The Detroit times., 1916-07-03
TheEpening Story
The Man
Copyright. 1916. BY w. Werner,

ut is going to be a glorious day"
she thought as she rose, land
shall feel free TO spend IL just as I
choose. ! can dress as please, too.
III do my hair in that easy knot
like and Ill pnt on my old pink ging-
ham. Thererl be nobody to see me-"
Presently when she went down
stairs she found her mother al the
dining room table browning their ex-
act slices OF bread upon the electric
toaster. Mrs. DeMille, small and
dainty, lifted her eyebrows at her
daughters appe arsnce. That old
frock! My dear" she remarked.
Corrinne smiled. "It's my badge,
my insignia of freedom" she ex-
plained-"the outward and visible
sign OF an inward and absolute
change"
II don't understand" Mrs. DeMflle
murmured, pouring coffee into the
old copper lustre cups. You've been
looking SO pretty lately. ever since
DR.. Potter began coming here,
bate TO have you go back TO your
old careless ways. You don't get
them from me, mind. That's where
you show your father. lie was the
dearest man In the world. but he
never could tell when his collar
needed changing" she sighed. re-
lapsed into memory. and then recov-
cred herself with an effort Il sup
pose Or. Potter left this morning on
the early train. | heard somebody
calling good by out OF the window
| really felt quite touched last night
when he was making his farewells,
he did 30 bate TO go. Dc you know.
dear. dear, I've a foolish fancy that
YOU could have kept him had you
desired"
Corrinne studied her coffee spoon.
Maybe. but mother. | couldn't go TO
Brazil with him Why. | could new
CT like any man we'll enough to do
that for him"
Mile Her eyes held vistas of remin-
iscence She made a little motion
with her gracefi II shoulders. more
cream. DEAR" she suggested.
Corrinne shock her head. mo.
thank you. I'm not so very hungry.
II you'll excuse me. mother. think
I'll go out and cut some roses" she
said
The sun poured down upon tho
little rose garden. The bees twisted
and hummed in the rich hearts of
pink, white, rcd and creamy tinted
blossoms. Corrinne stopped and put
her hpG To a newly.blown rose, still
with a diamond OF dew In its petals.
She loved roses; she loved the little
gray house where che had lived all
her comfortable % years: she loved
Maria. who did the house work, and.
above all. she loved her angelic,
sweet mother. This was her little
Kingdom and she. vas It's queen
She could not le1se It all because
one nan asked heE And yet
She lifted her eyes to the tall
house next door. Prom the window
OF his room hung blankets airing In
the sun. Within a maid moved,
clearing out the traces OF the de-
parted guest. He was really gone.
II made her feel very queer, this
thought that he had gone and was
travelling farther each instant. She
would not see him again in years, II
ever When he came back he would
find her married to sor.e one else
who had presented to her n fairer
vision OF what she wanted In this
life But could she marry anybody
else?
She suddenly sat down upon a gar
den bench, quite oblivious OF the fact
that It had been painted green only
day or two before and could not
by any chance be dry. She felt al
most faint--so different from the
way she had believed she was going
to feel last night. Then there was
stimulation In the thought that he
cared terribly about leaving her and
that at one sign from her he would
stay until she was ready TO go with
him. She remembered once bearing
a very pretty. hesrtless girl say
that she liked to see man
"squir1n." II had sounded horrible at
the time and yet had she not done
the same thing herself last night?
He had "squirmed." and she had en-
joyed seeing hiIi. 1t registered her
power over him
But now she was herself sduirm-
ing. He had gone. and instead OF
his absence bringing her relief and
freedom, as she had believed, she
only felt an aching hurt which was
no more or less than a sense OF loss.
She had let him go and she could
not get him back. II was too late.
She had chosen selfishly to keep her
poor little baubles Of comfort and
east and certainty rather than ac-
cept the biggest thing In the world.
He came before her in memory as be
Wah this q Mathematician
had stood a hundred times with her
there among the roses. At this time
Aa thu uoI1