Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1917-09-08
"a ~ "a "a sn - "a "a - ss ?
HER ALO0FNESS
BY ISABEL FROST.
Va - nara n NJ pa n raea

4 80 - tfl ~ ~ ~ - - - - -
If there was one thing more than
another that Virginia pridcd herself on
II was her aloofnCss. which In this
| particular case. showed itself In her
| ability to live months ut time I'm II
New York apartment house without
becoming acquainted with any of her
neighbors.
| In spite of the fact that she had to
earn her own living now, she never
forgot for one moment that she was
Miss Darlington of Darlington Hall.
Ga.
She occupied the back suite on the
second floor. In the front there was
young sculptor whom she did not even
know by sight. The rooms above her
own were occupied by Wells Lewis,
an incipicnt dramatst; 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 Il week, n brief, jerky, boyish
epistle, full Of complaints, football,
"cnts" and ratings at Latin, English
and everything else under the sun cx-
cept mathematics and herself.
This did not bother Virginia ut ALL
She felt herself responsible for Terry
and his proper upbringing as n Car
rington. If she could work and sup
port herself, their slender income
would suffice to send Terry through
school and turn him out u 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 mt 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
tlioughtfully opened letter she had
picked up from the table in the lower
hall. II was an invitation from the
Chnpins, for her to visit them on their
housebont over the weekend.
She left that Friday night for the
shore with Il 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 ut Mrs. Finncgan's ut
nine o'clock. Lewis heard the altcrca-
ton In the lower hall while Terry tried
to explain his relationship to Miss
Darlington and his rights and priv
lleges In her absence. But Mrs. Fin
ncgan was obdurutc. II might be so
and then again It mightn't. She would
take no chances.
II saw Miss Darlington go away
about q 80" called Lewis over the ban
lister rail. Anything can doY Won't
!. you come up with me until she gets
! bnckI"
Terry accepted with alucrity. lie
not only came up, but he pitched into
the remains of Lewis supper and
cleared II up TO the last crumb.
Lewis listened sympathctically to
, everything, even when Terry told how
I he had been bounced" from the
, ''prep" school. There had been II lit
, tie affair of guinea pigs, many guinea
r pigs hidden nll around the assembly
, hall on II certain evening when the
!. younger boys were excluded from u
, senior dances.
! "Some fellows can't take joke"
!; Terry concluded, scathlngly. 'Tm glad
to be out Of It, I'm sixteen and ought
: tn be ut work instead of letting Il girl
r sister support me. Wish you could
get me II job before she gets back"
Lewis considered the matter. lie
liked the boy. 1t was the age of
specialization. lie himself regretted
every year of his teens spent In an
) expensive prep" school. The end of
II was that he called up Stockton and
\ asked him to put the boy to work at
draughtsmanship.
"Ill help you on your 'math' nj
- night. don't think your sister has
y room for you downstairs. I'd like 1t II
you'd bunk up here with me, old man.
> and keep me company
Terry loved him for that phrase
/, /, "Old man." He went to work the next
morning. and walked In on Virginia
that night n full-iledged business man.
> with II steady job and salary. She
: listened to his explanations In silent
> amazement.
? "Why, Terry, have only n bowling
, acquaintance with this person"
swell, Wen fix that" replied Terry
, comfortably. "Im going to share his
, room, and pay my bit, so you'd better
get acquainted, Ginnle. If it hadn't
been for him, think where your little
brother might have ended up-lost In
I great city, while sister was house
> boating gaysOmely. invited him
| down for dinner tonight with us. OF
course, If you don't want him, we can
go out"
Virginia stood mt the open window
: looking down at the courtyard where
] one lone sumac tree braved the city's
summer heat. From the windows above
! floated whistle that had become fa,
!, miliar-Lewis, holding forth on his ia
vOrite melody, "Im going back, back
n | h,,ly IN (,ncnlipn hnnk uhacn 4 unS