The Washington herald., 1907-02-20
IN SEARCH OF SIMPLICITY.
BY CONSTANCE DARCY MACKAY.

It was a clear October day Fifth ave-
nue. was radiant with sunshine Mrs.
st. Aubyn. standing at the French win
dow of her pretty little breakfast room.
noted the blueness Of the sky and the
bright color of some autumn leaves that
drifted by on a pun of wind
Below, in the street. a girl walked
briskly, her cheeks glowing from the
keen touch of the air A Eewsboy wills
tied blithely as he loitered on the cor
ner. An old woman passed. a basket on
her arm. It was filed with apples. rosy
and fresh-looling, as If they had just
been shaken from the trees OF gathered
from the frost-starred grass of an or
chard. An orchard! Mrs. St Aubyn
smiled. How long was it since she had
roamed iH one? Twenty years at least;
for Mrs. St Aubyn was thirty-seveu.
Twenty years of dinners and teas and
dances, Of summers passed at Newport
and winters spent in idle fitting FROM
Paris TO London, and from London home
again. Luxury had smoOthed Mrs ST
Aubyn's path. and time had touched her
lightly. Her figure was as slender and
supple as a girls. and there were those
of her acquaintance caustic enough to
say that during the period of her mourn
ing she had prolonged the wearing Of
widows weeds because black set off her
amber colored hair and dazzling COM
plexion-a clear rose and white that still
dened the aid Of cosmetics.
IAN orchardi' repeated Mrs st.
Aubyn, looking after the old apple
woman who had hobbIed TO the crossing.
Il wore my hair in a braid then, re-
member, and a big frilled sunbonnet
How fresh and wonderful the world
seemed i'm those days. It's so long ago
that I've almost forgotten what rusucity
is like. And yet
She paused. A sudden longing for the
country took possession Of her-for the
real country. where no smart, high-seated
traps met the incoming train, where
roads wound between fields, not lawn:
and where the air was full of autumn
scents and sounds, the smell OF earth
and withered grass. the rustic OF dry
leaves underfoOt. She turned abruptly
from the window, and with a swiftness
that denoted decision crossed the room
and rang the bell.
Prompt as trap-door fairy. Antoinette
appeared.
I am not going shopping after all,
said Mrs St Aubyn And YOU may
telephone TO the dressmakers that / can't
keep my appointment for this afternoon. 90
Antoinette opened her brown eyes wide
in establishment She would have opened
them still wider an hour later had she
seen Mrs. St Aubyu seated IN a car
whose general dinginess proclaimed its
acquaintance with obscure places off the
general line Of travel. Instead. OF we'll
groomed commuters and their wives,
there We're men whose clothes were a bit
rusty and women whose bulky satchels
and bags bore witness that they had been
TO spend week with daughter I'm the
city. Wide-eyed children chung tena-
ciously to dolls and bananas. crying
babies were vehementy urged TO look
out the window at grandpa" and when
the train began to move, good -bys were
said with an abandon which half amused.
half stirred Mrs. St Aubyu In her world
repression was the law Of life It was
long since she had been in touch with
the simple homely things of existence.
To think that this actually occurs in
New York. she murmUred to herself.
and then laughed little guilty. for an
der her monogrammed morocco bag there
repOsed a neat brown paper parcel con
tanning chicken sandwiches and a bottle
of olives that she had paused to buy at
the station in the breathlessness of her
flight. Bought at the station! With
what Mortified shruggings would An
toinette have protested had she known
and with what CALCULATIONS would she
have complained against the crowded
STIFFNESS of the train.
"Fairview," called the conductor.
Mrs. ST. Aubyn looked at her time table
Four stations more,
1t was noon when she stepped out at
MeadOwbank. The narrow platform was
deserted, save for a young telegraph on
orator. who looked appreciatively at Mrs.
St Aubyn's tailor-made costume of gray
and violet. and inquired if she would like
a team. She shook her head She would
rather walk, How well she knew the
road! And how little it had changed She
followed il by a cluster of trim-fenced
houses. past the general store. and on to
where the fields widened and stretched
away 10 hills whose submits were 4 misty
bANNf DltAAhbCiAN vines. rusty WIKI IAN.
tangled at the roadside, and here and
there asters glowed like a purple flame.
AT the far edge of the village outskirts
she came to a rambling white house
Grass grew knee dee1 in its yard; its
windows were shattered; its door bore a
placard: For Sale" over its porch the
bare tendrils of a honeysuckle vine stirred
with every passing wind. BY path still
family discernible through a network of
weeds, Mrs. St. Aubyn took her way to
the orchard There she came upon a
sight which held her stock still with
amaZement.
Jimmy" cried Mrs. ST. Aubyn. What
in the world are you doing here?"
Jimmy Nanringcourt forsook the apnle
for which he had been reaching. and
colorcd TO the roots of his iron-grav
hair. Then ne came forward.
NV dear Helene" he exclaimed, who