The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-02-03
oey is not very nappyy'


"She has no anxiety now. Max 10
doing WE'LL"
"Then what is it?''
"Tm not quite sure, but 1 think I
know. She's lost faith in Max, and
she's not like me. IL knew about
Palmer before married him. It's all
rather hideous-I needn't go into it.
But Sidney has more character than
have. Max isn't what she thought he
was, and doubt whether she'll marry
him."
X. glanced toward the street where
Sidney's name and Max's lay open to
the sun and to the smiles Of the atrssk
Christine might be right, but that Cid
not alter things for him.
Christine's thoughts went back in
evitably to herself; to Palmer, who
was doing better just now; to X, who
was going away-went back with an
ache to the night K. had taken her in
his arms and then put her away. How
wrong things were! What mess life
was!
when you go away" she said at
last, Il want you to remember this.
I'm going to do my hest, X. You have
taught me all I know. All my life I'll
) have to overlook things; know that.
But, in his way, Palmer cares for me.
He will always come back, and perhaps
sometime
| Her voice trailed off. Far ahead of
her she saw the years stretching out,
marked, not by days and months, but
by Palmer's wanderings away, his re-
morseful returns.
"Do little more than forgetting"
X. said. "Try to care for him, Chris
tine. You did once. And that's your
strongest weapon. It's always a wom-
ans strongest weapon. And it wins in
the end"
II shall try, H." she answered
obediently.
But he turned away from the look
in her eyes.
Harriet was abroad. She had sent
cards from Paris to her Grade" 1t
was an innovation. The two or three
people on the Street who received her
engraved announcement that she was
there, buying new chic models for the
autumn and winter-afternoon frocks,
evening gowns, reception dresses, and
wraps, from Poiret, Martial ct Armand,
and Others" left the envelopes casual
ly on the parlor table, as if communion
lions from Paris were quite to be ex-
pected.
So K. lunched alone, and ate little.
Sidney came home at half-past two
came delicately flushed, as if she had
hurried, and with tremulous smile
that caught Katie's eyes at once.
BLESS the child!" she said. "There's
no need to ask how he is today, You're
all one SMILE"
The smile set just q trifle.
katie, someone has written my
name out on the street, in chalk. It's
with Doctor Wilson's, and it looks so
silly. Please go out and sweep it Off"
I'm about crazy with their old chalk.
I'll do it after WHILE"
"Please do it now. don't want any,
one to see it. Isis Mr.. X. upstairs?"
But when che learned that X. was
upstairs, oddly enough, she did not go
up ut once. She stood in the lower
hall and listened. Yes, he was there.
She could hear him moving about. Her
lips parted slightly as she listened.
Christine, looking in from her bal
cony, saw her there, and, seeing some
thing in her face that she had never
suspected, put her hand to her throat.
"Sidney!''
"Oh-hello, Chris"
wont you come and sit with me?"
II haven't much time-tilat is, 1 want
20 speak to K"
"You can see him when he comes
down."
Sidney came slowly through the par
lor. 1t occurred to her, all at once,
that Christine must see lot of K,
especially now. No doubt he was in
and out Of the house often. And how
pretty Christine was! She was I'M
happy, too. All that seemed to be nee
essary to win KS attention was to be
unhappy enough. Well, surely, in that
case
"How is MAXI"
"Still better.'
Sidney sat down on the edge Of the
railing; but she was careful, Christine
saw, to face the staircase. There was