The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-29
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some trivial. bit Of gossip on her
tongue. She went to the phone.
What do YOU want, Elizabeth" she
demanded.
The reply was so. astonishing that
she nearly dropped the receiver.
Whom do you take me for? This
is Eric. Say, Lilias. I'm not coming
over tonight. You see. we've got COM
pany, and then it's so rotten bad out.
I'm tired, anyway. Had a heavy day.
I'm awfully sorry. Lilias, I know you
were expecting me-
Lilias laughed briefly. "oh, no in
deed. 1 didn't dream Of your COM
ing"
What? After 1 said 1 would? oh,
come now! You've more faith in me
than that. I'm sorry, Lilias. but you
see it's lust as I said. Wow! Hear
that wind!'
Lilias heard not the wind. but
young. very merry voices. which SEEM
She heard also his gently ~reproachful
"Giris!" as a burst of laughter in
terrupted his message. With a curt
Good night" she hung up the re-
ceiver. Her cheeks were crimson. :.
Isn't Eric coming?" her mother
asked. TRANQUILITY. Pardon me, love.
that's my trick. 1 take it with a
trump. Isn't Eric coming, dear?"
Lilias shook her head. She could
not speak. She rushed through the
folding doors into the. empty front
parlor. A dense black cloud seemed
he was not coming. They had COM.
pany, he had said. That is, his sister
had company. And she had learned
just that day from Elizabeth Wilson
about the. city girl who was visiting
at the Knights. A find. of Polly.
Knights. Pretty, Of course Her
voice had sounded pretty. and about
nineteen years old. Elizabeth. said
she had hair like henna AMI ways"
She had been introduced to her.
Lilias had scarcely listened to what
Elizabeth said. She was thinking
about an evening spent with. Eric.
in any way to concern her. But now
she seemed to c her very much.
She was the a for Eric's not
coming. The storm could not keep
him away. or any amount Of weari-
ness. It was that girl-that red
haired girl! Lilias began to have
shooting pains in her heart. She
clinched her hands. Her face crink-
led up into tears. She fed. sobbins all
the way. upstairs.
Into her she plundged and
slammed the door. Beyond. the par
tition Charlotte called something to
her. but she did not answer. She
collapsed on the bed. regardless of her
pretty. new dress. and melted into a
passion of weeping.
She was tw%enty-four and vet she
did not seem to have a bit Of sense.
Twenty-four even is 10 pitifully i'm
mature when 1t comes to a question
Of the heart. She felt shocked,
blightei. Eric did not love her. His
fancy had easily been led away. She
must reconcile herself to giving him
up. doing without him. And. oh, that
was going to be bitter. hard! It
would be tearing a great piece out of
ones life. indeed. What remained
would lot matter. Oh. that e d-hair-
ed girl!
She realized now for the first time
all TINT Eric meant to her. She had
never cared for any man before him.
She had sung n ung nj tried to
believe that nothing else was worth
while. And then one morning In
church she had caught his eye as he
listened. The x day her pupils
came and went but she taught as one
In a dream. She had lived in the
san town. with Eric knight all her
life. but she only just now actually
knew him. He was wonderful. She
felt like q miner discovering gold-ex.
allied, amazed, radiantly hopeful.
So 1t had come to this-her poor.
innocent little romance! She did not
sleep until the dawn showed at her
window. Then 1t was the sleep of ex-
hausted energy.
She awoke with the certain knowl-
-l-~ ~ 49, -. =.