Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-13

thought and. thought. 1 know now
what. love should be-not the faulty
thingsSI felt,s nor the impe feet thing
which was offered ms, the sort Of love
that can be angry n cruel 2and bit
ter. e&3s. #
IMademoiselie Clare. L shall write
again. I say good-by now, with love
for the woman who is kind.
.P. S. I call myself Maria de la
Guarda here. Under that name l
had some stage experience and it is
best that 1 be known by that name"
MacAllister had sat down to read
the letter, and after he had finished
it he continued to sit with, 1t in his
hand, thinking, seeing some vison OF
the pastor Of the future.
Freda watched his reverie. wonder
ing which it was? What did he mean
to do? What had the last two weeks
done to him? Melted anger. certainly,
but had his love grown or had it les
sened? Did he mean to seek Marie,
or not? The answer to these
questions meant a good deal to Freda
O'Rourke. but they were not questions
she would ask Of him. One reason for
their fast friendship was because she
had never claimed a confidence.
MacAllister put the letter down.
finally. and turned to her. "How is
Mrs. Mendall?" he asked, more in his
usual manner
Freda smiled. 'You didn't know
you were bringing me help when you
brought her to me?" :
"a sad burden. l thought-most of
the things ] bring We arc burdens.
MacAllister was thinking Of society's
attitude to her, the thing that always
outraged him. }
Il don't find them so. Mrs. Men
dali certainly is not. She's rather
wonderful. Alex. 1t took her just
twenty-four hours to decide about me
to shake herself free of prejudice.
Then she came to me. She told me
that she mean to make a. life for hc---
self. That she would never take her
husband back. and not because she
could not forgive him, but because
theirs could never be the right sort of
marriage; thai theirs had never been
what marriage should be, and that
with his nature and hers it. never
could be. She believes in his genius.
that in time he will be a great artist.
but that is the only faith she has'fn
him. She told me that she meant TO
be one of the best trained Office wom-
en- in Laclasse. That for a year-that
able-she wants to go on with her
training. She told me all he plans
and her difficulties, and then she ask
ed me. quite simply and sensibly.
whether I did not need help in run
ming this house. and with a timid
audacity that took my heart offered
her hands In brains to me-. You
know, Alex, what my trouble has al
ways been-getting any sort of intel
ligent assistance in running this
house. I haven't even sisters help;
she mas to look after father. e.,
It e to my heart, that calm SEN
sibleness Of hers-a deal more direct
ly than tragic tears. The tears were
there, of course. but SO well re-
strained. We emerged from that con-
ference fast friends-we're bound to-
gether in one aus You can help
when the Office period arrives. blu
meantime she is my partner" Freda
ended as III had begun, similingly,
but there was an undercu rent Of deep
feeling stirring her. d
L"And I suppose none of all this was
yer suggestion MacAllister remark
ed with affectionate sarcasm.
mo. I simply took her in my arms
when ] heard the reason for all that
stiff-lipped courage of hers.
There. IS a baby coming in about sever
"Freda!" MacAllister's face grew
black.
Continued in tomorrow
Evenings Herald.
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