Evening star., 1940-04-06
CHAPTER XIX.

For one terrible moment Gail
thought her mother was going to
speak. Her eyes blazed bitter hatred
form the dead whitenes- of her face.
She stopped and the words she did
not say were hurled like invisible
javelins across the room, then
awkwardly, hastily, as if suddenly
afraid to remain, Anna disappeared.
MY God, how she must hate
mel" Chris exclaimed. Have you
explained to her that my intentions
are strictly honorable?"
He tried to speak lightly but
Gail knew that his nerves had been
shaken by the unspoken threat in
Annals eyes. The spell between
them had been broken. Their
beautiful moment lay at their feet
splintered into pieces. Never to be
recaptured.
your intentions have nothing
to do with it," Gail said unhap-
PLY.
"You mean she doesn't want you
to marry me?"
Gail nodded.
"But why not?" the man insisted.
"After all, if your mother has some
thing against me I'm certainly en-
titled to know what it is. Or is
1t just that she doesn't want you to
marry any one?"
"She wouldn't want me to marry
any one now" Gail admitted in a
low, troubled voice hoping her
mother could not hear.
But, darling, can't you see that
that isn't normal viewpoint for
any woman TO have? You're too
sane to let your whole life be in
huenced by any such reason"
No Choice.
II haven't any choice about It,"
she said sadly. II told you 1t was
a hopeless situation"
'But, Gail, darling. :"
She put one frightened hand over
his mouth.
please, darling, we mustn't try
to talk about it any more to night.
You'll have to CO."
He rose realizing the impossibility
Of discussing anything while Anna
ragged silently in that other room.
When am I to see you again?"
he asked putting on his coat
II can't tell you now. I'll let you
know" she promised.
At the door he bent to kiss her
but there was no satisfaction In
the brief caress. Fof the first time
Chris was beginning to realize the
strength of the wall which separated
them. Gail waited a moment, then
drawing deep breath entered her
mothers room.
Anna was sitting on small chair
near the window. She looked like
a woman turned to stone. But her
voice seethed with pain when Gail
attempted to take her hand
Don't touch me-" she said.
Mother, I know it must have been
q terrible shock. But please don't
take it like this. I didn't want it
to happen. Can't you understand"
Lost Interest.
Vt can understand everything"
Anna assured her, "Now No Won
der you have lost interest in clear
Ing your fathers name. You don't
want to 60 on with it. You have
forgotten what it means"
II haven't forgotten anything"
the girl declared passionately. But
Chris had nothing to do with it.
Why should he have to suffer for
something his father did?"
The glance Anna turned upon
her was like that of wounded
animal.
John Reid killed your father
just as surely as if he had put
knife into his heart. All these
years I've lived for only one pur-
pose To see that justice was done.
But I see now 1t would have been
better If I, too, had died"
Eyes Burn.
Anna's eyes were dry and burn
Ing. The hands Gail touched were
hot. Gail felt she could not bear it.
"Oh. Mother" she cried, you
were in love once. Can't you re-
member how you felt?" But it
was like talking to some one who
couldn't hear her.
"You have no right to marry
any one until your fathers inno-
cence has been proved" Anna re-
minded her.
She rose and began her prepara-
tions for bed methodically like a
woman in a trance but Gail could
not leave her. Never in her life
had she been so unhappy.
She loved her mother and pitied
her from the bottom of her heart.
Nothing had ever come between
them before. "How can it help my
father for me to turn against
Chris?" she thought in despair.
Yet she knew that Anna would
never forgive her if she refused
to give him up. 1t was terrible to
have found love only to renounce
It, If only Anna had some one else.
But Aunt Belle would be no COM
fort to her. Gail could imagine
with what cruel satisfaction the
older sister would remind the
mother of her daughters trans
gression.
IT always knew she would do
something to hurt you,' Aunt Belle
would say. "She has had too