Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-08-19
GERALD'S WIFE
A misunderstanding and a
Happy Explanation
BY lola FORESTER.


Broderick swung of the 4:85 ex-
press, walked quickly up the steps
leading from the railroad platform and
took his first look at Pineville. Those
who lived In Pineville proper were con-
tent to call 1t Pineville. Gerald had
written that they did not live In Pine
VILE proper, but in Pineville-by blythe
Sea, otherwise Pineville improper.
All that Broderick saw were pines.
plenty Of them, a fiat white ribbon of
roadway and a bit Of postoffice.
roughly shingled, In the midst of the
nearest clump OF pines. He stepped
into the postoffice as the central spot
of civilization. Some one was stamp
ing letters behind the glass Enclosure.
a girl witbssmooth dark hair. Beatrice
had smooth dark hair.
He watched the girl stamping letters
with interest and wondered why some
one did not tell her to wear her smooth
dark hair in two soft braids around
her head. crown fashion. as Beatrice
did.
where do the Vaughans live,
pleaseT' he asked finally. when the
stamping ceased
"The Vaughans? Oh, Mr.. Gerald
Vaughan and his wife? It's a brown
house down near the shore, with
wide veranda and a funny roof. About
a mile straight down the road"
A wide veranda and funny roof
That sounded like Gerald. He won
dered how Gerald's wife liked It Bea-
trice was artistic. but not artistcally
eccentric. She had horror of things
odd, bizarre, so called bohemian, and
vet she had married Gerald. And Ger
AIDS brother knew that Gerald was
utterly odd. bizarre and bohemian, 30
called.
He walked on down the fiat white
ribboned roadway and wondered
whether he would find her like the
girls Gerald had always admired. A
lithesome, limp, blessed damozel type.
with close silky gowns and loose foppy
hair. Last summer she had not been
that type. He thought of the trim girl
figure holding the rudder of the Water
Lily that last day. She had been more
than the sort of girl to fall in love
with. She had been a good fellow, a
stanch friend And as he watched her
he had stopped rowing, and they had
drifted slowly in the sunset glow that
Hooded the lake while he told her.
There had been no actual engage
ment- He had nothing to reproach her
with. He had not been in a position to
ask her to be his wife then, but he had
thought a girl like Beatrice had meant
Ii. oln Anxr
vague words of understanding. than
other girls. He had thought she might
wait until next summer. And now, In
April. he had returned to New York
to learn that Gerald was in disgrace.
had married on nothing. eloped to Pine
ville-by-the-Sea. N. O.. and his wife
was Beatrice Stafford.
Gerald's mother had said they were
penniless. Gerald's father had remark
ed that he didn't give a rap. They
could exist upon love and art
More or less for Beatrice's sake and
a little for Gerald's, Gerald's brother
had taken 1t upon himself to visit the
bridal couple and help Gerald. Smooth
ering his own love. he had made up his
mind that as long as Beatrice had
married Vaughan she should not suf-
fer from It.
There was no bell at the door of the
little brown house with the funny roof.
ItIwas merely bungalow in weather
cd shingles, and he pounded on the
door Justify until IT opened and Bea-
trice stood before him.
She was not the blessed damozel
type yet Her smooth dark hair was
wound about her head in just the same
crown fashion. and she wore short
dark blue linen skirt and white shirt
waist. The sleeves were rolled to her
elbows, and from her finger tips to ell
bow dimples there was -four sprinkled
He had not expected to see her face
to face so soon or alone. Neither had
he expected her to act as she did. The
color rose in her cheeks, tipping even
her ears with pink. 1t was an old hab-
It. He remembered 1t.
II thought you were in London" she
said.
'eYou don't give a fellow very de-
cent welcome after he's Travelled from
London to this wilderness to say con
gratulations." y
He stepped into the hall after her.
She hesitated and laughed, looking af
her Toured hands.
FL can't shake hands with you, and
ana the biscuits are In the oven. /
shall have to watch them. Do you
mind coming out to the kitchen?"
He didn't mind There appeared to
be only three rooms-the studio sitting
room. the dining room and the kitchen.
Collapsible ready-in-a-minute studio d.
vans were In the sitting room and din
ing room in lieu Of bedrooms. 1t was
all charmingiy. most uncomfortabiy
odd. bizarre and bohemian.
where's GeraldT' he asked when he
had found chair In the kitchen.
Beatrice knelt beside the stove to.
look at the biscuit He could not see
her face.
''He went to the postoffics for the
last mail You must have, missed
aim"
..weil, what ever made him come to
this lost cornerr'
''Oh. because It was the chance of
something definite. you know! Don't
you known" she added quickly. seeing
the puzzled look on his face. "well,