New Britain herald., 1916-07-05

'Ine BulneSC vacation l EVcf Spent.'
 I do not believe I shall ever know greater happiness than was mine in the weeks following Grace Draper's first visit to our Marvin home. Many times I looked back to that night when I had lain sobbing on my bed fighting the demon jealousy, and gasped in amazement at my own folly.
 That evening had ended in Dickys arms on our own moOnlit veranda, and ever since he had been the royal lover of the honeymoon days which had preceded our first quarrel. I wondered vaguely sometimes if he had guessed the wild grief and jealousy which had consumed me on that night, but if he had any inkling of it he made no sign.
 Grace Draper had gone out of our lives temporarily. If had needed reassurance as to Dicky' real feeling for her, the manner in which he told me the news of her going would have given it to me.
 "Blast the luck" he growled one evening, after reading a manuscript which he had been commissioned to illustrate. Here's something I'll 
 away. I ought to have known better than to let her go.'
 The tone and words were exactly what he would have used if the girl had been a man or boy in his employ. Even in my surprise at his news I recognized this, and my heart leaped eSultant1y. I was careful, however, to keep my voice nonchalant.
 Why! has Miss Draper gone away?" I asked.
 "Oh, that's so, didn't tell you" he returned carelessly, looking up from the manuscript. Yes, she went two days ago. She has a grandmother, or aunt or old party of some kind down in Pennsylvania, who is sick and has sent for her. Guess the old girl has scads of coin tucked away some where, and Draper thinks she's better be around when the aged relative passes in her checks. Bet a cooky she won't die at that, but if she's going to, I wish she'd hurry up about it. I need Draper badly, and she won't be back until the old girl either croaks or gets better.''
 Under other circum stances the cal lousness of this speech, the ccarseness Of some of the expressions, the calling of Miss Draper by her surname would have grated upon me. But I was too rejoiced both at the girls departure and the matter of fact way in which Dicky took it to be captious about the language in which he couched the news of her going.
 ''The Real Reason"
 "Grace Draper is gone, Is gone" The words set themselves to a little tune which Tilted in my brain. I felt as if the only obstacle to my enjoy- ment of our summer in the country had been removed.
 How I did reve1 in the long, beauti- ful summer days! Dicky appeared to have great deal of leisure in contract to the days crowded with work which had been his earlier in the spring.
 Each year I work like the devil in the spring so as to have the summer June especially comparatively free,' he explained one day when I had commented on the fact that he had been to his studio but twice during the week.
 I had dreamed in my gir1hood of vacations like the one I was enjoying, hut the dream had never been fulfilled Eefore. Dicky had fixed up a tennis court on the grassy stretch of lawn al the left of the house, and we played every day. Two horses from the livery were brought around two morn ings each week, and after a few trials I was able to take comparatively long rides with Dicky through the exquisite country surrounding Marvin
 Our motor boat trips were frequent also, though Dicky had found that it was more convenient to rent one when he wished it than to enter into any ownership arrangement with any one else.
 Autom obile trips in which his mother joined us, long ram bles through the woods and meadows x,rlial, ruo tnnk a lone little dinners at