The Yale expositor., 1916-08-03
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10
Maple House was riding the crest of
happy wave. In body it advanced
on the lake to picnic and supper by
moonlight and in a body it returned:
the little ones excited and wakeful, the
grown-ups tired and reminiscent. Days
followed that were filed with laziness
and nights that rang with song. The
cup of life was filed to the brim with
little things. Sudden peals Of unrea-
soning laughter, shrieks of children at
play, a rumble of the piano followed
by a rollicking college song, ready
smiles on happy faces, broke like COM
mas into the page OF life, and turned
monotony into living phrases. But be-
meath the gayety ran the inevitable un-
dertone. When JOY paused to take
breath it found Alan half aloof and
Glen wistful behind her unvarying
sweetness.
One evening Alan found himself
alone with Nance. She had frankly
cornered him, then as openly led him
off down the road towards Elm House.
"Alan," she said, you've turned into
a great fool or great coward. Which
is it?"
Alan glanced at her. what do you
meanH" he stammered.
"You know what l mean. Glen.
You're breaking her heart"
She felt Alan's arm stlffen. For
moment he was silent, then he said
"Don't worry, Nance. You're wrong
Of course, but, anyway, no harm is
going to come to Glen through me-
I'm going away. I've meant to 60 for
ever so long, but somehow I couldn't
Something seemed to hold me. / tried
to think 1t was just the Hill, and that
1t would be all right for me to stay on
until the general breakup. But you
have wakened me up, and the proof
that I'm not quite a coward yet Is
that I'm going to get up and run"
They came TO the entrance to The
Elms, but Nance led him on down the
road Run? Why are you going to
run? Alan, don't you love her?'
A tremor went through Alan's body.
at don't know" he said. whether
love her or not. If ever loved any.
one before, then l don't love her, for
the thing that has come over me Is
new-newer than anything that has
ever happened to me. / would rather
see her come down from her room in
the morning than to have watched the
birth Of Aphrodite, and yet / would
rather see myself damned, once and
for all, than touch the hem OF her
frock"
"Why?
Because IL is not for me. Once
Alix called her glorious. don't know
whether tbat was a bit Of hyperbole
on her Lsrt or not, but to me she is
just that There Is a glory about
Clem-the glory Of pure light. Do you
think | dare walk into It? Me, with
my Scared life, my blemished soul and
the moral rags that only half hide the
two? That would be cowardly. I'm
not coward enough for that"
Nance sighei. I'm disappointed "a
you. ! thought that If ever man lived
that knew a little about women II
nust be you. won't say any of the
things l was going to say. Instead,
Just tell you that you don't know
women"
They walked back in silence. Nance
went into the house. but Alan said
good night and stared thoHghtfully
down the road His step quickened
and, walking rapidly. be passed over
the moonlit brow of the hill and down
down into the shadows OF the valley
Hard is the battle that has to be wor
twice. bat when in the small hours oi
the morning Alan returned and crep
noiselesslv 20 his room, he felt tha'
he had won, that he had put the fna
seal on the reaunciation Nance's word,
bad well-nigh recalled. Still wakeful
Alan started packing. He left out hi,
riding kit.
That day awoke to clouds that low
cred and hung about waiting for tn,
fateful hour Of seven when they Nigh
with all due respect to atmosphere,
tradition start In with an all-day rain
but long before the hour struck AlaI
had foraged for biscuit and a glas
OF milk an0 was mounted and ava,
for last ridN.
Alan rode with the ease OF one borl
20 the saddle There was nothing o
the cowboy in his get-up. He used
mere patch of a hunting saddle, fitte'
like Q glove TO hls horses back. ant
rode on the srSafhs with Hghs hand