Show f g forsaking all others g by AMELIA CHAPTER V the first meeting between mother and son was an affectionate one vey kissed the trail little woman and after a few earnest words 0 greeting drew a stool to her reclining chair and sat where she could look at him with out effort gladys was gratified by bis solicitude you are glad I 1 am better deara she asked running her slender hand through his thick dark hair you have missed mea very much indeed I 1 wanted to see you long ago but phebe would not per mit it she obeyed my wish said gladys detecting the reproach in his tone never mind that tell me ot boursell yo ursell what have you been doing all this time she listened smilingly while he gave her an account of everything he thought would interest her she treaded the mention of helen s name though realizing it was inevitable ahen he paused she voluntarily in produced trod it nell Is remarkably well answered harvey his face lighting up and so Is the boy we are thinking ot put ting him into trousers you 11 see them eoon madam in a few days when I 1 am strong er she answered hastily I 1 must not go too fast no harvey acquiesced he seemed slightly ly uncomfortable nell has made borne changes in the establishment during your illness I 1 hope you will approve of them gladys looked at him with just a hint of trouble in her face but said nothing j when phebe gave her the keys harvey resumed with the manner of i one who has an unpleasant duty to perform she of course considered her belf the custodian of your prop arty and acted tor what she thought your inter est he took one of gladys hands and began playing with her rings in a fashion he had when as a boy he pont essed some childish fault and though he was speaking in almost helen a tone and using her very words the familiar action made her feel very tender toward him she has sent away the groom and several of the maids and reduced the expenses of the servants table nearly one half you will be surprised when you see how emall the bills are still gladys did not speak but mere y looked at him attentively nell wished me to tell you this and beg that you will not interfere with her arrangements now that they are made she has carefully considered them and Is convinced and I 1 m with ber there madam that she has acted or the best in all things bohe really has wonderful judgment add you may safely trust her with the management of the house still harping on my daughter quoted gladys with a faint smile she felt she must remain silent no longer since silence meant acquiescence yet she might be displeased I 1 have no dout helen has done her best and I 1 am grateful to her tor relieving phebe during my illness but now that I 1 am nearly well dear my old housekeeper will of course resume her position harvey dropped the hand with which he had been toying so suddenly that the movement seemed like a repulse I 1 hope you don t mean that nell will be greatly disappointed and hurt if you push her aside she takes ine pride in the management and really it seems fitting she should have it Is annette among the servants who were sent awaya asked gladys I 1 have not seen her since my illness yes she was the first to go you had no need tor her while phebe was with you but my dear I 1 ve had a maid all my life I 1 can t do without one and I 1 like annette she has been with me for years gladys looked like a grieved child she was too weak to assert herself and felt strangely helpless phebe who had just re entered the room gave her a significant look you husn t talk too much miss gladys you ve been with your mother long enough mr harvey I 1 hope you haven t troubled her with business only with what was necessary he returned rising with an air of relief tor he had not enjoyed his office he bent over gladys and kissed her you 11 do all you can to please me won t you madama he coaxingly said after all little do not count she smiled wearily yes harvey but I 1 can make no promises until I 1 think matters over I 1 certainly must have annette back in a day of two at furthest well speak to nell about it he responded reluctantly no doubt she will be willing to concede a few minor points and blind to the sud den flash in gladys eyes he left tha room he had hardly gone ahn she turned to the housekeeper phebe what has that woman been doing now miss gladys it will only wor ry you to talk about unpleasant things it will fret me more not to know than to know well tha truth Is mrs harvey has made a complete upset downstairs she has sent away nearly all of the old servants engaged raw country girls at small wages in their places and tor nurse and parlor maid she hires two of her sisters her own sisters gladys compre bended in a moment the awkward corn rising from such an arrange ment and looked ber dismay has ehe put them in caps and la no answered phebe laughing they belong to the family and seem to enjoy living here they re all over the place and you d think they owned it they bother saunders to death stealing his flowers them blakes are very possessive people and harvey does he approve he d approve of anything that pleases his adoring wife the way she I 1 I 1 goes on over him is just sickening and the girls too make an awful fuss it s brother harvey here and brothel harvey there from morn till night they treat him as the head of the family and hee boyish enough to be tickled to death by their flattering ways gladys sighed I 1 m afraid it will be very hard for me to right matters phebe I 1 don t feel equal to the task not now because you re not your self you 11 get back your courage in good time you must tor your author ity will be gone for good it you submit to mrs harvey s impudent meddling and you 11 have to fight tor your rights it won t be as hard as you think all the servants are ready to come back I 1 told them you wouldn t let them go and advanced enough money to pay their board was that righta gladys nodded approval annette is staying with s cousins hard by and can be brought over at any hour so you see matters are not as bad as they seem now drink your wine and milk and to get all this never cross a bridge till you come to it dearie upon which bit of homely wisdom gladys rested content for the time phebe she said a day or two later I 1 am strong enough now to be rest less I 1 grow tired of these three rooms this afternoon I 1 m going to cross the hall to my parlor