The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-06
FOR DAMS DEAR SAKE

BY ELINOR GATES.

long lease-Green Farms, to be exact, 4
the show place of the colony Who 4
ever lived in it must have money,
also social sponsors: also beyond ali, /,
personality. j
You see, Olney, who owned the !
Farms, although tired of the place.
yet held it in a certain petulant re
gard, which made him exacting as to
possible tenants. Fs
The which is illuminating-bot as !
to owner and new tenant Olney had
never seen her, but what he had
heard from mutual acquaintance so
prepossessed him in her favor that
his inquiries had not gone beyond her
bank account.
The colony, of course, swarmed in
welcome to her. That she was dis
tinctly new was all in her favor 4
vague haze of romance enshrouded
her past.
No armor is SO impenetrable as
casual frankness that scouts the
name of secrets. Mrs. Latran was
amazingly frank-even about her age. I
Twenty-Five she gave herself out tc
be, signing that it was so near to
thirty and waving away consoling
speech that she hardly looked twenty
five. Further, she spoke of her col
lege, of her native country, touching
very lightly on the fact that she was
the last of her race. Oddly, she did
not think ever to mention the family
name, but there was no tripping her
even if anybody had tried it, over
wv cfo no
of mind
1t was even odder-women took to
her amazingly. AS Teeny Ware put
it, size was the best sort of good fell
low.
Olney, who came down in August,
| laughed over the saying. His com
| ing was a surprise OF course, he did
not go to the Farms, but he did meet
| the mistress Of it many times. Also,
| he studied her intently-a thing he
had rarely done for any woman.
Notwithstanding, they got on adj
| admirably. She apparently ignored
the challenge of his scrutiny and was
gay and cordial as with all the rest
So there was really scant warrant for
his saying TO her at the end of fort
night, Madam, whatever the game is
henceforth you must count me in"
Not yet It would spoiI-every-
thing" she answered, and it was
amazing what mirth and mockery
danced over her eyes and mouth 4
dare not even let my whole self in
she ran on. THE experiment is as
gorgeous as a soap bubble-and as
easily broken"
Il won't break it." Olney answered
kindly. Tell me by little. As, for
instance, isn't Dan Langton the orig
inal first cause of it,"
You are his best friend?" she'par-
ried
Olney nodded, but said quickly: 4
come next to you. No-he hasn't
said so outright-but when he talked
of you the very first time-I knew"
$50 that's why you let me come
here" she said smiling and nodding.
And 1 have. believed it was an my
wonderful man of business. say.
What did he tell you?"
"Nothing-had no chance" Olney
answered TRANQUILITY. Then, dropping
to plaintive key: please remember
I've a weak heart-can't stand this
strain of curiosity Tell me and I'll
never tell anybody-but Dan"
"You mean-sbout the expert
ment?" she asked
Olney smiled yes" She went
on quickly, as though fearing to lose
courage: The experiment is-to see
If bookmade woman can hold hel
own with-the other sort
'Explain! This is all Sanskrit tC
me-" Olney exploded.
She drew deep breath and hur
ried on: My mother was cook, my
father day laborer. He died wheI
, | was five, and when l was fifteen ny
mother followed him. Then old Rue
, Latran, for whom she had worked al
my life, cripple and blind, married
me-to save me. He made a vii
: giving me everything. For sever
: years / was eyes, hands, feet to him
: never stirring from the house excep
for walks while he slept. I don
know how he got the notion, but h
himself proposed correspondence
courses to me. Also he let me hav
books and leisure, getting in a stou
Il hui 30 might nave mOIe llIIe. -
. most his last words before the strok
;, were: Make yourself Lady so you'll
! do credit to the money / did m
: best-am doing it still
v After | was free there was a pc
Rod of travel. In course of it | me
n Dan. You know what he is-hoy
a high-strung, how almost finicky-ye
a. in a week he was begging me t
n marry him. I would have done
sr gladly only for one thing love
le him just as crafty, just as unreasoI
Of ably as he loved me. l couldn't tax
t. the chance of making him ashame
re Of me-that is to say, of making hir
9 hate mo 60 Two ooY,oo bara anon