The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-05-05
WHEN HE
WOKE UP

It was a surprise to Burchard when
he dropped in to call upon Sylvia to
ind . strange young man occupying
his special chair and acting quite as
much at home as though he belonged
there by right.
Burchard had been calling on Syl-
via for months. ave years. and had
sat In that particular chair innuper-
able times. A sensation Of being i'll
used and injured surged through his
soul as he bowed with stern cordiality
to the young man.
"Mr. Gillmyer," Sylvia was saying
sweetly. lis a brother of my old
school friend, Dot, Of whom you've
heard me talk so often, Ted. He's
come to Chicago to go into business.
Isn't that delightful"
Lovely" agreed Burchard. There
really was nothing else that he could
say. Speech seemed to have been
smothered within him by that first
wave of surprise which had over
whelmed him.
Try as he might to enter into the
conversation, Burchard found himself
relapsing painfully into silence every
little while.
The more he thought of the situa-
tion the more indignant Burchard
grew. BY the time he said good even
ing he was able to give Sylvia the
frostiest sort of nod and barely to
touch the tips of her fingers. The
surprise in her eyes was succeeded
by a flicker of something else, which
was quickly hid by her lowered lids
Burchard would have been. q good deal
surprised II he had known that in
stead Of dragging herself slowly up
the stairs to weep over his cruelty
Sylvia dropped down on the bottom
step when the front door closed and
laughed.
Naturally Burchard called the next
evening to atone for the GOODNESS Of
his good-by. Sylvia was wearing q
particularly large bunch of violets.
which he eyed Indignantly.
Il love violets.' Sylvia said alb
sently, patting them. "You can al
most smell these!"
almost" Burchard repeated. be.
'wildered.
They're artificial" Sylvia explain
ed. did they fool your"
The bound Of relief that Burchard's
heart gave when he found Gillmyer
had not sent the flowers was perfectly
evident, but Burchard was too upset
to grasp the fact. He was conscious
of an inner triumph when he left at
10:30 that he had had the field to
himself. But these triumphs were
few. for Gillmyer bobbed up ct all
sorts of moments.
HE knows SO few people in town."
Sylvia said once "And, really. he's
awfully nice. don't you think. Ted?"
Fine chap" agreed Burchard, with
a sensation Of swallowing red-hot
Goals.
The worst Of 1t was that Gillmyer
really was a fine chap. He broke
into the Sunday night chatting dish
suppers that Burchard had been wont
to enjoy with Sylvia. and he cut up
the cheese and beat the eggs as
though that had always been his duty,
Between whiles Gillmyer invited
Sylvia to go to the theater and
brought her books and candy as
though there was nc reason why he
shouldn't. The little ranking jabs
attached to this phase of the situation
was that there really was no reason.
Yet Burchard felt outraged.
The evening he called and found to
his dismay that Sylvia had gone out
somewhere with Gillmyer without the
preliminary of letting him know when
it was his regular night toecall made
Burchard see stars. Women. he said
to himself cuttfngly as he strobe home
at a great pace. are tickle, unreliable,
frivolous. unworthy and unnecessary
cumberers Of the earth. He had
thought Sylvia different. but that was
merely because he was an imbecile.
Burchard sat and stared at the wall
for an hour. smoked three cigars and
then turned in. At midnight he was
still awake. II suppose they are Just
about getting home now" he muir
INJURED.
1t amazed him that Sylvia should
show no trace Of contrition, shame
or concern about the manner in which
she was treating him. She acted al
though she was perfectly all right
and appeared to have no uneasiness
over Burchard's acquired gloom. On
the contrary. she seemed to be having
q decidedly good time. That she &C
tually could enjoy Gillmyer's society
was an agonizing blow to Burchard.
His mind wal such . mixture Of un.
happiness and bewilderment that he
did not even try to figure out . solu.
tion..
He was asresably surprised when
he called one evening to 6nd that
Gillmyer was not present. He took
his old chair, but sat on the extreme
edge because 1t really wasn't al his
chair any more.
INF. Gillmyer." Sylvia remarked.