Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-12-12

exercised the sweet virtue Of charity
for the time being. And she. Hilda
Leasing. had SO far forgotten her
portion in life as to bask in this
precious friendliness. call it hers, and.
imagine it would last forever! Well.
it was good that this girl Of the
world, the Stevenss world, had come
mists, showing her the truth in all
it's ugly nakedness, so that she would
be- no longer under a delusion.
She excused herself from eating
her supper on the plea of having
eaten at Mrs. Stevens's, and then
slipped away to her studies. But her
mind was e~ngrossed by deeper. prob
lens than any set by the university
to prepare for the morrow, and when
despair and lay down to . toA for
hours, on the pretty. white bed she
was by no lea ready for e
classes. She thought that after a
good nights sleep she would be able
to concentrate her mind, and decided
to get up. early and finish her study
ing. But sleep would not come to
!, her eyes she saw the naughty beau
ty, felt the whitening Of her slanted
glance from. half-snut yes, and knew
just how she, Hi1da. appeared to the
stranger as we'll as if she had carried
a photograph she. had Just taken of.
her and turned it to her full view. +,
Even the little white bed and the
silken curtain blowing in the 0 o
light reminded her Of her position,
in a sweet and dangerous dream.
And now, in the darkness with the
bar. of silver moonlight across the
deep blue of her rug, and the faint
CLEAN of the silver things on her
dressing table, she lay and faced the
real trouble that she had heretofore
kept in the back of her, mind, and
would not give way to. Daniel Ste
veps! That was the crux Of the
she had come to feel was hers-her
friend. Of course-but hers In the ex-
elusive sense. His letters had grown
to be the big hope. Of her life, his
wishes, his approval, the measure on
which she laid out her daily walk.
And now here was this strange,
painted, unpleasantly beautiful-yes,
girl speaking as If he belonged to
her; calling her Mrs. Stevens moth
en-" and in every way appropriating,
as il by old habit, the place that had
come to be 50 dear to Hilda Leasing
It was horrible! It was undesirable!
It was impossible And yet by all
that was dear and sacred she sudden.
that it was quite the natural thing;
and that she, the little school CIR
with the quiet. questionable pas,
suddenly dropped down into societ,
trying. to be a fine lady was the i'm.
: possible; one. She had no bushes.
there and she, must. get out. It was
all very lovely for these dear, Steven,
| VNan1c I'm Mol hop-,,~ ,~N Aa1n" ~,
to get IN education, and be kind t.
her now and then by inviting her t.
a tea or q Red Cross meeting jus
TO break the monotony Of her hare
work: but Of course, they had n.
notion Of continuing this indefinitely
They knew she did not belong II
their social set. They would not ex
long. And she, how: had she over
stepped the bounds that her hear
[ should. have set Her face burned
red in the darkness. and she covered
: her eyes with her hands and groanet
into her pillow. For the terribl,
truth had been forced upon her now
she was caring 0 than she ha.
. der who had been 50 kind to he
, and written her such wonderful let
, ters- And noW. Just when her hear
was so filled with anxiety about him
and almost her every hour had beel
2 q prayer for his safety. had ,falle,
: this terrible blow upon .her! Sh
had no right to care this way! Sh
. was perhaps presuming even to pra
Q in that possessive way! Her sensi
Give o il writhed in the tortyfe {
r her s~elf-accusingo thoughts, eve
0 while her spirit sank aghast at tn
8 sacrifice that lay before her. He wa
e not hers. he did not belong to he
t and never could! He probably be
d longed to this other girl who was q
e his world. INT who would resen
even q distant friendship with sue
8 as she; who would scorn and scours
Z her. and burn 1t In upon; her that ca
had no right, just because. she ha
n done . simply duty and, saved his III,
to hang about his friendship for til
rest Of his life.
All! But that should never bs
h She would draw away within hsrsel
d She would show him when he cam
home-if he came home! A shfve,
r Ing sob went through her throat. al
would show him that she had ns