quite a journey she laughingly ended not this very afternoon 9 she asked yes why nota I 1 am almost as well as I 1 was before my illness that isn t it miss gladys but you see well the room isn t ready tor you phebe blurted out not what do you mean then as a sudden suspicion flashed across her mind she asked sharply surely helen has not interfered with my own private parlors she s done just that and given it to her sisters as a sort of day nursery and sewing room when I 1 objected mrs harvey said she was sure you would not object to an arrangement that kept the baby so near you and as you had no maid her sisters would be at hand to do any bit of mending you needed how dared she cried gladys with flashing eyes and compressed lips has the furniture been removed 9 only your desk and book cases and card tables which are in the library the piano was left tor the girls to practice on their music lessons were interrupted when mrs harvey mar CHAPTER VI gladys was pale with wrath to men her excitement would have seemed wholly disproportionate to its cause but women to whom their in dimate belongings are always a part ot themselves will dundei stand her sensa alons she could have borne a personal attack as easily as this upon her lares and phebe had never before known her to be so angry and was startled by the passionate demon str atlon she demanded that harvey should be sent to her the minute he returned from business nor wo lid she be persuaded to wait till she was cugier when be came marveling at the imperative summons she met him with reproaches and censured helen unsparingly for her insolent interfere int erfer ence he listened quietly at first his surprise at the unwonted exhibition of anger equaled phebe s then his own ire rose I 1 told you once before I 1 would not allow you or any one to speak diere i tully of my wife he sternly said helen has been actuated by the kind est of motives in everything she has done and I 1 uphold her in her course even when her kindness extends to robbing me of my private ou make too much of what is doubtless a mere temporary arrange ment you could not use the parlor while you were but I 1 can now and I 1 will gladys spoke briskly and with determination be kind enough to tell your wife that it is to be vacated at once come come madam you are unreasonable said harvey persuasively it will require a day or two to make the change and dispose of the girls comfortably I 1 hardly know what other room can be found for them there are a number in the upper part of the house none except the servants cham bers they can not occupy them why not since they are servants my servants demanded gladys the color rushed to harvey s face you are not yourself else you would never say that madam so I 1 pass it over he replied temperately though he was both mortified and angry helen will make an arrange ment satisfactory to all parties it you give her time I 1 have faith in her judg ment she is the wisest woman I 1 know and the besta asked gladys with feminine perversity courting the knife the best by far he deliberately answered the color died from her face leaving it white and wan you are rude sir she said more sadly than bitterly no only truthful I 1 am sorry it I 1 have offended you but you force me to defend my wife it is my earnest wish mother that you leave matters she is far better qualified to manage your domestic affairs than you i are the childish temper you have just shown proves that it is time you should transfer your burdens to younger shoulders deis As your son I 1 urge you to do this ed e d I 1 am sure you will not oppose ax it you insist on having your room I 1 do insist upon it then you mua settle the matter with helen and see what Is to be done about the girls women always find a way out of these little difficulties harvey spoke Is it the affair was of slight importance but he did not meet gladys steady look evading it by producing a cigar you dont mind my lighting up before I 1 goa harvey be warned said gladya seriously it you leave me to deal with helen you may regret it I 1 ask you to arrange this matter quietly but immediately it you refuse to do so you must accept the consequences I 1 am not afraid of any you may force upon me madam you are a lady you will not make my wife the center of a family brawl said harvey with dignity that depends upon helen bersa t rest assured my present wishes will be carried out by some one it not by her As tor the rest your solicitude tor me in my declining years is touch ing gladys could be sarcastic when she chose but as I 1 am not in my dotage I 1 prefer to be my own man g er let us keep to tha point do you think helen can have my parlor ready this afternoon 7 T certainly shall not ask her to undertake anything so unreasonable there is no hurry very well put the matter into other and more efficient hands she struck a bell on the table while speak ing and phebe appeared with lous promptness not ashamed to ad mit she had kept within hearing dis tance tomlinson go with my son to mrs atherton and ask her tor the household keys you harvey are witness to this request send imme for annette to take your place here and direct all the servants in the house to put my parlor in thorough order can you have it ready tor me this evening 7 oh yes easily come mr har vey it Is hard to forget the habits of a life time harvey had always been afraid of phebe on the rare occasions when gladys had persuaded hersell that he needed corporal punishment as a boy she entrusted the task to th stern housekeeper who performed 1 so faithfully that for an hour after ward the mother and son sobbed in each other s arms with much that baj traitorous to the dispenser of justice in the tears of both now when pheba spoke with quiet authority though fuming with anger and surprised be yond measure it never occurred to him to resist her and in silence they eft the room together they came merrily down the path bading past her window a handsome pair in the glow of their strength and youth would he her boy look up for the mother face as he had nev tailed to do in the old days gladys asked herself her heart that she had tried to steel all at once going out to him with a longing that was almost agony ah yes he could not pas without one fleeting glance and she would answer with a smile that must bring him to her and all might yet be well to be continued |