New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-02-02

fast. one thought obScSscd Sidney.
She repeated it over and over. 1t came
as n cry from the depths of the girls
new experience.
"She has had so little Of life" she
said, over and over. $50 little, Just
this Street. She never knew anything
else"
And finally X. took it up.
after all, Sidney" he said, 1.-The
Street is life; the world is only many
streets. She had II great deal. She
had love and content, and she had
YOU"
Anna died a little after midnight. a
quiet passing, so that only Sidney and
the W men knew when she went
away. 1t was Harriet who collapsed.
During all that long evening she had
sat looking back over years of small
unkindncSSeS. The thorn of Annals in
efficiency had always ranked in her
flesh. She had been hard, uncompro-
yer too late.
X. had watched Sidney carefully.
once he thought she was fainting, and
went to her. But she shook her head.
81 am all right. DO you think you
could get them all out of the room
and let me have her alone for just a
few minutes?"
He cleared the room and took his
vigil outside the door. And, as he
stood there, he thought of what he had
Il world of its own. Here in this very
house were death and separation Iiar-
rirt's starved life; Christine and
Palmer beginning II long and doubtful
future together; himself, Il failure, and
an iinpoStor.
When he opened the door again, Sid
ncy was standing by her mothers bed.
He went to her, and she turned and
put her head against his shoulder like
II tired child.
Take Inc away, H." she said pitt
fully.
And, with his arm around her, he led
her out of the room.
Outside of her small immediate
circle Annals death was hardly felt.
The little house went on much rs be-
fore. Harriet carried back to her bust
ness a hcavinoSS of spirit that made it
difficult To bear with the small irrita-
tons of her day. On Sidnry-and in
1,AS tln.S1rn ,f .1tIrGn an fall thn
real brunt Of the disaster. Sidney kept
well until after the funeral, bur
went down the mex day with Il low
fever.
"Ovcrwork and grief" Doctor Ed
said. and St"rnly forbade the hospital
again until Christmas. Morning and
evening X. stopped at her door and
inquired for her, and morning and eve
ming came Sidney's reply:
"NIuch better. I'll surely be up to-
morrow"
But the days dragged on and she did
not get about.
Downstairs, Christine and Palmer
had entered on the round of midWintcr
gayctics. palmer's 'crOwd" was Il
lively one. There were dinners and
dances, weekend excursions to coun-
try houses. The Street grew acc,Is-
toned 10 seeing automobiles stop fe-
fore the little house at all hours of t1c
Johnny Rosenfeld, drirTlg
I'nlmcr's car. took TO falling asleep at
wheel in broad daylight, and voiced
discomfort to his mother.
"You never know where you are with
hem guys he said briefly. "We start
out for half an hours run in the eve
ming. and get home with the milk wag-
ms. And the more some of them have
had to drink, the more they want to
lrive the machine. If | get Il chance,
I'm going to beat it while the winds
NY way"
But, talk as he might, in Johnny
ItoScnfeldS' loyal heart there was no
.hought of desertion. Palmer had CIV
N him n mans job, and he would stick
~ it, no matter what came.
one such night Christine put in,
wing wakefully in her bed, while the
lock on the mantel tolled hour after
into the night. Palmer did not
home at all. He sen a note from
he Office in the morning:
| hope you are not worried, darling. |
The car broke down near the Country |
Tub last night. and there was nothing to
10 but to spend the night there. | would
nave sent you word, but | did not want to
you. What do you say to the the
tier tonight and supper afterward?
Christine was learning. She tele-
,honed the Country club that morning,
md found that Palmer had not been
here. But, although she knew now
hat he was deceiving her, as he al
Ways had deceived her, as probably he |
llways would. she 'hesitated to con-
'ront him with what she knew. She
as many a woman has shrunk |
from confronting him with his
lie.
But the second time it happened she
vas reused. 1t was almost Christmas |
hen, and Sidney was well on the way |
o recovery, thinner and very white.
tut going slowly up and down the stair !
'ase on KS arm, and sitting with
Harriet and X. at the dinner table. ,
She was begging to be back on duty |
or Christmas, and X. felt that he
would have to give her up soon.