Pearl and Periwinkle | Page 9

broader-minded nephew in an even tone, "that
little thing occurred so long ago. We aren't living in the Kentucky hills,
you know. Family feuds are not in fashion in this state. I'm sure I don't
care much if you want to keep up the old grudge, but I don't want it to
interfere with my business. It's been damaging enough already."
An older brother of Hetty and Eldon drew his pipe slowly from his
mouth and looked impressively upon the company. Jim Maise had
never received the "larnin" of which the younger members of the
family boasted, but he had what he himself fondly called "hoss sense."
At any rate he was always listened to attentively as befitted an eldest
son.

"Wall," he drawled, "I reckon this here post-office affair don't come too
late for us to get even with some of the things the Greys have done to
us. Only it don't strike near enough home. Holner ain't nothing but a
son-in-law of the old man's half-brother. Now if we could strike a blow
to Robert Grey, or his sister Kitty and her family, it would be
something like. Nothin' real bad but just humblin'-like."
Periwinkle's heart beat faster at the mention of Robert Grey in this
connection and Hetty stirred nervously in her chair. She had it in her
power, as they all knew, to humiliate Kitty Farwell and incidentally
Kitty's brother, Robert Grey. Hetty had not forgotten that Kitty was
quite influential in causing the final "break" between herself and Robert.
When she spoke her voice sounded strange and hard.
"The mortgage on Mrs. Farwell's place is due in October," she
suggested rather hesitatingly.
"I was coming to that, Hetty," cried Jeoffrey eagerly. "Who holds the
mortgage now that Myra is gone. It always seemed to me to be mighty
generous of your ma, to will all her property to Myra when your pa
disinherited her."
"I hold it," replied Miss Hetty tersely, "as legal guardian of Myra's
children and heirs."
"Kitty cannot pay it?" questioned her brother Eldon quietly.
He and Mrs. Farwell had been playmates and youthful sweethearts.
"Hardly," replied his sister with a grim smile. "Kitty is scarcely worth
the eight hundred it demands. Since that shiftless husband of hers died,
she has all she can do to make ends meet and keep her three children
together."
At this heartless reply a smile of ill-disguised contempt might have
been detected on the face of at least one of the men present. But as he
was only a "poor relation" dependent for his very means of livelihood
upon the generosity of Jeoffrey and Eldon Maise he wisely remained

silent.
"Won't Robert interfere?" urged one of the women. "He'll surely help
his sister."
The leader of the clan laughed shortly.
"What's Robert got," he demanded, "that ain't tied up so tight it won't
do him any good now? Of course the Greys will pretend to come to
Kitty's aid, if Hetty closes up on her. But it will be humiliating enough
to all of them even if they do pay the money. You see it isn't generally
known that there is a mortgage on the Farwell place."
"I'm not so sure that they can pay it," interrupted Eldon in that cold tone
that was like a mask, hiding perhaps a warm depth of feeling; or
perhaps it was only the expression as cool as the iciness of his spoken
thoughts. "I happen to know of an account against Elbert Grey that will
cripple that branch of the family for the time being. Ashur could no
more turn over the money than could Robert, and Lisbeth is so tied up
that he is out of the question. As a matter of fact the Greys would be up
against it."
"Have you warned Kitty?" asked Jeoffrey Maise, turning to Miss Hetty.
"Not yet. But I shall warn her, and give her as much time--as the law
allows."
"Good for you!"
"Hetty!" Eldon's voice held a note of cold reproach. "You--a
woman--would you try to ruin a widow and three helpless orphans?"
"There you go again," passionately declared his sister, feeling the force
of his argument, yet anxiously seeking to justify her position. "You
claim to be a man of business, and yet you would condemn me for
taking what is lawfully mine. Please remember, Eldon, that I am doing
it for the sake of our departed sister's children. Aren't they orphans
themselves? Won't they need the money as much as those Farwell

young ones do? Pearl's voice is little short of remarkable, but it takes
money to train it. Peri must go to college some day, you all agree. Very
well. But some one must pay the expenses. They shall have it too, in
spite of you, Eldon. I'll warrant you