28
U niversity
of
O regon M o n thly
she is a burden. That daughter of hers is wearing her life* out tak
ing care of her.”
Ronald was more deeply interested in Mrs. Smith’s daughter
than he would care to reveal to anyone but Clementine Smith. Only
recently he had been plunged into the deepest gloom because the
mother stood in the way of his marrying the girl he loved.
be
sure, there was no opposition from the «Id lady herself; she op
posed nothing but the restraint which did not -aiiow her to roam out
of doors at will. But Clementine felt that all her energies" should
be deyotejd-to the service of her mother. She could not think of mar
rying, though she could not keep herself from loving.
Montgomery eyen wished that Clementine had refused him,
point blank, on the ground that she did -not love him. Then he could
■cease to love h e r; then he could possibly forget his disappointment
by wooing another. He tried to persuade himself that: Clementine
really did not care for him and that she had seized upon a pretext
to avoid a frank disclosure of her lack of affection for him. But no,
^ae had to admit that she wa<s doing her duty. Her Self-sacrifice
made him love her the more;
Montgomery assured himself that he meant Clementine’s moth
er no harm. He shrank from accepting the notion that the feeble
minded do not suffer. He knew nothing about Dr. Osler’s opinion
that old people should be put-out of the way as a protection to so
ciety. Of course if she could not be found—.
The horse, which had been moving slowly along in a tranquil
state of mind undisturbed by its master since the conversation with
John Ball, shied so suddenly that the rider was almost thrown head
long. On a log by the roadside sat an old woman dressed in blade,
wearing a white cap, usually worn in the house- only. Hef?body
was diminutive; her .face was wan and pinched; her appearance was
like that of a child with white hair and many, very many, Wrinkles.
W hat was Montgomery to do? He could not put her on his horse,
neither could he carry her. He thought -it would be useless to try
to lead her to the nearest house, two miles away. He felt an impulse
to call for help, hut no one was near, he was sure, except John Ball,
whom he disliked to.summon.
./y e t. ought he n o t.to do* something for Clementine’s sake?
H e remembered how, When the. mother had left home once-'before,
the anxious daughter said to him :