The Washington times., 1937-03-02

understand why his father h
The rest he'd learned in a word
here and there over the years,
though not from his father, ever
Sometimes his father did not
mention his mothers name for
months together. Then he would
announce, day after day (as If
he could not even yet forgive
her), that she had been soft"
But he offered no more serious
criticism to her memory.
CHAPTER VIII
Through all the time he'd been
growing up, the strangest knowl-
edge grew in Keith beside the
knowledge of that story! That
he could not escape his father,
lust because his mother had. She
had left an arrogant man, in the
prime of his life. He would be
abandoning an old man who
clustered a great deal, in the ef.
fort to conceal that he was
broken, under the screen Of his
arrogance-had been broken,
probably since dark. slender
girl left his house and his fortune
and his power.
Long since (probably at about
the time of her DEATH, his father
had retired from active participa
ton in all his companies, except
the original Steel-rail company in
which he had intended his son to
follow him; and even that he had
given up, since Keith announced
he meant to be a painter.
That single defiance he'd
achieved; and he had the curious
feeling that if he could even play
at work he liked, he could better
manage to endure the years, and
his slow-growing Self-contempt
for enduring them.
He had no inner security at all.
His fathers long clear dislike of
him had prevented that. So,
though in his boyhood he'd some
times meant to stick to his father
out of a kind of loyalty, and a
wish to make up" to him for his
long loneliness, he had been sure,
for several years now, that he only
stayed with the old man to make
sure OF his money, and amused
himself meanwhile as well as he
could.
He considered himself, in the
occasional dreadful hours OF self
appraisal no sensitive person eS-
capes, a complete weakling. He
had long forgotten the beginning
of the road that had taken him
to the place he was-had forgot
ten the boy who loved and pitled
his father, and forgave him so
many things, for so many years.
A thought that might have COM
forted him never occurred to him
at all-that to have held con-
stantly to decision made when
he was 10 years old, implied a
kind Of strength.
The elder sheldie laid down the
newspaper again.
Did you want to marry Denise
Rendale?" he asked.
That surprised Keith. He was
not aware that his father paid SUI
ficient attention to his comlngs
and goings to know with whom
he spent his time. He was so sur
prised that he did not notice the
form Of the question Immediately,
and answered from his thoughts.
you've tanned me to such a de-
gree that I shouldn't think Of any
thing as Independent as mar
rage"
"I don't want you to marry"
"That I've known, too, though
you don't happen ever to have
mentioned why"
He said that, as he had said ear
lier: ''I wonder why you so dislike
me-" Nearly all his conscious life
he'd said things like that, just to
conceal the fact he did know the
reasons, more or less.
His fathers answer then. was
not as expected. ct usually was:
"You may as we'll be the little use
your companionship is to me, con-
Bidering what you've cost me.D
This time he said: It'll all blow
up-the country, I mean-before
your children would be grown.
What's the use of marrying? You
won't be able to leave them any
thing"
That, Keith knew, if he made
an appropriate reply, would intro
duce one Of those long discourses
on Whats the country coming
TOP" that his father enjoyed max.
ing. But instead he asked sharply:
"Father, what did you mean by
did you want to marry Denise'?'
The question was echoing in his
head suddenly, with DeniSe's final
words to him: II mean to marry
Gilbert Windon."
His father said: Her engage
@nent's announced. Didn't you