Alma record., 1914-02-05
81 know, Judith, ! know"

she said. "But it's been a different
way. You were never In love-really
In love. I mean. Certainly not with
me, Monty, though you tried to make
me think so once upon time, before
Sassoon came along, and-Beauty Va
liant"
The major blinked, suddenly
startled. II was out, the one name
neither had spoken to the other for
thirty years! He looked at her lit
tie guiltily; but her eyes had turned
away. Everything changed then"
she continued dreamily, everything"
The majors fingers strayed across
his waistcoat, fumbling uncertainty
for his eyeglasses. For an instant
he, too, was back in the long-ago
past, when he and Valiant had been
comrades. II had been a curious
three sided affair-he, and Valiant and
Sassoon. Sassoon with his dissipated
fair and ungovernable temper and
strange fits of recklessness; clean,
high-idealed, straight-away Valiant;
and he-a Bristow, neither better nor
worse than the rest of his name. He
remembered that mad strained season
when he had grimly recognized his
own cause as hopeless, and with burn
ing eyes had watched Sassoon and
Valiant racing abreast He remem-
bered that glittering prodigal dance
when he had come upon Valiant and
Judith standing in the shrubbery, the
candle-light from some open door en-
goldening their faces: hers smiling. a
little fiippant perhaps, and conscious
of her spell; his grave and earnest,
yet wistful.
"You promise, John?"
Il give my sacred word. What
ever the provocation, | will not lift
my hand against him Never, never!"
Then the same voice, vibrant, appeal
ing. Judith! 1t isn't because-be-
cause-you care for him?"
He had plunged away in the dark
ness before her answer came. What
had it mattered then to him what she
hadreplied? AND that very night had
befallen the fatal quarrel
The major started How that name
had blown away the dust! That's
a long time ago, Judith
Thirty years ago tomorrow they
fought" she said softly, Valiant and
Sassoon Evey woman has her one
anniversary, ] suppose, and tomor-
rows mine DO you know what
do, every fourteenth of May, Monty?
keep my room and spend the day
always the same way There's a little
book I read. And there's an old hair
cloth trunk that I've had since | was
a girl. Down in the bottom of it are
something's. that | take out and set
round the room and there
is a handful of old letters I go over
from first to last They're almost
worn out now, but I could repeat them
all with my eyes shut. Then there's
tiny old straw basket with a yellow
wisp in it that once was a bunch of
cape jessamines. l wore them to that
last ball-the night before it hap
pened. The fourteenth of May used to
be sad, but now, do you know, / look
forward to it! I always have lot Of
jessamines that particular day-Tll
have Shirley get me some tomorrow
and in the evening, when go down
stairs, the house is full Of the scent
of them All summer long it's roses,
but on the fourteenth of May 1t has
to be jessamines. Shirley must think
me a whimsical old woman, but | in
sist on being humored."
He smiled, a little bleakly, and
cleared his throat.
isn't 1t strange for me to be talk
ing this way now!" she said present
ly. Another proof that I'm getting
old. But the date brings it very close;
1t seems, somehow, closer than ever
this year.-Monty, weren't you tre-
mendously surprised when ! married
Tom Dandridge?"
81 certainly was"
''Tll tell you a secret. / was, too.
I suppose l did 1t because Of sneak
ing feeling that some people were feel
stand Well, he was a man any one
might honor. I've always thought
woman ought to have two husbands:
one to love and cherish, and the other
to honor and obey. / had the latter,
at any rate"
And you've lived, Judith he said.
Yes" she agreed, with little sigh,
I've lived. I've had Shirley, and she's
twenty and adorable. And I've had
people enough, and books to read, and
plenty of pretty things to look at, and
old lace to wear, and I've kept
my figure and my vanity-Tm not too
old yet to thank the Lord for that!
So don't talk to me about worsted
shawls and horrible arctics. For l
won't wear 'em. Not If l know my
self! Here comes Shirley. She's
made two juleps. and If you're a gen.
tleman, you'll distract her attention
till I've got rid of mine in my usual
way"
The major, at the foot of the cherry
bordered lane, looked back across the
box-hedge to where the two figures
cot updor tho roc rhor tho rpOthar'a