Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-07-26
The Empty
House
81
oo

The little brown car had swung with
a soft humming sound down the
smooth road, and it's sole occupant
was sitting with her hands in her lap
looking dreamily out at the landscape
and the rows Of houses that they
passed. Many a one passing by ON the
sidewalk might have envied the lovely
young woman who sat there, so slen
der and aristocratic, In the little brown
car, but she herself was not even con
scious of the looks, whether envious OF
admiring, that were cast in her direc
ton.
If, as the poets say, "the eyes are
mirrors of the SOUL" then it was very
apparent that Elaine Hargrave was
not happy, for the sad, far-away ex
preston on her face told its own story
AS the machine turned the corner OF
the street, however, she began to take
more interest in her surroundings, and
she watched carefully the houses she
passed.
Suddenly she leaned forward anC
spoke to the chauffeur.
"Stop. jacques" she commanded
sharply, "at the house TO Let"
The brakes ground sharply, and
Elaine stepped out at once. She
looked again and drew In her breath
quickly. A wave of crimson flooded
her face. The chauffeur wondered al
the sudden order, for they were al
ready late for dinner, and he did no,
think that his mistress could possibly
want to look at this empty house.
The glory of a perfect spring day
was over all the out-of-doors. 1t seemed
a day to tempt anyone to remain in
the open, and drink in to the full the
beauties Of bountiful nature, but evi.
IDENTIFY this did not attract the girl
for she mounted the steps of the house
at once.
She looked around at Jacques after
she had rung the bell. 'Wait till ]
come out" she said.
A slovenly-looking woman suddenly
appeared in response to her ring. She
was as dusty looking, somehow, as the
house was, and quite as detected look.
ing; but Elaine scarcely saw her as
she spoke:
u want to see the house." said the
girl II suppose I can go inr'
"Well, it's gettin' pretty late, mum
and I don't think as you'd be seem
much" replied the old woman.
"You can give me your CANDLE" said
Elaine, quickly, as she slipped coin
into the not over clean hand, and with
a little gasp, the woman yielded.
The front door was opened and
Elaine went through the passage and
glidedupstairs like ghost, the woman
promptly returning to the lower re-
gions, whence she had come. Light
ing the dirty candle from gas jet
burning in the passageway, Elaine wen
from one room to another with quick
nervous haste. Her face was quite
colorless, but her eyes burned with 8
feverish light that made her seem very
different from the brilliant lady OF
fashion that most people knew as
Elaine Hargrave. Here she was but g
girl; and face to face with memory, 8
memory that was still alive after three
years Of bitter struggle-the struggle
of trying to forget.
For today was the third anniversary
Of what was to have been Elaine Har
graves wedding day, but that wedding
never took place; and on the third
| anniversary of what might have
been," as Elaine expressed it herself
and just home from travels that hat
taken her into the faraway corners OF
the world, the girl had become pos
sessed with the desire to see the place
that once she had expected to cal
"home."
She stopped for a moment in hel
fitting from room to room and looked
about her. Here, but three short years
before, she had planned to come as 8
happy bride, and here she had left the
man she loved after their bitter quar-
rel. called him Puritan" and "Prude.'
because he would not countenance the
ways Of her "set." How empty and
false were the ways Of that very same
set, she had come bitterly to realize
just as in her heart Of hearts she had
come to respect all the more the mar
who would not bow down to them
And how empty was her heart as well
She could see him plainly, If she but
shut her eyes for q moment, as he
stood before her that day so long ago
/ SO tall and proud and good to look at
She had always taken such pride in his
! good looks, all the more so because he
had not belonged to her "set," but ha6
come to the city unknown, and had
worked up to an enviable position. She
could almost hear again his earnest
voice as he demonstrated with her OF
that last fateful day in this house.
81 know that do not belong to this
| set that you seem to think so mucf
of, DEAR" he said, land perhaps thai
| is why / find it so hard to accuston
myself to the things that they do, bu
I am certain that l have too mucf
regard for the woman who is to be m!
| VIE TO want TO see ner IOllOW III til'
footsteps of people whose chief aim IL
life seems to be to attract the atten
| ton of others. You are made for bet
ter things than this, Elaine, dear. Won
you be guided by me in this thing ant
! give these people up? Please, dear
f, for my saker
She recalled new how she had fun
away from him, although In her hear
she had known even then that he wal
right, but some perverse spirit seemed
| to urge her not to give In; how sh'
had refused to DO what he asked q
] her, telling her ''that she would liy'
her life without him, and that she real
lied now that 1t was mistake to ex
pect an outsider plebeian-to un
derstand the ways Of her kind O
people," Even now, after three years
Elaine still WINGED as she thought o
those hasty words Of hers. How sh'
must have hurt him-and all the tim
she was hurting herself as well; ant
he had let her go on without wore
of protest, In the end gravely agreeing
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