The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-09-12
CHAPTER XXI.
A MAN MUST ACT AS HE THINKS
PFCT

A MAN MUST ACT AS HE THINKS
BEST.
Louisa knew the flat in Exhibition
road very well. She had helped Edie to
furnish 1t. and to make 1t pretty and
cosey, for Edie's passion was for dogs
and for golf; drawing-room chairs and
saucepans were not much in her line.
So Louisa had chosen practically every
thing-the piano, as well q the coal
scuttles, and every stick OF furniture
In Luke's room. u j.. . .~..
Tonight she went up the well known
every limb that she could scarcely
walk. She seemed to have aged 20
years in I'VE days.
Eide was sitting alone in the pretty
drawing room buried In a capacious
armchair, her hands folded before her.
The room was in darkness save for the
glow of the freight. She Jumped up
announced and the neat servant in
black dress and smart cap and apron
switched on the electric light.
"Oh," said poor little Edie impetuous-
ly, II am so thankful you've comet"
h ran up to Louisa and put her
arms round her, kissing her.
do come and sit with me-" she con-
tinued, loath to relinquish Colonel Har-
ris's hand after she had shaken 1t, 81
feel that in this solitude I shall go
dotty."
Whilst she spoke, she detached with
nervous, febrile movements Louisa's
fur from round her neck, and dragged
the older woman carer to herself and
to the fire. Then she threw herself
down on the hearth rug, squatting
there in front Of the fire, with nervy
fingers picking at the fringe of the rug.
Her cheeks were red and blotchy with
traces Of recent tears, her hair, towZled
and damp, chung to her moist temples.
Suddenly she burst into a torrent OF
weeping. s.. 80. .
"oh, LouI what does 1t all mean"
she exclaimed between heavy 'sobs
What does 1t all mean? They say
Luke has murdered that odious Philip!
and I have been cooed up here for two
days now, not daring to go out!
ashamed to face n one! and Luke
Luke-oh!"
The outburst was almost hysterfcal.
The young girl was obviously fearfully
overweight, and had endured q Sc
we're nerve strain by not having the
OF giving mi to her feelings.
Colonel Harris, with all an English
mans horror of feminine scenes, was
clearing his throat, looking supreme
ly uncomfortable all the time.
s"Sh!-sh!" admonished Louisa impa-
tiently, be quiet, Edie, you mustn't
go on like that! Be quiet nowl" she
added more severely seeing that the
girl made no effort to control herself.
What will your servants think7"
d you suppose" retorted Bdic,
that 1 care what they think? They
can't think more, can they? when they
all talk of Luke as If he were a muir
DO for Gods sake be silent, Eide.
This Is too awful"
And Louisa, almost roughly, dragged
herself away from the girls hysterical
embrace. h had tried so hard for
two days and two nights to keep her
self together, and her nerves in check.
AL day today had been one long con-
tinuous battle against the danger of
breaking down." that bugbear OF the
conventional woman of the world.
Now this danger, backed up by this
child's grief, doomed greater than
ever, now-now-that breaking down"
would become a positive sin, the most
abject form of cowardice. But Edie's
bewilderment, her loneliness, were in
tensely pathetic. Louise had tried to
be severe, and insisted on checking the
access Of hysteria, but her heart went
to the child, and to her puzzlement
In face Of this awful. ununderstandable
ride.
Look here, Edie." she said gently,