The Washington herald., 1913-07-27

mat. Dut now m gong away u
school, and | want you TO care fol
i Aurelie. just to know you, mother
it will be SO much to heri / wanted
to bring her here, mother-homei AND
then this fool beauty contest that Vile,
Curran got some of, the town girl!
into-I simply couldn't stand itp
Yes" his mother answered. "Elist
her picture was sent 1t was abom.
Unable. Mr.. Dickinson telephoned TO-
night to ask Mr.. Van Hart if some.
thing actionable could not be dons
about it."
Harlan laughed mirthlessly. "Eliss
didn't get the prize, SO no one'll know
of herl But Aurelie-" His eyes
went hungrily to Aurelie, dumb on her
chair, striving to grasp what might be
thought of that in herl The purity oi
her oval face, the perfect line of hei
small throat, her mouth. budded always
with laughter, now grave as man.
her black, heavy-lidded eyes-he had
merely loved them all.
Elise" rejoined his mother, briefly
need not be mentioned now. Harlan
your engagement - extraordinary y
She had murmured something that
they could not understand. The judge,
too, had muttered. If the only son had
been brought home dead, they would
not have made a scene before their
guests in the next room, so thorough
was the Van Hart inheritance. The
song had ceased, a buzz of gay COM
ment followed. The lady nodded at
the open door, and the judge went as
If to close it. Mrs. Van Hart placed
a cool and gracious hand upon Aure-
lies head my DEAR" she said,
slowly, Il can understand. You're both
very young, and these summer nights
along Sinsinawa beautiful She
smiled and stroked the girls hair.
SO very young" the father repeated.
"And Harlan-your way to make-a
long, tough battle'-they could not
hear the rest-'the lava jealous mis-
tress-my boy-rny boyp
Then, before them, the judge arose
and fed hastily. To Harlan it seemed
he staggered in the shadow of the din
ing-room.
But Aurelie did not know. She
seemed stupehed at all this largeness of
soul. She had not dreamed such grace,
such warmth, could be. Even Uncle
Michigan's profane and picturesque lore
had not been of this amplitude. Sud-
denly she felt what in all her absurd
and lonely pride she had never felt-a
remorseless misery for her ignorance,
an infinite pathos for her beggary, her
vanity, her unworth-she tried to put
her Drowned and roughed little hands
ttar ,x-tth h,,,,,lta
ness, she knew there was no need.
Love was about her; it understood, it
covered all. She could not lift her
eyes for the tears in them; she could
not trust her voice to speak.
She's the most generous little heart
in all the world" Harlan was saying.
And ! want you to help her, mother.
All this publicity and prize-winning
we hate it! Aurelie has given it up,
mother. She promised-and | want
you to protect her till l come back!"
There was a silence. Mrs. Van Hart
was still smiling. what a wonderful
think youth is! And how one smiles
over it later! My dear children. /
don't know what to say to you. It
it has Jared us, Harlan! And l want
you both to be very discreet and cool
headed" She smiled again and with
such a rare and lofty tenderness that
for moment Harlan was again de-
ceived. Harlan must go back to
school this year, and Aurelie"-her
breath came triAe shorter-"my dear,
want to talk to you. And, Harlan
you ought to see the young people for
a moment"-he understood the reso-
lutte authority in her tone-"and your
father-he needs you, doubtless"
The son looked at her, and for an
instant rebellion famed in his eyes.
She ruled the home with gracious
will, but one of steel. Harlan paused
A defeated surliness arose
in him. He had felt so sure, so loyal
to Aurelie's wild pathos, so splendid
with the strength of her renunciation
for him! He had come eager to pour
it forth, to exalt It and defy with it
but now his mother was in command,
and behind her it seemed all the years
and centuries of their forebears, their
class and culture, stood. He would
obey, or he would revolt, and il he did
the last there would be a crisis, cold,
sharp, decisive, he could not tell ex-
dSNiy VI "Hdts OLIy ilC h1iCw HlS
mothers imperious will. He knew she
was looking at him, that she was read
ing him. He raised his eyes steadily
10 hers; in them was warning.
Yes. mother" he answered, quietly,
and left the room.
There was silence again. Then the
piano in the front room strayed to a
waltz song from the latest musical
show; there was laughter. step, the
rustic of gown-a fluff of lace in the
doorway, whisked past, vanished on
the polished hall. Mrs. Van Hart
watched the door attentively for al
time. Harlan's set was accustomed to
drag the rugs aside and dance all down
the hall and through the dining-room
without asking of any one. And the
folding doors were open. 4
Then her cool eyes turned to Aureiie. |
How old are you, child?"
Nineteen, almost" Aurelie was
now of a placed purpose in |
The voice. Yet it still was kind.
You're so very slender. / didn't |
iream it. l remember seeing you the
asst time the ladies asked the children
20 make wreaths for the Home Week
festival. You brought such quantities
md had them wreathed about you. 1t
l thought you were
child"
Il know" said Aurelie, family.
She was watching the big hall door. |
An audacious couple had waltzed past
t; the music was louder, the laughter
weller. "Some of Harlan's friends |
are here. Old high school friends,