Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, January 3, 1920, Page 11

UCINDA SIMPSON descended the steep, uncarpeted staifs that led from the upper half -of the house which she oceupled to the lower half. The door opeued upon the instant and there stood Matilds, _fushed, and aproned from chin to fa- step. 7 “Oh, it's you,” she said ungracious: Jy. “1 was looking for somie one élse.” ! “Yes, it's me,” Lucinde replied in ber small, gentle voice. “I've come fo ask you to tea with me, Matilda. I've made a fresh rdlstn cake and I aant you to have some. 'Course you ‘mustn’t expect anything elaborate, but such as I're got you're welcome to.” Bhe lgoked up at Matilda wistfully. Lucinda was a little old woman who wore glasses which were mever straight on her nose. Matilda was taller by half a head and stout. She wore no glasses, for ber cyes were excéllent. Those éyes now measured Lucinda rather haugh- tily. ‘Why, I'd love to come,” she said, *but you see I've invited in compeny to tea. Mrs. Chapman and Miss Betts are coming. I'm just as much obliged Lucinda, for your invitation as though T'd accepted it.” “I'm real sorry you can't,” Lucinda went slowly i“l upstairs. Ag'sho closed the door behind her her face begudl to guiver with tears. She &ropped down upon the edge of a chalr and for a moment wept quietly. .“She never asked mel” Ths thought came to her with @ crusl hurt. “Asdshe’s going to have oysters!” Lucinds wiped her eyes and looked forlornly about the room. It was not very warm, though the tiny coal stove was glowing its brightest. 1Its only coniforts were a worn rag car- pet and a roelting cheir; itg only orna- ment a red geramlum whch Mrs. Pell Rad given her, Lucinda had so little to live upon that it was a wonder she could live at all, and yet her rent was always paid in advancé and she always had coal in the box asd some- thing in the way of food in the larder. Her chief trouble was that she wass0 lenely. There was no reason for Lucinda's being so lonely. There was compan- fonship for her right in the house if it wmmmn—n‘ h- Hiida Dodd, widowed and ohildiess, ke Lueinda, rented the beter rooms - Lueinda, for s relatlve sent hor the wherewithal for many little luxuries dear to an old person's heart. But in- stead of belng made kindly and cher- Htable by her superor fortupe. Matils @: was only haughty and self opin- foiiated. . When thore Was no better compsny to be had she made much of Lucinde, but when efther Mrs. Chap- ‘man of Miss Bates was by she ignored Lucinda completely. ¥or somie days the weather had béen bsd and Lucinda had seen no ome. Matflda bad not been upstairs or ad- mitted her when sii¢ went down. Ma- tilda had for some time been Very dis- tarit to Lucinde, as the result of having had too much of better society. But now Lucinda could endure it no long- of; she must see Matilda. So she made the little round raisin cake after her choicest recipe and some thimble bis- cuits and opened one of her three precious jars of blackberriy jam and went down to ask Matiida to tea. And all the time she had been planning for Matilda, Matilda had been meking ready for Mrs. Chapman and Miss mmnmwm WM nsunm play . gatc otnhmkerl on the quhint “Bhe never ssked me! ILmoinda ‘I bet Lmeinds is lonoly, 96, 11 Just Bosrd which Lucinda’s husband had motiraed agsin. “ghe doesn’t think §o &nd ¥oe it we won't beth Be Bapplor misde daring the last weary year of e Stton company for her frionds. And. for kesping eseh other compatiy! Let Wl iWvalidism, Feles had fust let Lu- once long yeats ago when we Werd both glrls at home her father used to. cobble my father's shoes. But, land, I don’t hold that up egainst her! Ma- tilda's just'as God made Nef, I sup- pose. Only I shan’t care. for that redsin oske. I know it'd choke me 1 tried to swallow a morsel” Lucinda composed herself to bear her disap- pointment as bravely as she could. When she heard someone come at the front door she said to herself that Matilda's company was arriving. But when foot steps sounded on the stairs she got up and went to her own door. There stood Mrs. Pell with a basket in her hand. Mrs. Pell was young and lively and pretty, and, for some reason unaccountable {fo Lueinda, she liked Lucinda. She had onf a white coat and & white knit cap, and Lucinda, sur- prised-and delighted, cried out: “My Iand, you look just like a snow bird!” “Well, T guess I am,” Mrs, Pell said. She entered gayly. ‘“I've come to take tea with you, Lucinda, that is, if you'll let me. TFred is away and I am 50 lonesome I couldn’! stay home alone ks get #d of this coat, and 'l show you what I've got in the basket, When. you gzo visiting unexpectedly, bw.!w-mmmm Tést you find your Nostess unprepsred. At Togst that's the Wiy e alwkys 4id out where 1 livel betors I married Fred." Talking thus #Be’ Sung sside hor toat and cep and proceeded t6 un- pack the basket. Lucinda locked on in amazement, prise, a5 sHe set out upod the fable a cold roast chicken; salad, or@nges, and & little pot of buked beans. “Theret” «she said, “I guess that's all.