The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-12-05
She Married An Aperaee Man
BY ION BNCKINY
BY ZON BNCKLEY.

The letter was from Eric Sands
not from my husband. could feel
Athena's eyes on me as I snatched
It from her hand and tore open the
envelope.
Cam. you're an odd little bird, /"
she said. casually, Indifferent to the
fact that was eager to read Eric
letter. II knew you were not a rub
Der stamp woman even when I saw
you first out in Centerville. l knew
you had Individuality But I didn't
think you would take to life so quick
ly. A year ago you would have been
scandalized at receiving love letter
from q man not your husband"
'It'ssnot love letter." murmured,
already half way through it.
Il bet it begins, Dear Little Human
Flame, or something like that. am
not poking fun, dear; it's only that
know types" And Athena emitted
one Of her eloquent chuckles. Of which
wisdom, fun and sympathy we're COM
ponent parts. Athena never offends
because you feel she always under
stands.
mot far wrong" answered absent
ly, for I was too deeply engrossed In
Eric's words to heed Athena's. "'Dear
Fire and Snow he wrote, 4 shall not
harass you with a long letter. know
you are troubled and need rest And
that is what want to give you.
Try and think of me not as a per-
son, but as a grassy hillock beside Il
sunny sea- Soft breezes blow and the
warm earth holds you gently. but with
strong, comfort-giving arms. There
Is tang Of salt in the air and faint
scent Of flowers. No hurry, no noise.
no one about but you and the little
grassy hillock which gives you peace
and it is I, remember.
81 know exactly a place like this
In England-in Cornwall. There are
wee stone cottages with brilliant gar.
dens and fat cats purring in the sun.
Think OF it, little woman, tormented
with q hundred Fostering duties and
problems, 1t will bring you rest just
as the thought Of you brought rest to
me as lay in the field hospital more
dead than living"
I laid the letter In my lap, closed
my eyes and-dreamed. When look
ed up again Athena had gone and I
sat alone with my thoughts.
It was true; the picture brought
ACos1 ouu l OdShCu III H. AAcu LILY
mind went straying. strayed to my
old middle western city, with it's fiat
horizon, factory chimney, grain ele.
vators and busy, ambitious, common
place men and women. Something
within me responded to the picture.
Then to my newer home in New York,
city of million miracles Of genius
and industry. field of a million hard
fought battles, place of opportunity
for the worker, the student, the dream
er Of dreams. Ah-all of me respond
ed to that! Then to Jim, with his
strong body. his good equipment, his
stubborn yet not always well-directed
will-all the things liked about him
and all the things I didn't. And his
conventional. materially biased, ener-
getic, uninteresting mother. II only
well. enjoyed your epistle from
the Briton?" shot Athena, returning
to the porch and scattering my half
formed thoughts. But don't bother
to tell me, child. To bed with you:
l see you're in the mood for sleep
Eric's a nice boy, but he's no nearer
perfection than the rest Of us. To-
morrow I'll tell you his weak link, If
you haven't found it out for yourself"