New Britain herald., 1917-06-14

storm Long Island had experienced in years.
 For a moment wished. oh, so ear- nestly. that had never tried to in- terfere with his earlier plan to walk from Marvin. of which he had told me when leaving in the morning before the storm began. Then I scored my self for my selfish timorourness.
 Better, far better, that Dicky should empty all the vials of his wrath upon my head than that he should attempt the walk from Marvin with all it's pit falls of lake and stream and dark ness.
 But, to use one of Dicky's own slang expressions, I know that 1t would be some wrath I should have to face when my liege lord finally arr rived at his home. I knew him we'll enough to realize that he would never take into consideration the danger he faced in coming from Marvin. or ap- prove at all the frantic efforts had made to get some sort of transporta- ton for him.
 To Dicky's danger is a negligible quantity. He Is foolhardy in his dis regard of it. But he is as indolent as he is brave, and knew the thing that would loom largest in his mind would be the fact that he was com pelled to walk a mile and a half through the storm when he had planned the shorter course of half that distance.
 It seemed to me that the time would never pass until the arrival of the 2 o'clock train. Katie begged to sit up with me, but sent her to bed for I was afraid If did not get her safely off into slumberland that she would be awake when Dicky came home. And wished no eyes to witness the scene which~I was sure Dicky would make when he finally arrived.
 Word at Last.
 I tried to comfort myself with the reflection that since our reconcilia- ton after Dicky's long absence in San Francisco he had kept his temper under wonderful control. practically his only ebullition being on the occa- sion of his attack of lumbagoi But, on the other hand, I remembered that I had watched every word and action of my own most carefully in order that he should have no excuse for scene. braced myself instinctively to meet his anger when he should at last reach home.
 Lake an uneasy ghost I wandered from room to room. looking after the fires, seeing that everything was in readiness. When at last I heard the whistle of the train put on the coffee. reckoning that 1t would be just ready when Diclxy arrived.
 A moment later heard the ring of the telephone, and hastened to answer it with my heart in my mouth. ex- pecting . tirade from Dicky over the garage telephone.
 But it was the night man from the garage who was telephoning. and thought detected suppressed laugh ter in his tones.
 'I met MT. Graham, ma'am, and tried to get him to let me take the bundles, but he said he'd carry them himself, and he's started home. T. don't know as ought to tell you. but I'm afraid he's pretty mad. He'd have landed me in the snow if hadn't lodged him. But don't know as blame him much"
 "I am very sorry" I replied me- chanically, 'and I will see that you are duly recompensed for your trouble.'
 A Wild Determination.
 "Oh, that's all right. Mrs. Graham. I'm sorry things had to turn out this way, Good night"
 Good night I hung up the re- ceiver and stood motionless a moment contemplating the picture of Dicky laden with bundles trying to make his way through the drifts.
 k I could understand that he was SO angry that he had stubbornly deter mined to 'be a martyr" as he was so fond of telling me, and add every possible item of discomfort to his lot. But I knew how heavy were the things from the antique shop which he was bringing me, and was alarmed at the possibility of his be- coming exhausted by his struggle, so heavily handicapped, through the drifts.
 With one of the absolutely idiotic notions of sharing suffering which only woman could evolve, hastily changed my slippers for shoes, slipped on a sweater and cap, and taking a broom and a snow shovel in my hands started out the front door with the wild determination to shovel a path to meet Dicky as far as I could get. I think there was an idea in tho back of my brain that he might not be so angry if he found me toiling to meet him.
 found myself perspiring freely, my muscles aching flercely before I had gone very fat But I had reached the gate and turned into the road when heard 8 tremendous pounding upon the dining room door. which faced the other road of the two crossings at our corner. In dismay realived that Dicky had come the other way and was now facing 8