- How are you, Lucinda I mey stdy, maym't 1?7 “Oh, you blesséd creature?’ gaid La- cinda. “If I could only make you feel how welcome you are” Then she went on to teft Helen Pell about the little spread shé had made for Matil- da and how Matilde could not come because she had already frvited com- pany and how disappointed and lonely she had felt at the prospect of sitfing down to eat alone. After supper they washed the dishes together and then they sat down 0 A°Much Needed Vacation tinetured With Sur- "Mrs. Pell? oiidd bemt Lier the second time by wilking olear fnto the king row and yott IMM By ef!rylhing a5 she wont, when thers-eame a little knock at the doy.” “Euchidz fiad bécome so hilari- ous over her luck that she did not hear the ka6ek. So that it was Helen who _called- out, “Come In1” Matilda ‘entered. She saw FHelen snd started back. “irih,, you've got company,” she ex- clalmed, % “¥es, but eome right in, Matilda,” Litclda seid hospitably. "You've met She came over to take tea WL me. We've just cleared away and 8¢t down to eur checkers. Your com- Phny aff’t gone yet, have they? It's reéal early.” “They mever came,” Matilda replied sourly, “and they didn’t send word or anything. I don’t know what fo make of it.” . “Maybe it was the weather,” sug- gested Helen cheerfully. “Mrs. Chap- man's so - &pt to be rheumatic when it's Gamp.” T“I waited supper for them,” con- tinued Matilds. “They might have me word, it seéms fo me. { “Pebple are so caréléss 'nddes. murmured Heten. - “I call'it'a meap trick” Metild sniffed. “Affer -T'd. -Bought - d”ur especially for them @ng made a whol cabbage up. ifito safed. If you Hsdn’ had your supper I a5 goigg {6 ast you down to eat- wifh me. “Oh, merey!” cried Lucmdd gayly “I couldn’t eat another mowthial % save my lite. - Helen browght “the nicest little roast chicken and we ate it all up. But there'd have beer cnough for you, Matilda; for ¥'d asked you upif I hd EnOWH < YOU Were alone.” “It's. too_ bad,” muled Helen “There's whn; puts one- ot 8 a1 expeeted company (Hat doesn’t maters- alize.” 3 Matilda cast 4 glance at Lucitida, but Lucinda only looked gréve and gentle and sympathetic. "I suppose.” Matilda said after & wmor§:ut, and she said it very slowly, to0—T suppess it served me right for seeking such folks’ company whep 1 Had bettér in the house.” - And-she turned and went downstairs to ¢4t lier colfing éyster soup alone. AROLINE CADY sat at her dis- ‘ ordered breakfast table, her elbows upon the cloth and her face in her hands. She was no} cry- ing. She was too angry to ery. Her heart flew; her temples roared; she was a hot wave of indignation from head to foot. It was at least the twentieth occur- rence of the scene—loud voices, sar- casm; Jasper fiinging off to his office with echoes of a siammed door lingering behind, and she in tears, or that worse state, desperate vexatioh. After fifteen fairly peaceable years they had begun to quarrel. Carofine and Jasper made up quickly after their first quarrel. Latterly they had siot made up at all. from 2 state of amnesty to one of open rupture. And now 211 these conditions tad culminated in the present one. Tt was all because of Jasper’'s pend- ing vacation. She wanted to tour the New England States in the automo- the They simply driffed bile. He wanted to spend. the whole throe weeks with his brother fn the country. Caroline has made one visit at Henry’s, and she felt it Would do her for a lifetime. She had insisteé that she would not. go there and Jas- per retorted that unless she went there she would go nowhere with him. “I'll stay at home first,” she thought. “If it comes to that, my wishes are as important as his.” She arose from the teble and began 1o gather up the dishes. At that mo- ment the postman’s step soundeéd upon the verdnda, and she went to bring in the mall, There was ome létter for she tore it open eagerly. “You gpoke about making a motor tour of New England” Mrs, Cart- wright wrote. “That gave us the idea of doing the same. Frank nesds more outdoor air than he gets, the doctor says. The children will stay at moth- <r's, 8o we €l be diome—in thet Tig time you do, and so probably we shall meet somewhere. I wish we were go- iig to be together all the way.” Caroline read the letter twice. After- ward she sat down and pondered over it careully. Then she wenmt upstairs and considered the new clothes she had bad made and later sent a telegram to May Cartwright. Jasper did not comie home to lunch, but he arrived for dinner at the usual hour. His 'wife had put on a blue dress to aid her air of quiet determ- ination. She heard him hanging up his coat in the hall and waited for him to enter the dining room, Once she would have run 'to kiss him—ah, how long ago it seemed! 