Show 1 1 hu 0 0 1 I 1 IL II 11 bly kathleen norris i 0 KATHLEN THE STOUT THUS FAR shella sheila Carse carscadden adden blue eyed reddish haired and 21 loses her job in new york by offering use useful ul but unwelcome suggestions to her boss typically feminine the chooses that time to show her new purse puree which the she bought at a secondhand second hand tore store to her cousin cecilia moore the purse revives n memories I 1 of a boy the had met th the previous loua summer tum mcra a boy whose first name all she he remembered was wa a peter at home that evening waiting tor for her are her mother joe her brother rother lb and angola angela her crippled sister joe J I 1 too has hai lost his hl job during the not so happy t evening evening angela finds fifty dollars 1 in a secret pocket in Sh eilas purse purge they are both happy at the dis covery only to be heartened disheartened dis when mrs mr carscadden tells tella shella sheila the money e I 1 must be returned to the person whose initials anti and street number are on t the purse sheila I 1 Is going to return the money dressed in an ancient outfit then sho she feels eels the owner will reward her liberally she looks look upon the escapade as a lark she feels eels different din erent when she he enters entera the magnificent home for the occupants occupant prove to be the me cann family old friends rl ends n now cl w wealthy of 0 Sheil aaa father ther and there thera she aei sees peter her acquaintance 0 ot the previous CHAPTER HI continued 4 4 here said mrs me cann in her gentle voice and with her gentle smile the soll go well with the bag monicas donicas Mo nicas shea up at kenwood and shell be ba g glad lad for or an excuse to get new ones onea her hands lingered in motherly fashion about sheila as she helped to put them on she smiled at the results and mamie brought her hands bonds together with one convulsive clap of triumph sheila her sense of shame deepening every second hung her head as she stood before them it was all like a nightmare their warmth their kindness their goodness were all completely disarming youve the purse door dear and the money in it and tell mamma that judge me cann w was as one ot of your P papas apas old friends and that ill be over tomorrow to have a little talk with her and youve your nickel for the subway youre awfully kind to me mrs me cann shella sheila could only mumble she had completely abandoned the brogue but neither of the tha other women was apt to notice the omission kind my dearl when the lord has been so good to me ellen me cann sold said humbly sho she went with shella sheila across the wide vide hallway again it was darkened now but there was still a dim in indication ot of lighted lamps beyond the library archway and in some smaller room there were subdued laughter and the sound of voices mrs me cann herself opened the big front door tor for her guest CHAPTER IV just as shella sheila was about to leavo leave the dark young man who had entered this some samo doorway just after shella sheila hod had and who had been addressed by mamie as mr frank came down the big palm decorated sweep of the central stairs and joined mrs me cann at the door mother he ha sold said ile he sto stopped aped in surprise and over his rather dark young face a smile broadened at the tha sight of shella sheila well you look betherl bet terl he observed mother he resumed ned im going out to Bernad ettes tor for a bout about an hour I 1 could run miss this young lady 11 I 1 home well so you could his mother agreed agree d its right on your way my sonis sons young lady lives in sp spuyten ayten duyvis duyvil she sold said to shella sheila somewhat impressively bernadette said shed telephone you in the morning mother frank me cann said suddenly he laughed and his mother looked at him in surprise what Is it frank Not nothings hingl he said ill imago im go ing to see bernadette give her my lovel mrs me ale cann looked at al shella sheila my son will drive you home she said better than the subway 11 oh I 1 have himl S shella ella protested shrinking why not frank asked pulling on his gloves but it was not a question he did not even glance at her well it if you dont look stunning in monicas donicas Mo nicas old coati coat gertrude said suddenly joining them you look lovely aunt elue elile she added im gong to bed im sunk it if I 1 dont want to be taken tor for grandma keane at my own wedding ive got to get some sleep where you going frank this was peters voice Sh eilas h heart eart rose on en a great plunge but she co could uld not look up Kenn kennedys edys having a dinner tor for bettes aunt from syracuse I 1 said id come out late where are you going peter the mother asked 1 I am going out a while his confused husky tone told sheila where he had intended to go lie he had intended to accompany tier her hove have a few words alone with her but franks offer to drive her home had balked him she dared not look at him she was choking mrs me cann was saying good night to her she and frank were descending the big brownstone steps wait tor for me here on the curb rny my cars parked right across the street frank said shells sheila stood still trembling and then as she had ha half expected peter was beside hez tor for halt hall a se second cond and there was a slip of paper in her