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Show - 104- - one. I took her a tray of food which she hardly touched. It was a pathetic sight that greeted me when I entered. She still wore her wedding dress and had not slept. Her beautiful hair was tangled and unkempt and tears still streaked her face. She sat listlessly in a chair by the window gazing out towards the grove of trees. " Penny sat at the kitchmtable, motionless, listening to Maddie's story. "To make matters worse," went on Maddie, "The Gavens began to have doubts also. They could see how Claudine was suffering. After all, they loved their dauthter very much and finally it began to dawn on Mrs. Gaven what a terrible mistake she had made in trying to keep Claudine and Dirk apart all these years. They were afraid that she would do something dreadful to herself. It was a little late for feelings of remorse," sniffed Maddie. "What they put that girl through to force her to marry Andre' you cannot imagine. Of the two, my heart went out to Mr. Gaven. He allowed his wife to influence him in all things. His fault was his weakness where she was concerned. She dominated him In everything. "Andre1, well he was determined to claim his bride, believe me. He became surly and abusive as time went on. He wouldn't leave the house and began drinking quite heavily. Gaven House became a horror house. Gone where the laughter and happy times. This terrible confrontation brought out all the good and bad in the natures of the people involved. Anyway, that's the way it appeared to me. I don't know what would have happened if these circumstances had continued much longer. As it is, what did come terous to pass was disas-. enough to last me for the rest of my life. "What about Dirk? Did you hear from him while all this was going on?" said Penny, her chin cupped in her hands as she sat at the table listening intently to Maddie's story. "Not a word. I believe that, all along, he felt that Claudine would |
