The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-05-14

| "There!" she whispered, and slipped
back through the perfumed dark.
An hour later she stood in the
cozy stiffness of her bedroom.
She threw off her gown, slipped into
a soft loose robe of maize-colored silk
and stood before the small glass. She
| pulled out the amber pins and drew
her wonderful hair on either side of
her face, looking out at her reflection
like a mermaid from between the rip
ping waves of e. moon golden sea.
| At last she turned, and seating her
self at the desk, took from 1t diary
She scanned the pages at random, her
eyes catching lines here and there.
"A good run today. Betty and Judge
Chalmers and the Pendleton boys. My
fourth brush this season" A frown
drew itself across her brows, and she
turned the page. "One Of the hounds
broke his leg, and l gave him to
Hickey" Chilly Lusk to
dinner today, after swimming the Lor-
ing Rapid"
She bit her lip. turned abruptly to
the new page and took up her pen.
This morning a twelve-mile run to
| Damory Court" she wrote. This
| afternoon went for cape jessamines."
There she paused. The happenings
| and sensations of that day would not
| be recorded. They were unwritable.
She laid down her pen and put her
| forehead on her clasped hands. How
| empty and inane these entries seemed
beside this rich and eventful twenty
| four hours just passed! What had
she been doing year ago today? she
wondered. The lower drawer of the
desk held a number of slim diaries
| like the one before her. She pulled it
out, took up the last-years volume
| and opened it.
Why" she said in surprise, Il got
day last year," she pondered frown-
| ing, then reached for third and a
| fourth. From these she looked up,
startled. That date in her mothers
calendar called for cape jessamines.
| What was the fourteenth of May to
her?
She bent slow troubled gaze about
her. The room had been hers as a
child. She seemed suddenly back in
| that childhood, with her mother bend
| ing over her pillow and fondling her
rebellious hair. When the wind cried
| for loneliness out in the dark she had
sung old songs to her. Sad songs!
Even in those pinafore years Shirley
had vaguely realized that pain lay be-
| hind the brave gay mask. Was there
| something some event - that had
caused that dull-polored life and I'M
| fulfilment? And was today, perhaps,
| it's anniversary?
|
John Valiant sat propped up on the
library couch, an open magazine I'M
needed on his knee. The reading
stand beside him was litter of let
tiers cd papers. The bow-window
was open and the honeysuckle breeze
blew about him, lifting his hair and
ruffling the leaves of the papers. In
the garden three darkies were labor
| ing. under the supervision of Uncle
| Jefferson. The unsightly weeds and
| lichen were gone from the graveled
| paths, and from the fountain pool,
whose shaft now spouted slender
| spray shivered by the breeze into a
million diamonds, which fell back into
| the pool with a tintinabulant trickle
| and drip
The master of Damory Court closed
| the magazine with sigh. 'If l could
only do it all at once!" he muttered.
"It takes such a COMPOUNDED time.
Four days they've been working now,
and they haven't done much more
| than clean up" He laughed, and
threw the magazine at the dog who
lodged it with injured alacrity. After
all, Chum," he remarked, cts been
thirty years getting in. this condition.
/ guess we're doing pretty WELL
He stretched luxuriously. I'll take
hand at it myself tomorrow. I'm
as right as rain again now, thanks to
Aunt Daph and the doctor. Some
thing of a crusty citizen, the doctor
but he's all to the good"
A heavy step came along the porch
and Uncle Jefferson appeared with a
tray holding a covered dish with a
plate of biscuit and a round jam-pot.
Look here" said John Valiant, Il
had my luncheon three hours ago, I'm
being stuffed like milk-fed turkey
The old man smiled widely. "EG's
jes' er lii snack er BROTH" he said
"Reck'n et'll kinder float eroun' de
yuddah things. Dis yeah pots dat
apple-buttah whit Miss Matte Sue
SEN yo' by Hickey Snyder"
Valiant shifted with satisfaction
I'm getting so confoundedly spoiled
he said, that I'm tempted to stay sick
and do nothing but eat. BY the way
Uncle Jefferson, where did Hickey
come from? Does she belong here?