The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-11-20
NO ANSWER REQUIRED
a. 4aEtA
BY HELEN DERBY.

drawer or his desk.
Tell Mr.. Nelson that I will give him
my opinion later about the plans he
said to the architects assistant. L
have to consult-another person
When he was alone Philip took out
the plans and gloated over them. He
and Rosamund had pored over them
all winter, and they had agreed that
the house would be perfect. Nelson,
the architect, had almost lost his pa
tience as the young lovers ordered first
one change and then another in the
plans of the house
And now the worm had turned. The
temperamental Mr. Nelson had de-
clared that it was an utter impossible
ity to build a fight of stairs in the
manner directed by the future Mrs.
Corning.
Now, Rosamund Delway was tenn
peramental as we'll as Oscar Nelson;
| therefore, when Philip broke the news
to her over the telephone and limited
that they must sit tight and accept
the plans as they were without fur
| Their changes, Rosamund promptly in
| formed him that she simply must in
| sist upon changing the pantry to the
| other side of the kitchen becaIse she
| had decided that the pantry space
would be larger and, facing the east
end of the house, she could have what
she had always desired-a pantry win
dow overrun with morning glories.
1T would be so cute to see them
every morning." she purred over the
wire.
1T will be cute to see Nelson's face
when you offer him that argument"
he chuckled.
Il don't intend to see him-you must
tell him, Phil"
Il? Not on your life, darling" And
he had followed this inelegant remark
with such wise reasoning that Rosa
mund few into a pretty temper and
told him he could live alone in his old
house
Thereupon she had hung up the re-
ceiver and Philip had continued to
stare at the space ahead of him with
blank incredulity in his eyes until cen
trails acid voice had twice demanded
Number
That is how it happened that Philip
was alone when a messenger boy
brought him a small, square, white
package sealed with red wax bearing
Rosamund's monogram.
Wait, boy" ordered Philip, break
ling the seals, but the lad was half
way down the outer Office
Philip glared at the sight Of the en-.
gagement ring he had given Rosa
mund. So the engagement was broken
land she wouldn't listen to reason
She had said, No answer required"
He locked the ring in his safe and
sat down and wrote a note to Oscar
Nelson, architect.
Dear sir" Philip licked out on the
typewriter with one finger, upon fur
Their consideration | have decided tC
suspend operations upon my new house
on Elm highway. Please send me al
accounting to date and I will forward
check by return mail.
Faithfully yours,
PHILIP CORNING"
And on the outside of the envelop-
he wrote a line under the address
3 mo answer required" At least h
would be spared Nelson's hotheadet
protests.
e Then he rang for a messenger boy
!.
+ Out on Elm highway, where a charm
/ ing suburb was forming, little brow
h shingled house had its eyes shuttere
and its doors padlocked.
People who knew all about the build
xxrbat 4
stop operations, until the news filtere
through various sources that the Ell
e gagement was broken and the littl
brown house would not be occupie
>, this summer. So the neighbors o
70 elm highway ceased to watch for th
o. happy lovers, although Mrs. Bruc
e. Wade declared she had seen Phil
" Corning stalking around the unfil
ished house in the moonlight.
Ore rainy day Philip slammed h
desk cover and, Struggling on rail
coat, went for a tramp along Ell
highway The steady downpo,
e soothed his restless spirit, and tt
TX fresh, damp air was grateful after tt
tn close atmosphere of the office.
e He turned into the gate and wei
is around to the back door. The sour
II of his coming was drowned in the ia
ing shower
= Someone was standing on the bat
IN porch, peering through the glass pa
m. els of the kitchen dooT-a forlorn /
~ tie figure in raincoat, with the hot
te- drawn tightly over its head.
ms Philip recognized the figure-th
,ss raincoat and that head he would ha
he known among a thousand, even HI
he they been concealed under bush
Sc basket, SO keen are the eyes of love.
ed He placed his hands on her sho
7sS ders and turned her right about, b
face close to his own-a pale, thin
tie face it was with wistful blue ely
that frightened and then dimmed vi
"a tears at sight of him.