The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-02-06
MORE Than A HOME
BY EDITH KENYON.

Perry's usual Friday evening call on
Miss Lamont had endured for five min
utes. you do not look like yourself
tonight" he pronounced meditatively.
A faint flush warmed her cheeks.
1T is your hair" he said again. You
haven't crimp or curl. And that dark
gown, plain around the neck-you look
five years older. I don't like it Ell
ther.'
She spoke her answer firmly, al
though her redness deepened Il think
Mr.. Halden likes it, she said.
'Halden?" he echoed. Lord! 1t is |
for Halden?"
81 think" she answered, II ought to |
dress to please Mr.. Halden if 1 can.
He would not like-his wife to look |
so much younger than himself"
"His-wife?"
"He has asked me to marry him, and |
l have made up my mind that | WILL"
DO you care for him?" They had
scoffed humorously at love; they had
even proved to their own satisfaction
4 that there was in reality no such thing
NO" she answered him, Il am not
afraid to tell you, my friend-no, nor
ashamed. / am going to marry Mr..
Halden because II want home. l
don't want this always" The room
was agreeable but it was conspicu-
ously boarding house parlor.
Mrs. Denton-you met her, you
/ know-has sent for me to come to Bos-
ton and take a position her husband
I has waiting for me. 1t is better one.
/ and 1 should have gone, but-Mr. Hal
den" she hesitated, had spoken"
"You mentioned that" he remarked
tartly.
He felt bafIled. He suffered from an
unreasonable but burning spleen.
} But" he cried with energy, "Halden!
If there must be a victim, why Of all
lien Halden!
Because he wants to be the vic
TIM" she returned.
probably he thinks he does. Most
men have spaSms of mental alteration,
and this is Halden's. Julia, you would
5 never take advantage of it? Julia, you
S couldn't.
"Oh, you might not make him much
more miserable than any other woman
would. But, Julia, do you know how
$ Halden puts in his time? Why, loung-
n ing around the club and absorbing the
c news and refreshing liquids; going to
) an occasional stag dinner, and getting
: new cures for his goIt-or neuralgia, is
it? That" Perry said, ''is what Hal
den does, and he's done it till it is
habit with him, like eating and breath
ing. 1t would be a smaller undertake
ing to throw a steam engine off its
: track than to shunt Halden off his.
: Aud what would it result for Halden
Misery"
She threw back her head and
: laughed.
e Don't laugh, I mean it." he said
sharply, and for a space his eyes looked
j into hers. The long look burned its
, way through the something that had
T interposed ever between them-the
tlimsy barrier which their ignorance
4 and their heedlessness had reared.
rel Julia" he faltered. The door bell
le rang
IS 1T is Mr.. Ha1den," she said, with
= trembling lips. Must you go?'
Nine days later, sitting in his Office
u in the heavy gloom and the dullness
= which for the past week had held him
- Perry received letter. 1t was from
j Julia Lamont, and it was brief.
Us Il am going to Boston this after
IS noon. Good-by."
s "Good-by.' he muttered, fercel1
; Scowling. But all his apathy had fec
on the instant. She was going to Bos
OF ton. What did that mean? He spran.
y to his feet. She was going that af
: ternoon. shell take the boat" h
10 hazarded. 1t was already past five. H,
!. seized his hat and called taxi whicl
- drove him to West Warren street swift
II ~ She was there.
81 told you good-by in my note
as she remarked.
es He saw with joy that her hair wa
u. wayy. ."Where is Halden?" he demand
he ed.
ne ''He is cruising around the lake wit
~ Mr.. Crane" she answered. Ct
~ thought over what you said, and
saw" she affirmed, not in humility
III but in Il rigor of pride, that it is tru,
N 1t would have been mistake: I-fror
on the first feared it. And almost thin
he he agreed With me, in his heart 81
cr after all, l am not going to have
he home. l am going to Boston" Sh
OF smiled bravely.
ay Those are misstatements," he al
rS6 swered, both
on "What do you mean?"
- ''You will have home, and you wi
not go to Boston, he returned thong
~ he spoke to the back of her hea,
49, abruptly ayerted. GAS l reckon it, W
no have been fools for four years, an
"a that is long enough, Julia"
ut She faced him with valiant resis
-as ance. II won't consider it." she d.
est clared. 1T is mental alteration.
the should be cruel to take advantage
I. it-inhuman."
L -.