4 “Hello!” he said, merely. “Companry here?” “Oh, no!” she replied, eoldly. They sat down opposite each other and ate in silence—a silence as charged with trouble as the air with electricity on a stltry afternoon. After dinner he went into the living room to read and she washed the dishes. Then she, too, entered the liv- ing room and sat down with a bit of embroidery. Nobody came in, the tel- ephone bell did not ring, there was no relief from that -unbearable silence. Carolizie began to make false stitches. She had an idea that Jasper, behind his paper, was not reading. Suddenly he spoke over it to her. “Well,” he said. “I begin my vacation Monday. I'm going to spend it with Henty. So you may as well give up all idea of that New England tour.” Caroline laid down her work. “Why should I give it up?” “Because I'm not going.” “Thet doesn’t hinder me, does it?"’ He studied her. She studied him. “Be- cause,” she went on firmly, “I'm go- ing with the Cartwrights on Monday. I telegraphed May today, and she tele- graphed back that they would come here and get me.” The paper shook in his hamds. “I you go with the Cartwfights you can stay with the Cartwrights. You needa't come back hére,” said Jesper, “T must say the same thing abeut you golfig t6 Henry's,” she returned. And another quarrel began. It last- ddy mornfng. . Caroline left Monday afternoon with the Cartwrights. For a week Caroline enjoyed herself greatly. The Cartwrights wers good compaiiy, snd their car behaved su- perbly. Her griévence agdinst Jasper stimulated her spirits. At the end of ten days she begaw to think that perhaps Jasper wes fiot ail to blame. Wherein lay their trouble? What ailed them that affer fiftesn years of reasonable happiness they shoulds wreck it all by such cutrage- ous behdvior? Certainly Jasper was not fretted by business . for finance; They had all the nioney they “Teeded. Life had always moved smosthly for > Fate Works Strangely them both. They had very similar tastes and - the best of health. “I ean’t uhdeérstand it,” Caroline sighed. , From Danvers she sent a postcard to Jasper. “Well. Having a fine time.” Three days later she got a photo post- c¢ard of him in the hayfield. 1" he imseribed mérely. A few days more followed, during which Caveline struggled with grow- ing niisery, compunction and desire to reform. She never had been away from Jasper so long since before they became engaged. She .missed him crueliy. -At night she sobbed remorse- fully. By day her nerves shook. Sup- pose something should happen that they néver gaWw each otlrer again? The Cartwrights were astounded by her sudden decision to return home. She had never confided 2 word of her troubles to them, and she did net now. She simply said she was tco tired to continue the journey, so she took the frain back hame. So am In the twilight of a davrlig day ske entered her own house. The dear house, but so empty, 86 stiff! Her thought had been “INl telephone to Jasper. T'll tell him Pnrat hote waiting for him.” At the living room she Stepped. - A man stood at the window trying tor get the last light on a pieture he held. As she looked he kissed the pizture— her picture! “Jasper!” she sobbed. The picture fell and he held out his afms. “I knew yow'd come. T've been waiting two days!” he cried. & week later Carofine said: - “I'vé thought it all out, Jasper. We needed a vacation from each other. If we ever get back into the old ways we'll know what to do. T feel as if I'd stumbled upon a great discovery—one that would setile the marriage question for évermors. I shall keep our travelng bags fefiy packed in case of an emergeney.” . And she does. But up t6 the present time they hlave not been needed. By Abner Anthony HE settled herself snugly in the S orchestra seat of the theater where the Russian Ballet was to dance. With her father's help, she slipped off her sapphire blue evening coat, then arranged and rearranged the folds of white tulle that billowed sround her firm white shoulders. She preened herself like a young peacock before she looked over her program. “Why, Dad, Nijinsky isp’t going to dance! I think that's a shame. T wanted to see him more than anybody else.” She dropped her program and began looking eagerly over the