New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-04-13

1T was glamour, that was all, H.
said Sidney bravely.
"But, perhaps" said X, "it's just be-
cause of that miserable incident with
Carlotta. That wasn't the right thing,
of course, but Max has told me the
story. 1t was really quite innocent. She
tainted in the yard, and"
Sidney was eXaSpcrated.
DO you want me to marry him, k.E'
X. looked straight ahead.
Il want you to be happy, dear"
They were on the terrace of the
White Springs hotel again. X. had or
dpred dinner, making Il great TODD
about getting the dishes they both
liked. But now that it was there, they
were not eating. X. had placed his
chair SO that his profile was turned to-
ward her. Past KS profile Sidney
could see the magnolia tree shaped like
Il heart.
at seems to me-" said Sidney sud
denly, that you are kind to everyone
but me, X"
He fairly |stammcred his astonish-
ment:
"Nhy, what on earth have | done?'
you are trying to make me marry
Max, aren't your
She was very properly ashamed OF
that, and, when he failed to reply out
of sheer inability to think of one that
would not say too much, she went
hastily to something else: at is hard
for me to realize that you--that you
lived Il life of your own, Il busy life,
doing useful things, before you came
to us. | wish you would tell me ONE
thing about yourself. If we're to be
friends when you 90 aWay,'-she had
to stop there, for the lump in her
throat-"Ill want to know how to
think of yOu-who your friends are
all that"
He made an effort. He was think
ing, of course, that he would be Wis
uaIizing her, in the hospital, in the lit
tie house on its side street, as she
looked just then, her eyes like stars,
her lips just parted, her hands folded
before her on the table.
Il shall be workings" he said at last.
$50 will you"
Does that mean you won't have
time to think of me?"
Il believe I'm stupidcr than usual to-
night. You can think of me as never
forgetting you or the Street, working
or playing"
Playing. OF course he would not
work all the time. And he was going
back to his old friends, to people who
had always known him, to girls
lie did his best then. He told her of
the old family house, built by one of
his forebcarS who had been Il kings
man until Washington had put the cast
for the colonies, and who had given
himself and his oldest son then to the
cause that he made his own. . lie told
Of old servants who had Wept when he
decided to close the house and go
away. When she fell silent, he thought
he was interesting her.
But II terrible thing vas happening
to Sidney. Side by side with the won
ders he described 50 casually, she was
placing the little house. What an exile
it must have been for him. When X,
trying his best to interest her and to
conceal his own heaviness of spirit,
told her Of his g~randfather's old car
riuge, she sat back in the shadow.
Fearful old thing" said K.-"regu-
lar cabriolct. | can remember yet the
family rows ove it,"
when | was Il child" said Sidney
quietly, and II carriage drove up and
stopped on the Street, l always knew
had dicd.'
There was Il strained note in her
voice. X, whose ear was attuned to
every note in her voice, looked ut her
quickly.
My Great-grandfather," said Sidney
in the Same tone, sold chickens at
market. He didn't do it himself; but
the facts there, isn't it?"
X. was puzzled.
what about it," he said.
Go on" said Sidney duly. Tell
me about the women you have known,
your friends, the ones you liked and
the ones who liked YOU"
X. was rather apologize.
I've always been so busy" he con-
81 know Il lot, but | don't think
hey would interest you. They don't
10 anything, you know-they travel
around and have Il good time. They're
nice to look at, some of them.
But when you've said hat you've said
t ALL"
Nice to look at. OF course they
would be, with nothing else to think of
n all the world but of how they looked.
Suddenly Sidney felt very tired. She
wanted to go back to the hospital, and
urn the key in the door of her little
and lie with her face down on
he bed.
would you mind very much if
,sked you to take me back?"
He did mind. He had a depressed
ceiling that the evening had failed.
Md his depression grew as he brought
he car around. He understood, he
hought. She was grieving about Max.
after all, a girl couldn't care as she
lad for a year and a half, and then
rive a man up because of another
woman. without a wrench.
"Do you really want to go home, Sid
ley. or were you tired of sitting there?
n that case, we could drive around for
n hour or two. I'll not talk if you'd
ike to be quiet"
Being with X. had become an agony,
Iow that she realized how wrong Chris
inc had been, and that their worlds,
Iers and KS. had only touched for a