hand ive got to see you youl peter mum bled lie he was gone and frank vas bringing a small email closed car up to her in a daze shella sheila got in the young lady im going to marry lives in spuyten duyvis duyvil frank explained im on my way sheila sot at silent beside him and could make no answer weve been engaged five years frank went on a long time its a good test of mutual affection the man said in satisfaction this handsome oldest son of judge me cann was well pleased with himself sheila decided peter and gertrude ho he resumed were a little quicker about it grown up like brother and sister of course were all devoted to gertrude but miss ken nedy and I 1 wanted to be sure we so very long to go now june then I 1 think well run over to europe and stay until S september e p it sounds wonderful shella sheila observed respectfully well its time I 1 settled down F rank frank said baia im twenty seven ho laughed with relish are you four years older than peter it had slipped out Sh eilas very soul shriveled with terror there was a sudden change in franks voice it become became less sure less patronizing tron izing less satisfied tie he spoke you know pete fete 1 I well I 1 met him this summer at tillers deach beach but I 1 know until tonight who he was you know who ho he was we only know knew ench each other one day I 1 remember his name and maybe he hb remember mine iah bah ah h hll h frank said as one a awakening wake ning 1 I remember he mused aloud 1 I remember his telling me when he got back from that visit ahal lie he fell ell silent sheila could not speak you knew that peter was getting married on tuesday oh yes another silence peter told me that he ha had met you I 1 suppose it was you frank observed ile ho stopped the car at the forlorn dark bronx doorway well good night ho he said a little at a loss sheila sold said 1 I thank you and good night and was out ot of the car and heard it roar and hum away as she mounted her own steps tier her thoughts stopped her feet a suddenly ud she stood still in the odorous thick atmosphere of the dim lower hall about and above her was crying the banging of pots the sound of radios phonographs quarrels voices echoed from behind closed doors tier her heart smoldered she stood still one look at peter me cann and the agony of that enchanted summer er day and night they had had but the one was upon her afresh lie he had auert ailed to her kissed her and she had believed him waited for him while he had bad been courting and winning a rich mans daughter a beautiful girl in a slim suit and furs who could lose fifty dollars w without ever knowing it and now beside all that shella sheila would bo be made contemptible in the eyes of these friends who had loved her father who wanted to be kind to mam mamma ma they would discover that she had been play acting that she had been a hypocrite even before this oldest son she must appear as nn an impostor she was no such artless little angel as she had seemed in the me cann house mamma wo would uld bawl her out tomorrow w the president himself make mamma lie ho and then all of them mrs me cann and gertrude and frank would know that their pathetic little beggar had been no beggar at all just a bluffer mamie would know and peter would hear them discussing it she suddenly remembered the paper in her hand unfolded it and read it by the hall light be e at the maritime law library top noor floor four thirty tomorrow peter had written ive ve got to see you 1 I see myself goings shella sheila muttered fortunately even after entering the kitchen she had a few minutes in which to recover herself joe and cecilia moore were there murmuring at the table no one else was in sight presently angela and mamma returned and then the new coat and hat had to be handled and admired and the story told and retold the loveliest people you ever saw mamma all so happy and so kind and laughing tog etherl paul me cann I 1 the name well Sh eilas mother mused he was a square built teller wit a head of black hair on um the one ma 11 they were fine people mrs Clar scadden said and the girl their sons going to marry the ward that their son con la Is going to marry shella sheila angela asked wistfully Is she nice gertrude keane 1 Is I that her name it was her purse I 1 found you know oh sure and Is she stunning shella sheila like we said oh ill bet I 1 saw his picture in the paper with her last Sun sunday dayl I 1 cecilia said with animation shabby and tired and poor and young talking sadly of their prospects with her joe she could nevertheless brighten into interest at the thought of this more fortunate girl she and joe had been engaged for three years she knew that they easily might have to wait three more mamma shella sheila demanded her arms stretched across the table the dangling light bright in her eyes and upon the shining flattened fringe of hair across her forehead it if mrs me cann comes tomorrow will you talk poor 1 I will hotl mrs carscadden answered if you choose to draw down the anger of god by pretend ln in to bo be in th rouble blo youre not thin bo be a fine job drag braggin gin your mother into idill marnma mamma it if just stick to th tho 0 truth but S sort ort of make a poor mouth of it begged shella sheila alter after tin an interval of unhappy thought 1 I had us all but starving