house. Friendly faces nodded to her from boxes and neighboring seats. “They're mighty late starting,” she complained. *] guess my nose is shiny by this time”, She opened the gold vanity case, set with s eingle sapphire, that dangled from her little finger and took out e YHny powder puff. Then she became sware for the first time of the person who sat on her Jeft. He was staring at her, frankly rude. She could tell by just glancing out of the corner of her left eye. She discerned with a per- ceptible start that the person wore kigh boots. They were good looking, The gorgeous costumes and the bi- zarre, unusual combination of colors in the scenery, all done masterfully by Bakst, brought a glow of approval from Betty. “H's going to be great, Dad, after all. We'll get ten dollars’ worth without Nijinsky. Wait, you'll see!” she comforted. “It’s a lot of foolishmess,” the per- #on in boots heard the disgruntled old man declare. “I beg your pardon,” said a rich southern voice right above Betty’s left ear, “but do you know Patty Wil- Hams?”’ The startied girl turned slowly and looked at her next-door neigbbeér for the first time. A little welcoming smile lighted her deep blue eyes, “Why,” she beamed, “Patty Williams, of Aflanta? She’'s my best friend.” “I'm Bate, her brother, you know,” grinned the huge person in English tweeds dand high boots. “The idea!” ggsped Betty, extending her hand. “This is my father, Colonel Branner, Mr. Williams. It's Bate, you know, Dadb Bate, who has run away from home every time I went to visit Patty. Isn't it the tinfest bit of a world after all?” she platudinized. “Surest thing you know,” pleasantly agreed the young fellow. “I recogniz- ed that vanity case. Mother bought two of them, one for you and one for Patty the last time she was in Paris, the year the war began. You &nd Pat- fy are just alike, always powdering your little noses.” “Stop teasing!” commanded Beth “Patty says you're awful.” “She would bave a right to say that it she saw me here tonight in this rid- ing suit, along besides your frills and fiuff. I'm chief mining engineer at Mascot, twenty miles from here. I got so tired of sticking round up there that I rode down to the city to be en- tertaited. I'm glad that I came to this Russian Ballgt, but honest,%f you were not here, I'd be bored to death. This thing takes brains, and I don’t ‘want to think when I go to theaters. 1 have to work my little ivory enough at those blooming mines.” Betty giggled. “You're slangy, all right. And a Harvard man, too! The idea!” Then they laughed, merely be- cause they were both young, looking and happy. She put her left hand on the third finger of which blazed a huge solitaire in a very conspicuous place as she fingered her blue feather fan. good “Not sold out already, child?’ he questioned, sitting up with a jerk. “What do you mean? Does Patty know?” Then the music began and the cur- tain rose on the scene of & fantastic Persian garden. ‘‘We mustn’t talk!” whispered Betty. ‘You thiak more about it and youwll like it better” “Il think more about you and get to iking you too well,” ghe heard him say softly, “considering that head light you turn om my dazzied eyes. How about going to supper with me after the show?" Betty would not amswer, But from time to time she forget to follow the graceful leaps and Bounds of the lead- ing male dancer, .while she looked once more out of the cormer of her blue eyes at the distracting person in boots on her lefr, “If T had known vou were as mice 28 {ou are,” he begam, somewhat un- intelligently, “I wouldn’t have ducked when you came visiting, but some of Patty’s friends have been the limit. They wanted every fellow’s scalp in Atlanta to carry home on their 22- inch beits. Belleve me, theré have beén some cannibals down there. Go on now, tell mé about that ring! I've simply got to know.” “Oh, pshaw,” sighed Betty, vastly Dleased, “you should worry about me.” “f wmn afraid that I dm going to have t0,” satd the yourig mafin determined fashion. “I always knew that I would vun somie day too fast and too far. It isn't as if T were just meeting you! Patty apd I bave talked about you such a lot and I've read some of your clever lefters until it seems that we are old friends: Now, tell me about the man!” Betty looked omce more oul of the corner of her left eye. He had such a nice profite. She leaned confidently near. The tulle scarf about her young, white shoulders blew against him. “I wore this ring tonight because I thought the boys were all stingy not to ask me 10 come just because the seats were five dollars. I hope that Albert Rae would see it and worry. He has pretended to care such & lo!. It's mother’s