
arine's stepmother. who had a COM
plete disregard for all matter APP
pearing in the public prints except
the society columns which were to
her a sort of Bible.
Ida Parker was annoyed and
showed it.
IT'S the truth" she said firmly.
And you know it. think Katna-
rine's done very well for herself.
80 quiet. and sly and under
handed" Berthe cried. Never
telling us word about it or any
thing"
when did you ever encourage
confidence from Katharine, my
dear?" inquired the other woman
softly, unable to resist this stab.
Berthe flushed and tossed her
head. For a few days she didn't
telephone to Ida, but the other
woman heard that Mrs. Strykhurst
had stopped what Zoe called
"broadcasting" about Katharine's
elopement and was satisfied.
Meantime, Victor Strykhurst went
to see Mrs. MerSer.
Yes, I know about it." Violet
said.
You probably encouraged the
whole thing just from spite Victor
sputtered angrily. II wouldn't have
believed it of you"
II didn't know until afterWard,"
Violet told him, keeping her temper
in leash. II warned you the day
she was thrown from the horse that
she needed careful handling. I could
see by her face she was interested
in the boy. But you wouldn't let
her take a job; you baked her in
everything. What did you ex-
pect?"
XTIOLET felt a sudden and in
' explicable pity for him. sitting
there with his handsome head in his
hands.
Its turning out all right" she
said gently. Hes a gentleman, nice
looking and pleasant"
He was a groom" muttered Vic
tor. He was a cowboy before that. "
You're being very foolish about
it." Violet told him. rising and ter
minating the interview. Il don't
know why 1 should listen to your
absurd accusations against me. ex-
cept that I was once fond Of you,
and 1 realize parents are notably
silly in matters of this sort"
I'm sorry" said the man, know
ing himself dismissed.
Violet felt that absurd pity we'll
ing up in her heart again. When he
left she shook hands with him quite
calmly, and then she went back into
the house and tore up letters which
she had been keeping in a locked
box.
She was burning them in the fire
place when Sybil and Diana, de-
posted by the school bus, rushed in.
What are you doing, mummy"
She smiled at them dimly. Burn
ing the ghost of an old love, my
dears."
Why she had kept those old love
letters, she could not have said. She
was a true and faithful wife; but
there had been a lurking sentiment
for the old tie which she had never
before been able to sever. She saw
Victor now as he really was-elderly
Intellectual, hidebound. How could
she ever have loved him?
ISABEL. who worked in Miss
L Betsy's Beauty Shop, read the
news in the village newspaper and
went back to the shabby little house
she shared with her mother and sis
tiers to gloat over the story with a
trace of envy.
Il know her WE'LL" she told the
dazZled little sisters who hung over
the poor half-tone reproduction of
Katharine's picture. "Oh, she's lots
prettier than that, Daisy! She's a
real blond-and you know we don't
get many of those. I've seen the
fellow she married many a time, too
He's real good looking-I don't
know as he's my type, though
Now, my ideal"
Thew bod heard about TSohol' e