Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1944-01-07

pital here at Mazatlan. She came
secretly here. wanting to be near
her brother. and yet for some
strange reason not telling him she
was even in the town until after the
child was born.
Later. on steamer day. she
sent word, pretending that she had
come ashore for the few hours the
steamer stopped. She explained the
child by saying its mother had died
at sea and she expected TO adopt it.
Sam went to see her." Berta went
on rapidly. deep fire In her eyes.
'She would not come to the rancho,
because OF me. She would not even
permit him to tell me anything
about her being here at the time.
Only after Maria had told me later
something of what had happened,
did learn about it from Sam. But
he made me promise never to talk
of it. Things. Of course"-she ges-
tured vehemently with her small,
ivory-tinted hands-"are different
now. II is time to talk
"You are right. Sonora Chatfeld,"
said Rogers. 1T is time to talk"
He turned to Elsa, questioning look
in his mild blue eyes. and seemed
to wait for some word from her.
Elsa had listened to Berta without
q change Of expression. She now
looked at Rogers steadily. her level
gray eyes fixed upon his; the lines
had smoothed out Of her face: her
voice when next she spoke was quite
calm.
Perhaps you're right, both Of
you," she said. Having kept still
so long, however. it really makes lit
tie difference with me now" She
continued to stand before Rogers as
II answering to him, ignoring the
others who sat silently In their
chairs.
II ran away from school In the
East. went to New York, be.
cause I'd decided to be an artist.
Father knew what I'd done and ap-
proved 1t. didn't tell Aunt Kitty
and she didn't know where l was.
After I'd been there nearly 4 year
father one day telegraphed me that
Aunt Kitty needed me. That was
the first mistake. She never need
ed anybody. But just the same !
Jew to San Francisco. was seven
teen. and didn't have any sense"
Rogers interrupted her. Won't
you sit down. Elsa?"
She smiled at him. mo, thank
you." she answered. continuing to
stand easily before us. II met Aunt
Kitty when she got of the boat with
the baby. Father had written me
at San Francisco. telling me what
he believed was the truth. I'd had
only the telegram. OF course. l
was sort Of stunned; nothing like
this had ever happened to our fam
lily. I was very frank to say SO;
she had 1t coming to her after the
way she'd brought me up. Aunt Kit
ty turned on me 50 fiercely ! thought
shs was going to strike me. She
denied 1t was her child. She said
Father had lied to me. It was 4
baby she was going to adopt But
stuck to the point like the little
fool I was. l threatened to kidnap
the child and 90 home with 1t and
announce It as my own, just to
shame her. That was the second
mistake. l didn't carry out my
threat but it was only because I
couldn't get the child away from
her."
Elsa had settled into a calm, dis
passionate recital Of facts which no
longer held any emotional content
for her. 1t was something out Of
the past, something which might
have happened to someone else and
not to her. Reed Barton stood at
her right and slightly behind her. as
if to protect her, although he was
absorbed in what she was saying.
"You returned home together,
then, you and your aunt?" Rogers
suggested.
Eyes. I'd used up all my money
in going to San Francisco, and IA
Their couldn't send me any more at
that time. Aunt Kitty would not
give me any to 60 back to New
York. She'd buy me anything l
wanted, though, in the way Of cloth.
ing. She'd never been really gen.
erous. | couldn't understand it now.
I thought before this that I'd hated
her, but we were really only begin
ming to hate each other.
Then one day | woke up to what
had happened to me. Odd how you
can be the center Of gossip and
never hear whisper Of it. It's like
being in the center of hurricane,
everything is so quiet. Months had
passed before the maid one day said
something to me about my baby
was furious. went to Aunt Kitty.
She laughed. The whole town thinks
it's yours she said. She laughed
again. And it's going to be yours.
You can't prove it's not. You ran