Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-09

her first experience Of the world
and clad to get back to her home, aft:
er all the anxiety her mother heart
felt Carol presently sat upland
told them infinitely all about her visit.
The grand concert that Sidney had
them to Friday evening in the
academy of Music, where a world
renowned, pianist was the soloist with
n great symphony orchestra; the
tennis and riding Saturday morning:
the luncheon at a neighboring estate,
where there were three girls and a
brother who were "snobs'' and hadn't
at all good manners; the party in the
evening a lasted so late that they
didn't get. to bed till long after mid
night; the beautiful room they slept
IN, with every imaginable article for
h toilet done in sterling silver and
monograms; the strange Sabbath,
cause they woke up too late, and no
suggestion Of anything but a holiday
except the vesper service in a cold.
formal chapel that Carol had begged
TO go to-; Just a lot Of worldly music
n entertaining, with a multitude of
visitors for the end Of 1t. Carol told
OF the beautiful dresses that Eliza
beth had loaned her, coral crepe de
chine accordion-plaited for the con-
~ la oiolA6S S0cAA AVA
the luncheon, pale yellow with a
black velvet girdle for the party, a
little blue silk affair and another
lovely white organdie for Sunday, and
all with their accompanying silE
stockings and slippers and gloves,
and necklaces and bands for her hair.
It was most wonderful to her. and as
they listened they marvelled that
their Carol had come back to them
50 p1oA1y orA' rn;oSooA e. enc Aae
nesting in her brown linen skirt and
MILDLY blouse close beside her moth
er's chair. She declared herself salts
fed with her flight into the world.
She might like to go again for a
glimpse now and then, but she
thought she would rather have Eliza
beth out to Glenside. She hated to
lose any Of the time out here, it was
so pretty: Besides. it was lonesome
without them all.
About that time Shirley picked up
the morning paper in her office one
day to look up a matter for Mr.. Bar
nard. Her eye happened to fall on the
society column and catch the name of
Sidney Graham. She glanced down
the column. 1t was an account of a
wedding in high circles in which
Graham had taken the part of best
man. with Miss Harriet Hale-in blue
tulle and white orchids as maid Of
honor-for his partner down the
aisle. She read the column hurriedly,
hungrily, getting every detail. white
spats, g%ardenia, and all, until in those
few printed sentences a picture was
printed indelibly upon her vision, Of
Graham walking down the lily-gar-
landed aisle with the maid in blue
tulle and white orchids on his arm.
To make it more vivid the lady's pic
ture was in the paper along with Ora
hams, just under those of the bride
and. groom. and her, face WAS both
handsome and naughty. One could
tell that by the tilt of chin. the short
'upperi:lip, the cynical curve plymouth
and sweep Of long eye-lash. the ex-
IRENE effect Of her dress and the ar
r%angen2ent of her hair. Only a<beauty
could have stood that hair and not
been positively ugly.
Shirley suddenly realized what she
was doing and turned over the page
of the paper with a jerk that tore the
sheet from top to bottom, going on
umn and the item she was after. All
that morning her typewriter keys
clicked with mad rapidly. yet her
work was strangely correct and per-
feet. She was working under a tense
strain.
BY noon she had herself in hand.
realized what she had been doing
with her vagrant thoughts, and was
able to laugh at Miss Harriet Hale
mattered it, Miss Harriet Hale or
somebody else? What was that to
Shirley HOLSTER? Mr.. Graham was
her landlord and a kindly gentleman.
He would probably continue to be
that to her to the end Of her tenancy,
without regard to Miss Hale or any
other intruding Miss. apd what did
anything else matter?. She wanted
nothing else Of Mr.. Graham but to be
her necessity to come in his way.
But although her philosophy was
on hand and her pride was aroused,
she realized just where her heart
might have been tending if 1t had not
been for this little jolt it got; and she
resolved to keep out Of the gentle
mans way whenever It was possible,
and also, as far as she was able, to
think no more about him.
Keeping out Of Sidney Graham's
way was one thing, but making him
keep out of her way was quite anoth-
er matter, and Shirley realized it ev-
cry time he came but to Glenside,
which he did quite frequently. She
could not say to him that she wished
he would not come. She could not be
ride to him when he came. There
was no way Of showing him pointedly
that she was not thinking Of him in
any way but as her landlord. because
he showed in IN way that he
was expecting her to. He Just hap
pened in evening after evening, in his
frank. jolly way, on one pretext or
other, staying very long, never
showing her any more attention than
he did her mother or Carol or the
boys. % 80 much as he did to Doris.
How was she to do anything but sit
quietly and take the whole thing as a
matter OF course? 1t really was q
matter to deal with in her own heart
alone. And there the battle must be
fought II ever battle there. was to be.
Meantime, she could not but own that.
this frank, smiling. merry young man
did bring a lot Of life and pleasure
into their lives, dropping in that way
n why should she not enjoy it when
It came, seeing 1t In no. wise inter-
Tered with Miss Harriet HalA's rights
and prerogatives? Nevertheless, shir-
ley withdrew more ana : more into
quietness whenever. he came. and Oft
en- slipped into the kitchen on some
household pretext, until one day he.
boldly came out into the kitchen after
her with . book he wanted her to,
read. and vas 70 frank ana com-
p~anionable that she led the way back
to the living-roern, and concluded It
would be better In. future to stay with
the rest Of tho family.
Shirley had no intention whatever
Of letting, her heart stray out after
any impossible society man. She had
her work in the world. and 10 It she
meant to stick II there were dreams
she kept them well under I6ck and