The Empty Sack

to connect imperfectly with the brain. Mrs. Collingham pla

y? Sit down. Tel

of the chair, and repeated her confessi

erstand. When di

hat it had been on t

now that you were in lo

ly-only, Bo

you

o form the words-"he said he was going away in a few days to South America, and that he couldn't go unless h

his girl herself. If I estrange her, I may lose my son." A flash of the lioness wrath with which she trembl

w that-that you care

ver as

think you shoul

t so very

f understanding between yo

to this was to clas

gham, how do peo

oped for, she tried to use the o

his further, she ran the risk of citing a case perhaps too close to the point. "For instance,

would

In that situation, he's the one who would do the thing. I

, it would be up to me to do th

to sidestep," though she supposed that the suggestion in the air was of no more than Jenni

to answer your question. I'm so sorry for you that I'

there are ways o

y, if you wer

ost nothing I wouldn't do-to get us al

of her own, Junia co

, and you must get out of it. I'll help you. I will do that. In every way I can I'll make it easy for

in Jennie's line. When eager to re

and found I was living with Hubert,

on of one unused to plain

to Mr. Collingham. You'll stay here-won't you?-till I com

still, lookin

going to

ask him. I don't think that either you or I had

shook h

wish nobody would

d into a chair nearer to Jennie than the one behind the tea table. "One thing I must as

on Long Island and I took the ferry and went hom

he

k, I expect. He's asked me to mee

lse with him if I were you-no

f he doesn

erstand-it might-it might make it harder for you to find your way o

said that nothing would happen til

simple statemen

ret and mine. I want you to feel that I'm your friend and anxious to help you out of the muddle in which you've tied up your happiness. At first, when you told me, I thought more of Hubert; but now that we've talke

t with Hubert, all this graciousness would have lapped her round in silk and softness. Nothing would have been denied h

ed to be out of the question now presented themselves as more in the line of those that could be done. Within twenty-four hours she had lived much; she had ripened much. Now that she had had

this great love was treachery to all she knew as sublime. She clutched herself over the heart. It was as if she were

generation, he was her favorite. If she became openly Mrs. Robert Bradley Collingham, Junior, of Marillo Park, Teddy would go far. He might have a place like Mr. Brunt's. Only the other day her father had said of Mr. Brunt, "There's one who don't have any trouble in pickling down his ten a

orner of the flagged pavement, Jennie noted a rapid change in her expression. At first it was terrible-that of a queen in wrath.

ustomed to being liked, though especially by men. "I think it will

n to her feet, with lips already parte

had already occupied. She panted as after a difficult experience. "Oh dear! It's been so trying! You don't know him, do you? Well, he's a good man-kin

losed her lips. She had forgotten Mr. Colling

he has. My son, my daughter, I myself-we're but puppets on his string. His word has to be law to us. And with Bob the way he is-wanting to marry every g

ine, the villa, with Teddy's chance of pickling down

insist on its being made public, why, there'd be an end of his relations with his father. My husband would neither give him a cent nor leave him a cent. I must say that Bob would deserve it; but, Jennie, I'm thinking

e's tears should begin to flow. Flow

nd man. When I explained to him that we might be more

ped crying suddenly, though the tears al

clear enough and delicate enough to suggest

saying. Once we let our ideals go"-she flung her hands outward-"well, what's the use of livi

because she co

r a man, don't you th

e lead Ju

o! You could be, of course, if-But I mustn't advise you, must I? I don't know how to. I'm just

o make him get

d something to fall back upon. And so my husband

im. Not villas and limousines rose before her,

or a job any more, and momma'd have nothing to do f

o words. She had only to hurry to the studio, fling herself into the ar

ook the opening she of

t?" she asked, in ter

my dear. We're only simple people trying to do right, just as you're trying to do right yourself. If Bob is only in a pos

it as early as

ons are fulfill

free herself from th

t on the mortgage and the taxes. He didn't pay the interest last time, and

to take all the worry off his hands

ay. The necessities of the case being once understood, Juni

seness toward his master, he pressed his flank against Jennie with such force as almost