Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-01-20

Then the same voice, vibrant. appear
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
had replied? 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 little
book 1 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 I take out and set
round the room and there
is a handful of old letters l go over
from first to last They're almost
worn out now, but could repeat them
all with my eyes shut. Then there's
tiny old straw basket with 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! always have lot of
jessamines that particular day-ITl
have Shirley get me some tomorrow
and in the evening, when I go down
stairs, the house is full of the scent
of them. All summer long it's roses,
but on the fourteenth of May it has
to be jessamines Shirley must think
me whimsical old woman, but l in
sist on being humored.'
He smiled, a little bleakly, and
cleared his throat.
'Isn't it 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;
it seems, somehow, closer than ever
this year-Monty, weren't you ire
mendously surprised when I married
Tom Dandridge?"
81 certainly was"
''Tll tell you secret. l was, too.
I suppose did it because Of sneak
ing feeling that some people were feel
ing sorry for me, which l never could
stand Well, he was man any one
might honor. I've always thought a
woman ought to have two husbands:
enc to love and cherish, and the other
to honor and obey. I had the latter,
at any rate"
''And you've lived, Judith he said.
Eyes" she agreed, with a 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-Pm not too
old yet to thank the Lord for that!
So don't talk to me about worsted
shawls and horrible arctics. For
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
sat under the rose-arbor, the mothers
face turned lovingly down to Shirley's
at her knee. He stood a moment
watching them from under his
slouched hat-brim
You never looked at me that way,
Judith, did you!" he sighed to him.
self. Its been long time, too, since
l began to want you to-'most forty
years. When it came to the show
down, I wasn't even as fit as Tom
Dap1-idCnI"