ring!” » “I wonder if I would have & w to break tn on these other feffows! Patty has always w..ntefl a ‘gister and to have you—" He broke off abruptly as he slipped the- nnpphttg_ ¢oat on Betty’s slender body, brave {n flounces end tulle and silver lace, He towched the wide fox collar gemtly.. Whit s pretty girl she wast How adorsble! Betty saw all that ke was thinkiug n his brown eyes, suddendy serisus. “Have I any sort of & chn«l" fit repeated. A littie ghost' lfl il-l&‘u’l' m!efl up the corners. of Betty's eyes that were as blte as corn Sowers in the sun. “I shouldn't = womder,” A As they went out of the theater, Dad ambled on in front while Betfy laid her shand lightly, possessively, on the arm of the young fellow in high boots, much as a queen might have sought o honor 2 great minister of state. In the Still of Night- AND sakes, Henry,” exclaimed his wife, at the breakfast ta- ble. “Whatever ailed you fast aight? I declare, you made such a wolse 2 body can’t sleep in the same ‘house with you” “Noise? What do you miean?” #Bnoring. Yes you did. You ought o cure yourself of it, Henry.” “Me? Snoring? Bosh, Maria, it was the echo of your own snore-that woke you up. I never snore.” Nevertheless, Maria’s remark re- cuarred to Henry's mind several times during the day, and when he stepped off the train at the station that night he patted the bundle under his arm and chuckled. Maria started suddenly, wide awake, and sat up in bed, listeming intentiv. Some strange and unusual sound hed awakened her. What was it? Every nerve in her body tingled as she lis- tened. The velvet-black darkness of the room seemed to beat back at her. There. It came again, elear anmd dis- tinet, yet vaguely mysterious. It sounded like—like somréone Woring his way in! She feit a sudden chiil of terror. She wanted to seream, to ocall out to Henry in the next room. But the burglar might evea now be ereep- ing up o8 Henty, and if she should call out, he might shoot. Yes, he was there, The sound seemed to come from Henry's room. What should she do? After an eternity of tense listening, straining her eyes into the darkuess, her nerves grew quicter. Very cau- tiousty, nofselessly, she lifted the cov- erlet #nd crept out of bed. She moved across the floor, her outstretched hand exploring the darkuess. Her fingers touehed the door frame. 'She was out in the hall, creeping across to Henry's door. A bodrd snapped under her weight, and the sound of it, like a pis- tol shot, sent her cowering against the wall, where she waited, every muscle aquiver. Then the sound stopped ab- ruptly, and there came a soft rustling. ‘Where was he now? What was he do- ing? Spots of fire began to streak the blackness before her. She knew she Wwas geing to faint, but she sgt all her will against it and crept across the threshold. A cloud passing from before the moon threw a sudden strip of white moonlight across the carpet. Then ghe saw him. He was crouching close to the window and she could distinctly see that he was holding in one hand a long, black revolver. She could even make out the queer, ugly-looking mask he wore, that seemed to cover Lig whole head, like a diver's helmet, “Move and I will shoot.” The voice cut the darkness like a knife. Even in her extreme fright, Maria neted that the voice sommded holfow aund unnat- ural, Oh, why didm’t Henry wake? Shb wanted to sereany. Her lips form- ed Henry's name, but no sound came. was she dreanilng some terrible dream? No, he was backiug slowly to- ward the windew, by step. Per- haps he was irying escape. She saw his fres hand moving slowly up the edge of the window frame. There came a sudden sharp ssep, and the For a mioment, . the stdden glare blinded her. The sbe resugaiged the familiar pink and white stripes of Henry’s pajanmas, “Henryl™ “Marial” The pink clad figurc siraightened, and the revolver clattered to the floor. “OB, Henry,” gasped Maria, hyster- ically, “And T flmazht you were & burglar.” “Humpl! And I came pretty mear filling you full of lead” - - “But what tn thé world Is that queer losking'-tking you've got on your heéad > Henry suatched off the huge Black mask and threw it to the Hoor “That,” he said, disgustedly, “Is some newfangled contraption . zallsd & ‘snore-no-more.’ The feiler that sold it to me swore it would cure llltfi snoring in one might. Bet fllt“l thing is a fake.” Maria collapsed o e ehair sad began to laugh and cry at the same time. “You poor dear foclish old Hes- 1y,” she satd, wiping her eycs, “After this you may snore all you lke. But for mercy sake dem't ever put i thing on again. It's m to. 8 body to dedth. ~ And besides; it you sound Hke—Hke sawiag I'd have to get used toft fgaln.