Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-09-13
CHAPTER 6


it. A young Laurel, the dark foreigner
beside her, lovely baby in her arms.
Behind them, the chateau.
"And on the back, in her own hand
writing, are our names and the date!"
-triumphantly.
"But it was my father she loved!
And also she wanted you! Your faith
er was cruel and resentful! He was
far too old for her anyhow! She was
driven to marry him because she had
no money, and was trapped in Europe
by the war! He should have given
her baby to her" Jean flashed: ODE
cent American men always think of
a mothers feelings"
Gaby interrupted scornfully: "And
did she think of me when she fell in
love with the American doughboy?
Did she consider my poor father, who
had married her penniless and friend
less, and elevated her to his position
and his chateau? Why should she be
considered? Your American ideas are
not those of France! You American
women demand everything and give
nothing! You are abominably spoiled
and selfish!
jeans brain reeled. Her whole Sc
cure world seemed to be falling apart.
From far away, she heard herself
ask: eff you knew all this, and have
been out of that convent for seven
years, why has it taken you so long
to find us ?"
81 had no wish ever to see you.
despised our mother for running the
lives of my father and me-" Gaby
replied. 81 told myself I would soon
er starve. Indeed, often I have gone
hungry. But something stronger than
hatred changed me in the last six
months"
"What was it," Jean wet her dry
lips.
Zone day-but not now-you will
know" Gaby added, coldly: 81
found you because the lady I sewed
for in Martinique got the American
newspapers. There was a picture of
you standing beside your horse. With
the hair so fluffy after riding, you
were the image of those pictures of
our mother in this box of mine! Miss
Jean Garrett of New York! J. compar-
ed the picture also with Gene Gar
rett's picture"-she touched the box
land I saw you had great look of
him also-and the name so similar
and you would be just about that age
they said, too"
what prize sleuth! And now what
do you plan to do?"
''It is Miss Garrett, as the Ameri-
cans say--up to you! l can go to
your rich stepfather with my proofs
of this hidden divorce and scandal,
and the law will permit him, on
grounds of fraud and misrepresent-
alton, to get an annulment of his
marriage with our mother!"
can annulment? Ridiculous!" Jean
told Gaby.
But she was horribly afraid. She
knew that word from this French
girl might forever remove the lux
urious world they had so long en-
joyed.
They would drop from Walters
orbit. 1t was unthinkable! She felt
sick with dread.
Had she been On the old terms
with Walter-close to him-she would
have confided in him. He was a
lawyer. He might have found way
of dealing with Gaby, with the sit
uation, that wouldn't involve telling
her stepfather that his wife had de-
liberately concealed previous mar
riage and the existence of offspring
by it.
"But it is not ridiculous" Gaby re-
piled. eff you do make even little
atonement for what have suffered,
I tell you plainly that 1 will ruin you
and our mother-whom I do not re-
SoI0 do q lllOOllCI az all d
long way to find you on what you
Americans call bunch. I asked the
American lady in Martinique about
you, showing her the picture in the
paper, and she told me you had
very rich stepfather whose name she
could not remember, and that you and
vOI1r nnOthar wont avorx,xuharo Alec
that her first husband had been kill
ed in the World War;"
$50 all of a sudden, you thought
you'd cash in on it," was jeans
bitter comment.
II tell you only because I have
reason-a powerful reason-and this
you will not know until the proper
time"