| Show it i forsaking all others g WA 1 dy AMELIA sak tm 6 TR CHAPTER VI continued she followed his movements with yearning eyes and unconsciously influenced fluen ced by her imploring thoughts he halt half hesitated as he came near quick as M a dart helen glanced up she saw the pale woman bending anxiously forward and her eyes flashed in e cruel r ue 1 triumph tirl the next moment t h her e r y voice 0 c rang out in a gay challenge and she sped rapt d leoh ward fol followed loved by harvey in laughing pursuit neither pausing antil they had reached the road A the strength seemed to leave gladys when he disappeared she leaned heavily against the window parle pane her breath coming in labored gasps she tried to call to her aid the pride ot of a woman deliberately slighted alighted or thoughtlessly forgotten but the agony of 0 the one deserted crushed out all weaker emotions the slow tears coursed down her white face ace as memory pitilessly flung filing at her the frozen hopes ot of her wasted years through the haze of 0 grief she saw sam harvey in every phase of 0 his infancy and boyhood the timid baby clinging to her gown the laughing boy strutting about with dimpled hands in his first pockets the bold lad flying afield on his pony the tall youth walking by her side and in the dark eyes of 0 babe and boy and youth was the loving light that in mans had tailed failed and darkened all her days 1 I cannot bear it she sobbed 1 I am not old how shall I 1 endure the long lonely years why must we live when joy and hope and courage are gone since my poor imperfect work Is 1 done there Is nothing left me but to die oh it I 1 could overwhelmed by her det despair pair and gri she sank halt half fainting inting ta to be caught by a strong arm no no my lamb your work done its only just begun god willing said gald phebe her rough voice softened by deep feeling never give way dearie the best ot of life Is before you look yonder at the sun in a sea of purple and yellow and red this morning it rose in clouds and there was rain at noon it shone hot and scorching and we were glad to shut out its rays but tonight it sinks in ill glory throwing a tott soft light on every little cloud turning all the gray to gold so it shall be with your days miss illis gladys the last better and brighter than the first ay hide your lace face on my shoulder and cry out your sorrow there its not tor for the first time years ago we dared together the darkness of an unknown future well do it again my pretty and comforted by your gruff old phebe you yet will find the road to happiness and peace CHAPTER VII it was wa perhaps to indemnity indemnify herself tor for Pie beB victory that in the succeed ing weeks helen by her bold course of to proclaim herself the acknowledged Ini mistress stress ot of the house bho walled waited in sullen inactivity tor for a day bay or two after harvey had sent the fester etter to his mother expecting to be summoned summoned by mrs atherton for a conference though she had no intention pt lof resigning the keys the symbol of her er authority without a struggle having tully fully convinced herself that as the wife of the defrauded sharer in the estate this authority was hers by right it Is surprising how readily the covetous and selfish believe what they wish to believe there Is no doubt that shylock considered himself justly entitled to his pound of 0 flesh despite the trifling inconvenience the giving tit of it might cause antonio and his line ot of argument has been pursued enother bno ther other though in a modified tie degree gree helen was prepared to back up her unauthorized claim with a dozen ingenious 9 onions arguments which she detailed to harvey with a sweet plausibility that made him her convert in the end though some ot of his scruples were hard to overcome but she was a convincing talker and knew where to stop her closing sentence always left him with a new thought that did its work in her absence gratitude Is not the dominant trait ot of humanity and it Is 13 pleasant to be convinced that what we have blindly enjoyed as a privilege we may arbitrarily claim as a right so the days passed on and gladys gave no sign helen made movement she dismantled the best guest chambers a suite ot of two hand some bome rooms and fitted them up luxuriously tor for her sisters taking furniture from every part ot of the house to carry out her fancy why keep vacant and in the center of the house rooms that could be used to advantage she argued in this town of 0 short distances they never had resident guests and the bambers lambera in the wing and on the upper floor were quite sufficient for the few who tarried for the night helens reit reasons sons were always logical and stated in a manner so BO copiously convincing that in agreeing with her arguments her hearers bearers lost sight or of the fact act that she was regulating a matter in which she had bad no concern she had excellent taste and ample materials to work with the suite now arranged as a parlor and absom bs om which also served as day nursery looked so charming when completed that with her sisters help and management she ex extended tended the work of 0 renovation to other apartments every evening when harvey returned from business nees he was playfully dragged into some room in course of alteration and his approbation demanded by the group of happy workers it if he had misgivings they argued them away v vy vf s 3 aj s 1 if 1 he objected as he sometimes did they cooed coded and laughed him into compliance ance the odds were against the boy there was an excuse for his weakness gladys took her meals in her own rooms and never left them except for a dally airing upon the upper balcony 0 on n which her side windows opened phebe in her pilgrimages back and forth to the kitchen and pantries saw all that was going on and her face grew grimmer than ever but she made no protest and helen quick to interpret any sign in her own favor decided that this was one of the instances when silence meant acquiescence no doubt mrs atherton had thought everything over and rather than totally alienate her boy concluded to yield at least in a measure to his just demands full surrender would come later when she realized how tardy she had been in a matter that should long ago have been adjusted naturally she found it hard to acknowledge herself in the wrong but the ac would surely come and when it did even though late they must receive it very kindly and generously helen told harvey with the air of a very good person magnanimous enough to pardon a very bad one helen however was not afraid of tomlinson nor of any living being to do her justice she had thoroughly persuaded herself she was doing her duty and thus grounded flatly refused to surrender the keys when I 1 have given an account of my stewardship to mrs atherton she said 1 I am sure she will give them into no hand but her own I 1 am ready to see her at any time my mistress strong enough to talk business just yet said phebe hastily As for the keys im not particular tor for a week or so I 1 cant be much about the house until she is ie well