The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-27
n ~ N m N m N ~ N m N,
HER ALOOFNESS
BY ISABEL FROST.


u WIS HtT HluulutHSt NhiSh III I'M
particular case. showed itself In he
ability TO live months at time In |
New York apartment house withou
becoming acquainted with any of he
neighbors.
In spite of the fact that she had Il
earn her own living now, she nevel
forgot for one moment that she wa,
Miss Darlington OF Carrington Hall
Ga.
She occupied the back suite on the
second floor. In the front there was a
young sculptor whom she did not even
know by sight. The rooms above her
own were occupied by Wells Lewis,
an inciplent dramatist; the floor be-
low. by an interior decorator and his
wife. On the very topmost floor were
little skylight rooms where several
birds of passage lived, students for the
most part.
The only personal mail she received
was from Terry. He usually wrote
once week, brief jerky, boyish
eplstle, full of complaints. football,
'eats" and ratings at Latin, English
and everything else under the sun ex-
cept mathematics and herself.
This did not bother Virginia at all.
she felt herself responsible for Terry
and his proper upbringlng as a Car
rington. II she could work and sup
port herself, their slender income
would suffice to send Terry through
school and turn him out a civil engi-
neer, as her father had wished.
She had not realized until these days
of early summer how tagged out she
was getting.
Miss Darlington, you'll break down
If you don't stop working so hard"
Peggy said at the office, as Virginia
waited to see the buyer for the art
goods department.
Virginia went home that day feeling
rather puzzled. Was that what was
the matter with her? She studied her
face in the mirror carefully, and then
thoughtfully opened letter she had
picked up from the table in the lower
hall. 1t was an invitation from the
Chapins, for her to visit them on their
houseboat over the weekend.
She left that Friday night for the
shore with a feeling of elation, as
though she had escaped from mild
sort of prison. On the front steps she
passed Wells Lewis. He was person
ally conducting several paper bags of |
surreptitious groceries that Virginia |
knew represented light housekeeping.
Terry arrived at Mrs. Finnegan's at |
nine o'clock. Lewis heard the alterca- |
ton in the lower hall while Terry tried |
to explain his relationship to Miss
Darlington and his rights and priv
ileges In her absence. But Mrs. Fin
negan was obdurate. 1t might be so
and then again it mightn't. She would I
take no chances.
II saw Miss Darlington go away
about 80" called Lewis over the BAN
ster rail. Anything l can do? Won't
YOU come up with ME until she gets
oack?"
Terry accepted with alacrity. He
not only came up, but he pitched into
the remains of Lewis supper and
cleared 1t up to the last crumb.
Lewis listened sympathetically to
even when Terry told how
prep" school. There had been q lit
lie affair of guinea pigs, many guinea
,igs hidden all around the assembly
lall on certain evening when the
boys were excluded from
enior dances. j
"Some fellows can't take a joke"
Terry concluded, scathingly. '1'm glad
o be out of 1t. I'm sixteen and / ought :
o be at work instead of letting a girl )
lister support me. Wish you could c
ct me a job before she gets back" n
Lewis considered the matter. He t
ked the boy. 1t was the age of |
pecialization.
"Tll help you on your 'math' at =
light l don't think your sister has :
pom for you downstairs. I'd like 1t If =
ou'd bunk up here with me, old man, l.
nd keep me company" p
Terry loved him for that phrase, cl
Did man." He went to work the next ci
corning, and walked In on Virginia g
lat night full-fiedged business man, sc
it'll a steady job and a salary. She m
stoned to his explanations in silent III
W
"Why, Terry, / have only bowling HI
,quaintance with this person" I'LL
"Well, Wen fix that" replied Terry, III
I'm going to share his VII
ON. and pay my bit, so you'd better MI
t acquainted, GIMME. If IL hadn't I'LL
EN- for him, think where your little iii
other might have ended up-lost In I'LL
great city, while sister was house Hi
ating gaysomely. invited him
wn for dinner tonight with us. OF
arse, If you don't want him, we can
out" MI
stood at the open window,
king down at the courtyard where
e lone sumac tree braved the city's MI
miner heat. From the windows above
ated a whistle that had become IA
holding forth on his IA III
rite melody. I'm going back, back, I'LL
ok to Carolina back where | was III
rn." llH
All at once she knew that she had III
IN lonely. That isles of safety could
very desolate when one is a stran.