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The BRONZEMAN          Eleven

[[image – drawing of a scene in a bedroom – on the left is a window like tall French doors through which light is streaming; in the foreground we see a gray-haired man turned away from the viewpoint, standing next to a round table on which there is a book and a vase of flowers looking at the woman who was angrily sitting up in bed and pointing her finger at the man; a much younger and well groomed cowardly looking man sits in the foreground also looking at the older man; caption – "You," she screamed, "are responsible for this!"]]
[[drawing by Charles C Dawson]]

asked him to sit down beside her. This he did rather unwillingly. Then she told what his father had said, hoping each moment that he'd burst out with, "It isn't true! I'll never give you and my child up to please my father." But not one word did he utter. He just sat there looking more helpless every moment. When she finished, he got up and walked across the room with his long hands buried deep in his pockets. Dane ran to him, with arms outstretched. She knew with an ache in her heart that she had lost him; but she was willing to make one last effort to plead her love for him. But before she could tell him he turned on her with no expression of love on his clean cut features. Very slowly he pulled her arms from around his neck and pushed her from him.

"Dad is right, Dane. Everything he told you is true. Without his support I can't succeed. Our marriage, it was all wrong."

Dane backed away from him slowly with her small hands covering her flushed face. This couldn't be Paul talking to her so? Not her Paul that she loved? But it was her Paul! Standing there, crushing her young heart, without seeming to care.

Instantly she turned on him struggling for speech but too frantic to word the passion that burned in her. "Beast! You beast!"

He shrunk from her and out of the room as only a coward would do.

For some time Dane sat with little Pearl in her arms. Her eyes were red and swollen. Deliberately, she planned her revenge. What Mrs. Montgomery had said about the two new babies looking so much alike, flashed through her mind. She had it! For the next half hour she crept softly about her room, getting ready for the time when she could act.

Clutching Pearl tight in her arms, she bounded to her feet, when the big hall clock sounded the hour of eight. Across the room she tiptoed. Opening her door she peered down the unlit hall. Voices of the family talking below floated to her ears. But until her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she waited. Then stealthily she moved down the wide hall feeling her way along the wall.

The nursery where Maybelle's baby was sleeping was just two doors down on the left. Dane knew she had just fifteen minutes before the nurse would be back upstairs with little Bertha's eight-thirty feeding; and she had to hurry. Just as she swung the nursery door open, the room was flooded with light. Somewhere a voice spoke up, softly at first, then louder, "What are you doing in here?"

Speedily she hid behind a chest of drawers. The voice was heard again, "You won't answer?" Dane couldn't see anyone from where she was hiding but she felt sure that who ever was talking knew she was hiding in the room. Still the voice was not familiar.

Instantly there was a thumping on the stairs. Someone was coming in the nursery. It was little Bertha's nurse. She was laughing and tell yourself that for the second time she had turned on the lights from downstairs, and started "Miss Maybelle's" radio. Very quickly she stepped into Maybelle's room adjoining the nursery, and switched off the loud voices that had frightened Dane. When she left the room, Dane drew a sigh of relief. Springing from her hiding place she speedily switched the clothing of the children. This completed she tucked her own baby, Pearl, in Bertha's bed; kissed her twice, then dashed from the room with Maybelle's baby close to her bosom. Just as she closed the door to her own room she heard the nurse whistling softly, hurrying by.

Dane threw her eyes up to the ceiling thanking God that so much was completed without being caught. Now to get out! With thoughts of the luxury and comfort that would be showered on her child she quickly dressed for the cool night.
(Continued on page 27)