on her feet again the thing I 1 am particular about la is to get her parlor ready tor for her right away and I 1 want every servant in the house to help mo me the room cannot be disturbed today said helen firmly 11 1 I must first make some suitable arrangements tor for my sisters she glanced at her husband who stood a little aloof looking as awkward as men generally do when serving as a buffer for two angry women did you not explain this to your mother harvey fully but my arguments tailed failed to carry weight he answered with assumed lightness hoping to win helen to a less determined mood ile he knew phebe better than she did and feared serious trouble it 1 the housekeeper was defied 1 I think we must try and do what the mater asks sweetheart she is seldom exacting and the fancies of an invalid should be humored 1 I have no patience baalen e with sick fancies they are born of weakness that should not be encouraged she demands an impossibility in her weak state she does not need the room I 1 wonder at you harvey tor for encouraging her in such selfishness oh well well dont let us quarrel over anything so trifling no doubt tomorrow will be soon enough to think about it he hastily replied slipping his arm about her shoulders and drawing her to him she gazed affectionately into lits his face and put up her hand to meet his her frown gone he looked at phebe smiling persuasively im afraid this wilful girt girl must have her way tomlinson wont you make it all ali right with the mater im surd sur you can it if you will to any other onlooker the matil moncal tableau would have had its charm it enraged phebe she was jealous of her mistress pushed aside and treated like a child by this pre sumptuous sump tous pair who seemed to think the world made tor for them and their paltry love she glared angrily at them from under her shaggy brows Is that your last word mr harvey she asked with ominous calmness then listen to me both of you the rooms will be ready tor for the mistress in just three hours ill give the nurse and parlor maid halt half an hour to take away their things it anything is left after that ill throw it 11 out of 0 the window and you from the door it if you dare interfere she added to helen who had started forward hot words on her lips tomlinson what do you mean by addressing my wife in that insolent manner exclaimed harvey what do you mean by disobeying the best mother a son ever had you ungrateful boy she furiously returned for all you are though youre mightily set up with having a wife and baby it you were a few years younger id larrup you well for or your impudence get out ot of my way youve hindered me long enough As tor for this woman whose jumping jack you are shell be dmit with later phebe never gave gladys the full particulars of 0 the scene that ensued but tor for once helen had faunl her match and was forced to yield though it balf killed her to do I 1 it t said abebe she was in an awful fi f I rage I 1 though shed fly at sr s r when I 1 called mr harvey a boy I 1 had a give her that shot she chuckled her shrewd gray eyes twinkling and it hit him too I 1 never saw him angrier he ha bowe vows hell not forgive either of us for insulting his wife or rather she ne said it and he fellin with the idea gladys sighed she lail lia d gained list her points point but at the cost of her boy a d dl Is pleasure she looked around hor pret ty parlor with its open piano and music and books and bric a abrah brac and pictures all lit up by the dancing flames of the fire and thought drearily that its comfort meant little when unshared by any congenial person who oved loved her for the next week or so the house housa was ominously quiet gladys took her meals in her own parlor waited on by b phebe and annette Annet tc no other of 0 the household came to her from her windows she saw helen and the tha baby on the covered veranda ot of tho the south wing the woman pacing back bacig and orth forth in the sun bun tho the child clutching at her hair and crowing with dolight delight end and she yearned to hold the little littie fellow in her arms close close to her desolate heart was she never again to be loved and loving CHAPTER vill VIII one morning a letter arrived from mrs leonard gladys read it caret carefully ully several times then lay back in her chair to muse on its contents all AH that day and the next the sabbath she was very thoughtful and in the afternoon having had a long talk with phebe summoned harvey to her room ills answer was a curt note when you have sent for my wife and apologized for or the insult offered to her and her sisters I 1 will see sec you yot again fagain not before meanwhile it Is only fair to warn you that I 1 shall resist any interference with mrs Ath ertons plans through a third party being convinced that she Is serving your interests and ours in the course she Is pursuing gladys laughed sadly at the mannish assumption of the letter helen had rather an imposing style she admitted she could scarcely believe that the writer was her once obedient son he had been an apt pupil very ready to turn against her at the bidding of 0 another A measure of contempt tor for him a scorn of 0 his weakness was making itself felt in her heart she strove to put it away but it remained and gained strength 1 I hate helen she thought f for sho she has robbed me of my boy but she owes me no allegiance and he does he should never have written that rubbish even at her dictation their interests ah you are making a sad blunder poor in grates she ran over the contents of 0 the note once more then tore it into fragments and threw them into the grate there war wag no fire the day having been unusually warm tor for the season and applying a lighted match to the little heap she watched it burn to ashes wishing she ghe might destroy the decol cecoli lection ot of the written words as easily phebe had not returned from her sunday class clas meeting annette w was as enjoying her weekly outing for the coming hour gladys glady would be alone and she longed tor for companion companionship shiv she went to the window after awhile and stood looking at the pretty scene below the sun was sinking fast and thin the grass and the trees seemed to show a deeper green under the burnished sky and throw in greater contrast the groups of late flowers touched by its fire cre soon all this thia autumn splendor would be over to make way for or the white lonely winter she shivered as she thought of 0 the long cold days and nights the door in the south wing opened and harvey ard helen equipped for their evening ramble came forth laughing back at some one who accompanied them to the entrance helen had pinned a black lace shawl about her head and shoulders and in her hair shone a yellow rose the companion ot of which harvey wore in his coat it was one ot of her loving demands that at all times he would wear the flowers she wore and he humored her in it hed sport a collar and number it if she asked him phebe once said commenting on this and gladys who found nothing miss in the caprice reproved her tor for her unkind criticism to be continued |
