The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-01-01
By JORDAN

W.
By ELIZABETH JORDAN
Published by Special Advancement with The
| Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate.
Incorporated
Copyrisht: 1896, By Elisabeth Jordan
IN TWO PARTS-PART TWO
Perhaps not" Joyce admitted duly.
But you see, I happened to adore
her. I was q temperamental mite. All
my eggs were in n basket. The separ-
! alton broke my heart. Yes, it literally
me over, from a naturally adoring little
creature, into a mess Of suspicion and
bitterness and misery. Not all at once,
of course. Slowly, as time passed. I
never got over the separation. I never
shall get over it, If I live a hundred
years: Ny mother was the very breath
She stopped a minute, as If looking
into the past, and then went on.
"She paid Aunt Praiseever very gen.
erously. for my keep and she came to
see me quite often. She lived in Boston,
a hundred miles from us and she used
to motor over once q month or so, IN q
beautiful limousine, to spend the day
with me. She always brought all sorts
of lovely clothes and gifts for meas
If they could make up for my agony
when she left me again! I always cried
all night long after every visit and
asked my mother to stay away, as the
visits vert having such a. bad effect
on me But she kept on coming till
stopped them myself. I was a queer
little imp, and I think I realized that
the visits weren't worth the price
paid for them. When I was six. I found
a hiding place in the neighborhood, and
I scurried to it every time she came
No one could find me. After a few
episodes of that understanding, the
town and not finding me-she stopped
coming so often"
She was silent again, but her COM
panion did not speak.
after that she would drop in on us
Unexpectedly several times a year"
Joyce continued at last. 80 she caught
me at home. I always managed to eS-
cape to my hiding place, though, in ar
hour or so-and that was the end OF
me for the day. She had to leave with
out seeing me again. But those were
was a cellar: in a deserted house neal
1.-The edge of the village. I was almost
as much afraid of the cellar as I was
of my mothers visits. But I spent the
days of her visits in it, down in the
darkness and among the spiders and
mice, till she finally stopped coming
except at very long intervals"
She stopped. again and looked past
the, other woman's face, as if gazing
childish years. Still Mrs. Cary did moi
break the silence.
when I was 49," Joyce resumed
II ran away from Aunt Praiseever, be-
cause I had learned for the first time
that mother was paying for my keep
there. It was three days before the!
found me. I had actually got a job a:
nurse girl, in a neighboring town. J
told Aunt Praiseever, when I was dis.
covered and brought home, that I woulc
live with her if she would let me worl
for my keep, but that I would never
live, with her a day if she took another
penny for my support from my mother
BY that time they both. knew I would
do what I said. Besides, Aunt Praise.
the doctors. told her she was In, for
long seige. I think she realized that
could earn my way, either with her o.
elsewhere. We made a new bargain.
resigned my three-day nursery job anc
became" Aunt Praiseever's assistant
nurse, secretary and companion. Sht
gave me a few dollars a month, enough
to pay for my few clothes. Our bargain
lasted till her death.
II never let my mother spend an
other penny OF me. 1t would have beer
the money of the man who hated me
and who had separated US. I sent bacl
every gift she sent me, till she stopped
sending gifts.".
There was a long silence. Then Mrs
Cary asked a question.
What was your mothers defenst
for all this? She must have had mt
"She did. Aunt P%raiseever gave it tt
the talk while We were making our nev
bargain. when I was 10. She said moth
er's husband was an invalid when SIN
married him, though she hadn't know
it. He was a terrible sufferer, and h
had been madly jealous of me from tn
first. His Jealousy of me was an obses
sion. Added to his disease, it made hin
irresponsible mentally: He hid it til
they were safely married, and then h
let it out. She didn't dare to have M
in the same house with him. But h
adored mother to the end. and evi
IDENTIFY she loved him, too. He was a.
helpless as a child. Aunt Praiseeve:
said he probably seemed a child Il
mother. Anyway, she made her choice
between that child and me. Don't let
talk any more about my mother" JOYCE
want to see her or hear of her. 1t al
most kills me, even to think of her.
How long is it since you saw her?'
about IS years-when I was eight.
do you remember how she looked?'
Eyes. But Aunt Praiseever told me SHE
had changed very much, and that
wouldn't know her if I saw her now
HAS she made any recent efforts
to see you?"
ooh yes" Joyce spoke still more
What she wanted now was to get ava,
from the subject of her mother. He,
husband died two years ago, when
was 81. He left her a rich woman. Sh,
came at once, in n of her gorgeous
cars. to offer Aunt Praiseever and m,
all the treasures of the earth. But
saw the car coming. so I escaped
through the back door to my dugou