Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-05-05

the judge quickly. "I'li ask there.
I'll go now" He went or and all
that day he sought in vain for a trace
Of Gerry. He went to all his haunts
In the city-he bad telephoned to those
outside. At night he returned to Alix
but 1T was Mrs. Lansing that received
him in the library.
The Judge was tired and his buoy
ancy had deserted him. He told her
Of his failure. Mrs. Lansing was
thoughtful but not greatly troubled.
Gerry" she said, has level head.
He can take care Of himself" She
went to tell Alix that there was no
news. When she came back the Judge
turned to her. "Well," he asked, what
did she say?'
Nothing, except that she wanted to
know If you had tried the bank"
The judge struck his fist into his
left hand. "Never thought of it." he
said. "That child has headP' He
went to the telephone. From the presi-
dent of the bank he traced the man
ager, from the manager, the cashier.
Yes, Gerry had been at the bank on
Saturday. The cashier remembered it
because Mr.. Lansing had drawn a GER
tain account In full. He would not
say how much.
There" said the judge with a sigh
of relief, that's something. 1t takes
steady nerve to draw a bank ac-
count In full. You must take the news
upstairs. I'm of. I'll follow up the
clue tomorrow"
There was a new look of content
mingled with the worry In Mrs. Lam
sings face that made the Judge say az
he held out his hand in farewell,
Things better7"
Mrs. Lansing understood him. "Yes,'
she answered. and added, I'VE have
been crying together"
Mrs. Lansing and Alix had never
| given themselves to each other There
had been no warfare between them
but equally there had never been un
Outstanding. To Mrs. LansIng's in
herent calm, Alix' scintillation had
been repellent and Allx before Gerry't
mother had felt much the same re
straint as before Gerry's old butter.
There had been strength In Mrs
Lansing's calm. She had been waiting
and now the waiting was over. Aliz
had given herself fearful and almost
wordless Into arms that were more
than ready and had then poured out
her heart in a broken tale that would
have COMPOUNDED any court of justice
but which between women was clearer
than logic.
At the end Mrs. Lansing said moth
ing. Instead she petted Alix, carried
her off to bed and kept her there fol
three days. In her waking hours Alb
added spasmodic bits to her confes
sion-sage reflections after the event
dreamy 81 wonders" that speculatet
in the past and in the measure of hel
emotions.
Mrs Lansing sat and listened anC
sewed. Her soft brown hair JUS
touched with gray, her calm face will
its half-hidden strength, her stead!
eyes, turned now on Alix, now on he
work, brought peace into the room an,
held 1t there in spite of the disquietinl
lack of news OF Gerry.
When she spoke at last 1t was I
say half-shyly, you are stronger tha
| had thought. believe every woma
at the actual moment of surrende
feels an impulse of shame and feal
During that moment desire let's &
of her. It's the last chance that fat
, holds out. The women who fail I
, take the chance-it seems to me the
fail through weakness OF spirit an
, not of flesh.
8 More women are ruined by circun
stance than by desire. Women deciG
to burn their bridges hebind them an
Z then they think they've burned Their
! All the circumstances were again
g you. There wasn't a loophole In Il
d net. Fate gave you your moment al
4 you tore your way out"
! On the fourth day Alix got up b
on the fifth she stayed In bed. MI
h Lansing found her pale and frigt
It ened. She had been crying.
d "Alix," she whispered, kneeling b
e. side the bed. what is it?'
y Alix told her amid sobs. 'oh, n
Ie DEAR" said Mrs. Lansing, throwing b
e arms around her. don't cry. Dor
e. worry. The strength will come wi
the need. In the end you'll be gla
st So will Gerry. So will all OF u.s.
ot at isn't that" said AK, faint
le '.0h, 1t isn't that. I'm just thinki
le and thinking how terrible 1t wou
ie have been IL had run away-rea
. run away. keep imagining he
= awful 1t would have been. 1t is nigl
e mare"
se "Call 1t nightmare If you like, swe
" heart, but just remember that you q
awake"
Yes" said Alix softly. 81 &
awake now. / want 10 wStch the q
- come to life and dress up for the SUI
I. mer. 1t viii amuse me. It's 10
~ since have watched for the FIRST bu
- and the first swallows. won't mi
~ the melting snow and the mud.
- 80 long since I've seen clean count
- mud. | want to smei. & +"
- "You don't know how bleak the e
"a can be befora the spring comes"
-. jected Mrs. Lansing.
~ "Will 1t be any bleaker with
nv there than when you were alone