South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-10


,sf two months. two long lonely
months. during which she grew to
hate every dusty stree of the shabby
li-tle town. IL was not All shabby
of course. There were a few square
white houses with green bli.sds that
reminded her OF her home town
back Sra <ew England. and there was
O. horizon bordered by dim blue hills
That would nave seemed lovely had
81 nos shut her away from the world
outside the big beautiful world OF
cities that she loved
Anita taught English IN the Car
tcrtilIe high school and as teacher
she enjoyed "A sort of social eminence.
The Culture club had taken her IN,
and the ministers wife asked her 20
tea but the young people, the girls
Ter own age who should have been
her compauious looked at her ask
once. she was different She wore
different clothes. palmer and smarter
en- some indehna BILE way. She spoke
in % way that sounded 10 them ''af-
fected." She was college bred; she
knew more than they so they envied
her a little. admired her. and stood
aIoof Sometimes she sat ut the
window OF her little furnished room
in the Palace hotel and watched
them stroll past boys and girls in
happy groups or preoccupied couples.
Anita would sigh "a little, and think
Wistfully of her gay college days
just past, the strCus that she had
taken. and then. looking after the
Carterville young people. she would
reflect that after all. they were not
her kind She was "A New England
North, and the Norths seldom look
ed beyond the circle OF their own
set. or course. none of these Car
terviIle boys and girls would be pos
sible friends FOR her. anyway She
told herself this q little mently.
perhaps, 10 still the lonely Juggling
at her heart
At the end of two months. how
ever things began 20 be different
There was "a young man who board
ed at the Palace hotel. a nice-look-
ing young man with brown eyes and
the sort of nose one imagines 10 be
aTistOcratic. Anita watched him
aNAAANNAAll-r llA the nAlAnE IoOin anu
sometimes she listened 10 his hearty
voice when he was in the hotel Of
flee. talking with other men.
What pity" she thought, that
man who looks like that should be
common. after ALL He talks TO jim
Murphy as If he'd known him all his
life. and he uses so much slangi"
Just what the stranger did in Car
terville Anita was not sure. Some
times she would see him coming in
late in the afternoon. wearing high
boots and rough canvas jacket
such as the farmers wore. a. cap
pulled low about his ears She had
vague idea, from seeing him loiter-
ing I'm the door of the livery sta BILE.
that he had something 10 do with
horses. At any rate. il did not in
the least concern her. She was i'm
patient at herself for wondering. Ills
name-she could not help hearing
that-was Davis. Carlton Davis.
There were several Davis families in
Carterville. He must belong to one
OF them. Having placed him thus
FAR Anita resol wed TO ignore him
completely and put all thoughts of
him from her mind.
But this was very hard.
When there is only one young
man about: when he is very good
looking. when ne sits at a table near
YOU i'm the hotel dihng room every
morning and evening. when YOU are
girl. and lonesome. il is hard to be
bound 10y the traditions OF the proud
est of families Furthermore. Anita
was conscious of a growing sense Of
pique because. an spite OF the inter-
est she could not help but feel in
him. ne never betrayed the least
flicker Of curiosity concerning her.
If his eyes met hers they were calm.
impersonal. and NE looked cody
away again. once the girl felt her
self turn pink under this apparently
unseelng glance. Once. when she
felt that ne was looking after her as
she left the room, she was blinded
by sort of hateful self-conscious-
ness that made her trip. s.wkward-
ly. and fall. I'm am instant he was on
his feet. helping her up.
Are you hurt?" he asked i'm a
voice that sounded. somehow. diner
ent from his own.
Not az all-thank YOU
She was aware that her tone was
cold. inhospitable He bowed grave
~ and returned 10 his seat near the
window
After that Anita tried to avoid
Carlton Davis. She refused TO admit
20 herself that this man was the
reason for her early breakfasts. and
late dinners. yet deep i'm her heart
she knew that she could not bear To
sit there. in silence. so near 20 him
She knew that his presence would
cast curious spell upon her. make
her self-cOuscious and strangely in
90 ease. So a week went by during
which they never met. and Anita =
Ions. lonely evenings In her room
seemed LONGER and lonlier than ever
one evening when she could hear
the strain OF depressed spirits no
longer without action Of some sort.
Anita set out for a brisk walk. II
was Just supper time FOR CarterviUe.
lights shone from the unshaded win
dOWS and She sorfd 500 f,....r..