Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-09-03
CHAPTER Vi-continued.

DIR. BroWnell suggested the winter
trip to the South. Mr.. Sidneys vital
ity needed careful nursing. It was i'm
portant to protect him from winter
rigors, even as they could be modified
in sickroom. The doctor said he
himself felt the need of a change. He
prescribed one for both his patient
and himself He and Mr.. Sidney made
the arrangements. Mrs. Sidney and
1sobel were to go.
Arrangements went ahead rapidly,
sand a sense of desolation increased
within me. Romantic folly came to its
accounting. The fairy story was to be
ended without youths necessary "They
lived happily ever after"
The yacht came up to its mooring
and lay by the landing for a week
while the provisioning was being cared
for. Hundreds of bottles of Mr.. Sid
ney's fine wines were put on board
for the unspeakable Jed.
Isobel was eagerly anticipatory. Mrs.
Sidney, l thought, seemed merely to
be resigned, with trepidation
Doctor Brownell said he was depriv-
ing me of an interesting voyage. If he
did not go, 1 should have been needed,
but he thought it important for his
efficiency that he. conserve his strength
over the winter, and he asked me to
act as one of his assistants.
That was f1attery. 1t was intended
to be so.
Mrs. Sidney was the one who of
fered me the real balm.
John" she said. I'VE shall want
you with us. We shall miss you"
Don't you think, Mrs. Sidney" ]
suggested, "that now we can consider
this fiction terminated?"
you mean your engagement to Iso.
bel?"
"Surely."
'No, please" she said. son the
| boat there will be no problems. The
community is too compact and must
be considerate. But when we come
back, I'll need you just as before"
| Isobel said:
''Good-by, John. Be at the landing
when We return. Y6uTl be the frs
person I want to see."
l ought not TO have been so discon
| solate. These were fair portents, bu
a portent does little to console loss
l stood on the little dock and watched
the yacht go down the river Ant
when it had disappeared below tn,
point of land south of the pool, all thu
world was sad and life had no pros
poets to give it value
Charles drove me to the city. 1 wa
bit of human driftwood for a week
1t did not matter that they were com
the disaster. 1t was in the present
the future is too ambiguous for consc
lation or comfort
I went through a winter of ecstati
distress, trying to be efficient in m
discharge of professional duties TO
Doctor Brownell and to be profession
ally composed in aspect and mind.
had an anguished delight in my exper
ences. My loneliness was my mos
acute pain and my most cherishe
comfort. I did not want to profan
the emotional solemnity of so muc
unhappiness by subjecting it frequent
ly to the banal touch of sociable lif
in the ordinary. 1t was a joy to b
profoundly unhappy.
1 had letters from the enchante
party in the South. Mrs. Sidney wrot
twice a week with great affection. M
Sidney once a week dictated to Jed
letter. cordial and jocular, for me. o,
casionally Jed added a sheet for hin
self, kindly or rasping as the moo
had him at the time.
Isobel also wrote, but with the grea
est eccentricity. While they were 6
Palm Beach 1 had letter day frol
her for four days. Then had non
a for two weeks, although they RENAME
4 at Palm Beach. She made the pos
man a tragedian for me-
In one letter this virginia. imp wrot
as if L were her lover, and that lette
g was as the song of the meadow lar
] from a snow-covered field in Marcl
. as the odor of lilacs on a warm nigl
In May,
The Sidneys went to the Bahama
II bit did not remain there. They wrot
.. me tnat 5Ir. Sidney wes well. DoctC
N 8rownefl was couEinced that all wei
t>. better. himself included, for the
-..n7.irre-t and that kr Sidney's Co