The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1915-09-10
NO ANSWER REQUIRED
sy HELEN DERBY.


Tell Mr.. Nelson that | will give him
my opinion later about the plans" he
said to the architects assistant. Il
nave to consult-another person"
When be 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
thence 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 II was an utter impossible.
ity to build fight of stairs in the
manner directed by the future Mrs.
Corning.
Now. Rosamund Delway was tenn
peramental as well 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 beca1se 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.
y
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!"
II? 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 che 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 Gen.
trails acid voice had twice demanded
Number"
That is how 1t happened that Philip
was alone when messenger boy
brought him a small, square, white
package sealed with red wax bearing
Rosamund's monogram
Wait. boy ordered Philip. break
ing 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
and she wouldn't listen to reason
She had said, NO answer required"
He locked the ring In his safe and
sat down and wrote note to Oscar
Nelson. architect.
Dear sir" Philip licked out on the
typewriter with one finger, upon fur
Their consideration l have decided to
suspend operations upon my new house
on Elm highway. Please send me an
accounting to date and ! will forward
check by return mail
Faithfully yours,
PHILIP CORNING"
And on the outside of the envelope
he wrote a line under the address,
NO answer required At least he
would be spared Nelson's hotheaded
protests
Then he rang for a messenger boy.
Out on Elm highway. where a charm
Ing suburb was forming, little brown
shingled house had its eyes shattered
and its doors padlocked
People who knew all about the build
ers wondered what had happened to
stop operations, until the news filtered
through various sources that the en-
gagement was broken and the little
brown house would not be occupied
this summer. So the neighbors on
Elm highway ceased to watch for the
happy lovers, although Mrs. Bruce
Wade declared she had seen Philip
Corning stalking around the unfin-
tshed house in the moonlight.
One rainy day Philip slammed his
desk cover and, Struggling on a rain
coat, went for tramp along Elm
highway. The steady downpour
soothed his restless spirit, and the
fresh. damp air was grateful after the
close atmosphere Of the office.
He turned into the gate and went
around to the back door. The sound
Of his coming was drowned in the fall
ing shower.
Someone was standing on the back
porch, peering through the glass pan
els OF the kitchen door-a forlorn lit
tie figure in raincoat, with the hood
drawn tightly over its head.
Philip recognized the figure-that
raincoat. and that head he would have
known among a thousand, even had
they been concealed under bushel
basket. so keen are the eyes of love.
He placed his hands on her shout
ders and turned her right about. her
face close to his own-a pale thin lit
tie face II was with wistful blue eyes
that frightened and then dimmed with
tears at sight OF him.
II -only-looking," she fall
tered
AT our house," asked Philip softly.