ht. How brave it is. Even when I'm crossest with you, I realize.
Alma's fighting with you, dearest, every inch of the way until--you're
cured! And then--maybe--some day--anything you want! But not now. Mama,
you wouldn't marry Louis Latz now!"

"I would. He's my cure. A good home with a good man and money enough to
travel and forget myself. Alma, Mama knows she's not an angel--sometimes
when she thinks what she's put her little girl through this last year,
she just wants to go out on the hill-top where she caught the neuralgia
and lay down beside that grave out there and--"

"Mama, don't talk like that!"

"But now's my chance, Alma, to get well. I've too much worry in this big
hotel trying to keep up big expenses on little money and--"

"I know it, mama. That's why I'm so in favor of finding ourselves a
sweet, tiny little apartment with kitch--"

"No! Your father died with the world thinking him a rich man and it will
never find out from me that he wasn't. I won't be the one to humiliate
his memory--a man who enjoyed keeping up appearances the way he did. Oh,
Alma, Alma, I'm going to get well now. I promise. So help me God, if I
ever give in to--to it again."

"Mama, please. For God's sake, you've said the same thing so often only
to break your promise."

"I've been weak, Alma; I don't deny it. But nobody who hasn't been
tortured as I have, can realize what it means to get relief just by--"

"Mama, you're not playing fair this minute. That's the frightening part.
It isn't only the neuralgia any more. It's just desire. That's what's so
terrible to me, mama. The way you have been taking it these last months.
Just from--desire."

Mrs. Samstag buried her face, shuddering down into her hands.

"Oh, God, my own child against me!"

"No, mama. Why, sweetheart, nobody knows better than I do how sweet and
good you are when you are away--from it. We'll fight it together and
win! I'm not afraid. It's been worse this last month because you've been
nervous, dear. I understand now. You see, I--didn't dream of you
and--Louis Latz. We'll forget--we'll take a little two room apartment of
our own, darling, and get your mind on housekeeping and I'll take up
stenography or social ser--"

"What good am I anyway? No good. In my own way. In my child's way. A
young man like Leo Friedlander crazy to propose and my child can't let
him come to the point because she is afraid to leave her mother. Oh, I
know--I know more than you think