The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-09-22


whimsical glance at the girl
Theo smiled too, beginning to feel the warmth
OF Lucias charm. 1t was rather amusing after ALL
and he never speaks of me- the migrate! But
an that was so long ago." She shook her head
signing half regretfully new thought struck
her.
'And your mother?" she inquired curousy.
Dead" the girl murmured
"Ah, didn't know the mellow tones instantly
asked pardon. "A long timer?
Five years" A silence fell them.
THE girl stared at the unconsciously-
old memories were leaping piercingly into her
mind disiointed phrases of her mothers der-
ium meaningless then, haorgotten now
you've never loved me, OH Godfrey Godfrey,
you're always thinking of her still-Luca. Lucia,
Iucia!" Revelation sprang startled and Mortified
into the girls eyes. Many things suddenly be-
came clear, an understanding undreamed OF that
cast great light on the lives of them all.
Lucia caught by the others expression leaned
little toward her.
WHAT" she asked sharply.
Il thinking OF my mother
Tell what she was like" The voice. still
curious, had gentler note.
Theo began to falter through list of super
fcials, and seeing in her mind far deeper than she
had ever seen before Her mothers wstfulness.
her patient air, her sad smile; her fathers mean-
choy, his invariable, preoccupied kindness, into
all this she read the disappointment OF a man I'M
able to rise above an old sorrow, who would not
live in the funess of the present because the past
had denied him.
and dark and frail, in every way the antithesis
OF her gorgeously ful-blown beauty. She be-
gan to be interested, and without realizing it,
Theo was telling her great deal between the
lines Lucia had quite understood Paxton
who would have thought that the man would NOPE
away his life because she had fouted him. 1t
tribute of a sort.
"And what did your father say when you went
on the Stage?" she queried presently. Angry
eh?"
Theo caught herself back to the present.
'Oh, yes very angry at first she admitted
"But when he found was determined he laughed
and said-somethng didn't understand then
WHAT" asked Lucia again
Theo flushed little as she quoted in a low
voice. All my lambs for Thespis it seems. :"
The actress knit her brows moment, then
laughed little too
And now what do you think he meant by it,
IT HEO, looking up embarrassed, met her eyes
they young and merry She did not seem
like the same who had spoken GROSSLY at
rehearsal that afternoon. The girl felt herself
thrilled by the vitality, the charm, the sweet
mysterious something that seemed to emanate
from this womans personality and to enfod her
listener in atmosphere warm, and a little in
toxicatng Usually reserved, she did not now
dream of resenting these intimate questions SO
insinuatingly if imperousy pressed She won
dered that she had ever thought Reymar cold or
marveed at the worship OF her audiences. She
blushed like girl confessing to her lover.
Il think that he meant-you, she muir
INJURED obediently
Lucia auSneQ uellSHleuly. lLluh vi H. sHe
cried. "Old Geoffrey Still incoming about me!
And he must be fifty if he's day! And I'm
WE'LL never mind that" Even that did not bring
her back earth. why, we We're children to
gether. ] doing maids at Days and he was
a for being poet-I remember his big dark
eyes, and his flowing ties-oh, a handsome feo"
and how tckled he was when we AL said he
looked like Byron! How beautifully he made love
and how intense he with it all. And to think
that he really meant it,!
She gave great laughing sigh, and pulling of
a rose from the marvellous cluster the table
began putting it deXterously in her hair.
The imaginative Theo had in these few sen
fences the whole merry life eloquently pictured
for her. But to her. whose path had been so dun
coored, it had no substance, it was like fairy
tale or some sprightly little play Only this
woman forty years DID, with dyed hair, and
wonderful voice, and wonderful hands might have
been real in it-she could not imagine grave ant
dignified Godfrey Paxton, with curls and flow
inet ARDENT This seemed a differ