The midland journal., 1917-03-02
Sidney colored. 4 believe go.''

Sluney c0lOre0. Il DelieVG so.
| The probationer had been instructed
to find out other things; so she set to
work with fan at Sidney's hair.
you've known Doctor Wilson long
time, haven't your"
cages"
"He's awfully good-looking, isn't
| he?"
Sidney considered. She was not ig-
norant of the methods of the school.
If this girl was pumping her
'Tll have to think that over" she
said, with a CLINT Of mischief in her
eyes. "Whea you know a person ter
ribly well, you hardly know whether
he's good-looking or not"
'T suppose" said the probationer,
running the long strands of Sidney's
hair through her fingers, 'that when
you are at home you see him often"
Sidney got off the window sill, and,
taking the probationer smilingly by the
shoulders, faced her toward the door.
''You go back to the girls" she said,
''and tell them to come in and see me
| "ASA OAA vi SSoChf anu lCll IAACAlA
1 don't know whether l am to walk
down the aisle with Doctor Wilson,
but hope am. see him very often.
1 like him very much. l hope he likes
me. And I think he's handsome"
She showed the probationer out into
the hall and locked the door behind
her.
That message in its entirety reached
Carlotta Harrison. Her smoldering
eyes famed. The audacity of it star
tied her. Sidney must be very sure
of herself. When the probationer who
had brought her the report had gone
out, she lay in her long, white night
gown, hands clasped under her head,
and stared at the vaultlike ceiling of
her little room.
She saw there Sidney in her white
dress going down the aisle of the
church; she saw the group around the
altar; and, as surely as she lay there.
she knew that Max Wilson's eyes
would be, not on the bride, but on the
! girl who stood beside her.
| The curious thing was that Carlotta
felt that she could stop the wedding
if she wanted to. She'd happened on
q bit of nformation-many a wedding
had been stopped for less. 1t rather
Obsessed her to think of stopping the
wedding, so that Sidney and Max
would not walk down the aisle to.
gether.
There came, at last, an hour before
the wedding, lull in the feverist
activities of the previous month. Ev.
erything was ready. In the attic, il
the center of q sheet, before a toilet
table which had been carried upstairs
for her benefit, sat, on this her day
of days, the bride. All the second
story had been prepared for guests
and presents. Christine sat alone in
the center of her sheet. The brides
maids had been sternly forbidden to
come into her room.
81 haven't had chance to think for
a month";" she said. "And I've got
some things I've got to think out"
But, when Sidney came, she sent fol
her. Sidney found her sitting on a
stiff chair, in her wedding gown, with
her veil spread out on a small stand
"Close the door," said Christine.
And, after Sidney had kissed her:
"Pve a good mind not to do it,"
! "You're tired and nervous, that's
ALL"
Il am, of course. But that isn't
what's wrong with me. Throw that
veil some place and sit down."
Christine was undoubtedly rouged,
very delicate touch. Sidney thought
brides should be rather pale. But
under her eyes We're lines that Sidney
had never seen there before.
"I'm not going to be foolish, Sidney.
I'll go through with it, of course. 1t
would put mamma in her grave if
made scene now."
She suddenly turned on Sidney.
Palmer gave his bachelor dinner at
the Country club last night. They all
drank more than they should. Some.
body called father up today and said
that Palmer had emptied a bottle of
wine into the piano. He hasn't been
here today"
Hell be along. And as for the
other-perhaps it wasn't Palmer who
did it."
'"Thats not it, Sidney. I'm fright.
ened."
Three months before, perhaps, Sid
ney could not have comforted her: but
three months had made a change in
Sidney. The complacent sophistries
of her girlhood no longer answered fol
truth. She put her arms around Chris.
tines shoulders.
"a man who drinks is a broken
reed," said Christine. "That's what
I'm going to marry and lean on the
rest of my life-a broken reed. And
that isn't all! !"