in the well ind find out were n not ot thin not put their little coobs down my childrens throats it was long after t aben sheila fell asleep or tell me how many pairs of shoes id buy thim in a mont with some dim yet still shouldering ing memory of settlement workers lonk long ago visit mamma shella sheila began now genuinely appalled mrs me cann a charity worker S hes coming as an old friend ho how w could I 1 stop herl if only b be e decent to her mamma it if only be ju just polite polite to one and all ill ever be her mother began in an unyielding tone but beholden to one I 1 niver alver seen oh mamma for heavens sakel beholden shella sheila was tired emotionally shaken close to tears joe spoke suddenly you made her think we were something we arent shella sheila and even if it was only a joke it seems to me that it fair to drag ma into it it if mrs me cann really does come tomorrow which she probably wont why mamma will have to explain to her that it was just some of your non 1 I get a chance to meet people like that and then you queer shella sheila muttered bitterly maybe shell just think it was tunny funny Sh ellal angela said who but you would ever think of such a thing cecilia Cec llla who enormously admired the spirit of the younger girl said shaking her head oh that onel mrs carscadden observed with a glance tor for shella sheila a glance in which motherly pride molli mollified fled resentment and a desire to show herself friendly again were all blended you stop that one wit a th she claimed it t was a boast shella sheila felt the friendlier atmosphere and but for that hat scalding memory of peter might have been reasonably confident and content as she went to bed As it was a jealous contusion confusion of thoughts and tears fears raged in her heart she hated Gertrude Gerirude because she was lovely and rich and beloved and happy and she hated peter because she shella sheila loved him she got into bed seeming to the interested and talkative angela to be in a strangely unresponsive mood shella sheila lay awake long after her mother had crept noiselessly into bed beside her peter had wanted to see her well what else could he do he could hardly pretend that that lost halt half hour leour of theirs that tremendous ending to their great day had not occurred at all they had m 1 lunch sheila had been with robby hobby calr not that either sheila or peter re robby afterward at all peter had taken immediate posses slon sion ol of her they had watched the yacht races together they had been to together gother alone in the mob at the barbecue and clambake clam bake supper they had danced at the casino strolled out into the moonshine to talk danced again the others had been singing la 1 and peter had sung too an and d it had seemed to them that their very souls had risen to heaven on the strains of theres a Long Lo ngong Long troll trail and the end of a perfect day afterward there had been silence peace about the dying fire land and moonshine gaining over firelight and the soft rustle and rush of the sea shella sheila had been carrying her pocketbook through this marvelous week of beuch bench holiday and she had opened it to find a pencil and a piece of paper and had scribbled her name and address there in themire the firelight tor for peter to carry away ive got to get back he had said im dir driving lying three tellers fellers to good ground im going up to town in the morning t 5 she h 0 had s said aid were going monday well ill see you in town he had said and that had been the end no word from him no sign from him no knowledge of him until tonight and he was to marry gertrude and he was to marry gertrude keane on tuesday it was long after midnight when sheila fell asleep and after all it was neither gertrude nor peter nor frank nor even the intractable ma on whom her last thought lin gored it was judge paul me cann blue eyed honest generous good the only conception shella sheila had ever had of kindly human fatherhood he would discover that he had been de calved in her that she was a liar her cheeks burned with fear and shame and her dreams when final ly she slept were only a hundred troubled versions of exposure paul said mrs me ale cann to her husband the following evening w when hen they were in their own magnificent riffi ent cent room just before dinner the goodness of the poor breaks your heart ye got to see the cars to day he asked eagerly 1 I made it a matter of duty pa pa mrs me cann said well ye e found thim in a little place mrs me ale cann sighed and repeated her former phrase it would break your heart it would eh he asked uneasy ly reluctantly as he sat up on the edge of the bed three rooms papa and you could put all three into this one ah h hl he muttered as it in pain he shut hij lips brought his feet to the bloor and began to walk up and down the room if you could see the dignity of the mother paul no whining no hardluck hard luck story just one long tale of how good god has haa been to them and of what a wonderful son she has and that shella sheila the girl who came here is shella sheila ought to be an actress the way she carries on she made a joke of it the childs honesty and her returning the mon eyl cyll 1 I knew the minute I 1 saw the child be something like that he lie said god be good tous to us all aill paul |