South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-01
The Barterer
By Katherine Hopson

Yes. she must have heard"
Daphne Perrine, her attention at
tracted by the sound OF her name
spoken by the clear. carrying voices
of the girls in the dressing room.
paused irresolute; then, the arrival
OF more guests demanded her atten-
ton and she heard no more.
What did they mean?" she won
dered What was il she was ex-
pected 10 know? She was giving a
luncheon TO the six girls who were
10 be bridesmaids at her wedding
next week. She and her mother had
worked hard 10 make the event a
success. IL took planning and fore
thought TO hide evidence of poverty
( in the big, rambling, old house. The
roses from their own garden made
beautiful decorations. and the lunch
con was well cooked and served,
yet things did not go off with the
spontaneity she had hoped for, There
was something strange and almost
disappearing in the girls manner
that troubled her.
When they had all gone except
Lois Brian, her most intimate friend,
Daphne threw herself into a large
chair on the veranda and said: We'll.
I'm glad that's over. Maybe next
time when I entertain as Mrs. Her
man Cole, I can have things more
more like the other girls do"
why Daphne" said Lois re-
proachfully. I'm sure everything
was perfectly lovely"
You don't know the effort it took
to make it So" laughed Daphne.
mo" she resumed tensely, her love-
ly face. framed in the reddish gold
hair, grown suddenly serious, you
girls who have always had every
thing don't know the plannings and
twisting and turning necessary on
the part of those who haven't Oh,
I'm so tired of it'd take Herman
Cole even IL he were twice as-as
unromantic as he is-in order to get
out of IL alli"
Lois did not speak, and Daphne
continued bitterly:
ooh. 1 know some of you think
| her beauty was sold for an old
mans gold and that sort of thing:
but as said before, you who have
always had wealth are in no position
to Judge"
Don't you ever regret-the might
have-been ?" asked Lois hesitatingly.
II was the first time she had ever
dared question Daphne about her
broken engagement with Willard
Rolfe.
Daphne's fair face flushed. II
won't let myself think about it," she
declared passionately. "Of course,
it would be heavenly if II we're Will
lard who had money But he
didn't, and I couldn't just couldn't
grub along in the small way neces-
sary until he got his start Anyway,
he's gone out of my life now, and I
don't even know where he is.'
Lois eyes opened wide. you
didn't know he was here in town i'm
the hospital?"
I'm the hospital?" Daphne's soft
voice sounded harsh.
Yes, he was in a railroad wreck
while on the way home to visit his
mother. and they brought him here
TO the hospital last night We girls
have wondered If you knew"
rs he badly hurt?" The question
was put tensely.
They can't tell exactly yet, but
they fear serious internal injuries"
At that moment the honk of an au-
tomobile sounded. There's Benson
with the car" said Lois, and made
her adieu to Mrs. Perrine who had
come to the door and hurried out
to the luxurious car.
AS she watched her drive away,
Daphne sat as one stunned. She did
not repeat to her mother the news
she had heard. And when the latter
said:
Were you to go TO Madame
Yvonne's for a fitting at this time %
Daphne nodded: I'm going right
away" She rose, and went upstairs
to her own room. But she did not
telephone for the limousine her
| iance had put at her disposal. With
out waiting TO change the dainty en-
broidered dress she wore for one
more suitable TO the street she put
on her hat, went quietly downstairs
I out the side door. and caught
street car at the corner. She passed
Madame Yvonne's select dressmaking
establishment without stopping, and
went on until she reached the big,
grim looking hospital.
She found willard Rolfe's room
as directed. but on the door was an
ominous NO visitors admitted" card.
While she paused uncertain what TO
90, a nurse came along the corridor.
Mr.. Rolfe is not allowed TO see
anyone" the latter SAID.
But I'm a very old friend" de-
clared Daphne and went past the
gentle little nurse.
Within the big. clean room,
Daphne saw nothing but the still
| figure lying with closed eyes in the
white bed. She knelt down, took
one of the inert hands and pressed il
to her lips. False standards, pride
and ambition seemed stripped away
and she faced elemental truths and
desires.
Make him weil-dear God-spare
| him to me-" she prayed.