, 1918-11-14
Among the
IilacS
00
Copyright. 1918. by Mcclure Newspape
~Syndicate.)
By Virginia Leila wentz

warm that they had ventured to 81
GU on the little wooden yeranda
There was a suggestion of approach
Ing summer in the breeze and the al
was redolent with Hlacs. By glanc
ing toward the right it was not diff
cult to see where the fragrance cam
from. On the ether side of the hedge
In the deepening twilight, W:"ss q mr.
pie forest of plumes, and beyond that
white in the gray twilight, rose the ole
Howard house-the oldest in the tiny
village, as well as the largest. Sci
den Howard was the only living repre-
sentative of the family. 3
Presently the group on Mrs. Jones
veranda began to speak of Selden
leading up to the subject from the fra.
GRANGE of the bushes.
"Them lilocks is sicklishly sweet"
observed Mrs. Jones herself.
REALLY nauseating, acquiesced the
boarder, VI" bad been spending the
winter here in ts:s little cottage
among the Berkshire hills. "By the
way, l saw a strange IA at the post
office this morning. and I overheard
some one say he was Mr.. Howard.
Very good-Iooklng man he was, and
seemed to know n thing or two"
That's him" confirmed Mrs. Jones.
'But why shouldn't he know a thing
or two7 He don't do nothin' but trav-
Il and trapse round the country.
Hardly ever home, and won't have q
thing TO do with the people In the vii
lage."
The moon was beginning to show
red and low in the warm dusk, and
the lilacs made superb black shadow
effects on the lawn. Tire little tired
out city girl wins sat on the lowest
of the %veran61s, and who had just
that day Iatl nothing to say.
She was filling her yhole soul with the
beauty of the coming night
Pretty soon, carrying her lamp, she !
yent upstairs to hes bedroom. size
ooked at the high n oLtnd OF feather
rrd, and at the small window at the
,oot, into which was already flooding
he spring moonlight. For n moment
he stood irresolute. Them ahe low
red the shade, slippet6 om a cheese
10th kImono, drew the pthsS ffvm' heT
sair, letting it fall about her Shout
iers, blew out the lamp and followed
1er within to lean from die. cassment-
It had been a very long while since
Katherine Hope had loGkedi flDm a
over a garden VIXEN the moon
vas shining. True, from tffa' window
# their stuffy city lodgings on Hlev-
nth avenue-her mothers aud lhen's-l
the had leaned out at times :whmi her
read was hot and aching with too
much work, and caught a. breItfb of
air. But that Was so differ
ent. From that Window h COULD
ook only on clotheslines, sheSN,. the
pack windows of the boarding houses
,u the next street; and there what
ever restful thoughts might csEIe 10
her were made havoc of b@i an recoEodi-
on, cheap coon songs, or thae caterwaul-
Ing of feline creatures on the fences
And n0w-oh, the feathery. pale flor
escence Of the lilacs over yonderl
kathexine drew her breath In with de-
Light as their dormant scent came up
to her. If only her dear little mother
could be with her to enjoy the beauty
of 1t ALL But that had not been possi-
BILE. When the physician had shaken
his bend gravely over his young pa
fonts worn.out condition, and ON
monded an immediate change in the
countrv IL had been all that mother
md daughter could do to scrape to-
cether the meager savings for Kath-
erine,s rest of a fortnight. And Kath-
or,na was not one to new and whim-
nor over impossibiities. She was here
now-ond she would make the best of
avorv moment to grow strong and
well again. that she might 80 back
u.,th ne,y l,fe IN her office work and
tha oomnanionship of her sacrificing
,,..,o motber
M. la .or,ur o,r md tho tbou.
IVY ~ snrinr nIoyad mon
sanu ouors ,s.aa har ,oosened hair.