Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-07-26
by A. MARIA CRAWFORD
toopyrIeh,. 1919. by Associated Literary PrsssI

loure LOOKING great, Alice, IN
that white gown. It's to be a big
party, isn't itY" asked Charles la
nier, admiring the girl as she came
into the room.
Several hundred have been asked,
] believe" she answered Indifferent
ly, dropping into a chair. 81 have
decided not TO Co."
"May l ask whyT
Certainly you may ask" Alice as
sured him with small show Of grace,
''but must decline 10 answer, for |
believe that after a minutes mcdita-
iion your own memory will save me
the trouble and answer you more in
diligently and less dispassionately
than possibly could under the cir
cumstnnces.
"All this is Greek to me, Alice"
said Charley, a surprised, hurt note
in his ~o:cee. Suppose you tell me
nil about itp
81 can't do IL without emotion and
] will not cry and let you laugh at
me-" Alice slowly pulled the gleam-
ing circle Of diamonds from her fin
ger and laid IL on the table between
them. IL give you back your free
dom"
"Scc here, Alice" said the man,
sternly, "you owe me some sort OF an
explanation. What's the mattcr'
Have done anything that displeased
youS"
"No. You have your freedom.
Now enjoy i'll"
There was fnality in her voice
and without even glancing at the
ring on the table, Charley Lanier
said good night and left her.
lie was stunned. he was humiliat-
ed s he stepped into his car and or
dercd his chauffeur TO run out on
tho river road.
Ten miles from town, the stiffness
OF the country and Of the eternal
hills smotc his inner consciousness
with pence and the anger in his
heart for the girl he loved died and
left only sense OF loneliness. Life
could be made too great a thing to
waste any hours over a tickle wom-
nn. He told his chauffeur TO drive
back to the Hayemcyers garden par
~, III Alice could give him up for
some foolish, abstract reason, he de-
tcrmincd that he would forget his
hurt by mingling with people.
swell. I'm glad TO see you here,
Charley said pleasant voice, as
he turned away from his hostess.
"l've been looking for you. want
you to take Thankful Morris around
with you'and have her sing. She
has wonderful talent"
He turned quickly aud saw one
Of his mothers best friends and be-
side her the beautiful girl whom he
hrN 'Nlen motoring in the afternoon.
! VS. when party of guests had
gone into the house, into the hand
some music room, to hear Thankful
Morris sing, that Charley FIRST saw
Alice standing with a group Of men
and covcrtly watching him. The full
mellow voice of the singer had the
silycry rills Of nightngales in il
end the sweetness Of her own flower
scented south, Under tho sound Of
the music the mans heart began TO
ache duly, despairingly. He turned
20 a fellow clubman and asked him
10 provide an escort for the visitor.
then moved quietly through a
French window out on the yine-cov.
cred veranda where the moonlight
through the leaves showed in patches
on the floor,
He was alone there and he leaned
his head back ON chair and closed
his eyes, listening to the pleading
love song that seemed to mock hi:
own pain, He had never known
Alice to be much given to moods
and again he wondered what had
caused the change in her, He was
so deeply interested in his Owl
thoughts, so absorbed in planning
..slla solufions for nossihla nroh