The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-24
Chapter SO.
DECISION.


Four o'clock Sunday found me alone
in the house. Violet and James went
OFF together with some of the girls and
boys of the village, promising to meet
US at Laura's at six. Right after din
ner, Jim came around with the young
est horse in the buggy, and took
Esther away with him.
| volunteered to clear up the dishes
alone, and watched them drive off to-
gether. / smiled with satisfaction as
filled the big dishpan with hot water
and began on the vast number of
plates and cups. If Esther and Jim
had only done this sort of thing often
if they had only tried little to
keep up the romance of their youth.
we would not all be in the curious
position We were now.
do l look all right?" Esther said
as she left, turning around and round
for my inspection. Il went in your
room and took some of your powder.
and l guess l laced these corsets too
tight. l should worn them before
| bought 'em two years ago, but l
hated to begin putting 'em on, and
now I'm much fatter."
l told her she looked splendid, and
she drove away happy. 1t was all
amusing, but it was pathetic, too.
Perhaps, she might, as she said, go to
the city with vi and try the process
of rejuvenation that / had tried-but
l knew if she did she would never
succeed. Meantime, it seemed to me
that l was being deprived of my
chance to go on with my own upbuild-
ing-that l was being chained here to
the country farmhouse, too busy even
to read the papers, with never a bit
of leisure to cultivate either my body
or my brain.
Violet would go on with at least
part OF another year at college-and
perhaps she might marry Bud. That
bothered me, for what Bud would be-
come, was very problematical vi was
the type that is made to love one
man and to care for him-not mater
tally as Laura debut to be the
really perfect mate and playmate.
And well. had no future but
what l might share with the girl
and that was being taken from me.
After it all, when our money was
spent there was nothing to do but to
come home to the farm and the hard
routine of work.
OF course, there was Mark-there
was always Mark, it seemed, now that
| didn't want him! But what fate
to be his wife and housekeeper!
Every time thought of him. thought
of Buds employer-a man far above
me in every way, so far he would
never even remember me-but so
charming and gracious.
Mark came, and we sat out on the
porch. For an hour we talked, while
the hot day cooled off and the shadows
began to lengthen.
DO you know, I said when I saw
you over at the high school dance that
I would never have known you. Enid"
he said once. "And | wouldn't now,
either. Then you looked so old-and
sort of sot. and like you didn't care
much about anything. Gosh, / was
surprised. I thought it must have
been fifty years, not twelve. since you
with"
| knew it had to come, so sat
quietly and let him talk.
But l always liked you, and even
last year-when you did look pretty
old and homely, il you don't mind my
saying So he went on alphabetically,
anu last Stdl dShCu Sou " ihdi y
me. Don't you remember? l wasn't
so much myself, I guess. am 40 and
look it and feel it too. But l thought
we always got along so well in the
old days, and | guessed we'd get along
pretty well now"
He pulled out huge handkerchief
and wiped over his hot face.
Anyway, you wouldn't do it," he
said You had a lot of romantic no.
tons l thought were crazy in a
woman your age. You said you would
not, because l didn't-er-love you,
and because you didn't-er-love me,
too. l guess that was it, wasn't it?
You said it was because I wanted Il
housekeeper, and because l thought
you needed home. And l guess may
be it was"
l looked him full in the face, in
surprise at this confession.
But it amt so now" he said sud
denly. Il guess maybe you was
were right There ought to be some
love, even if one is 40-odd old the
other-well, you don't look more'n
80 now, Enid"
But what do you mean?' l asked
him in genuine surprise.
Just that" he said, and his voice
was really very earnest. Il don't now
what you've done to yourself whether
it's Clothes or not working too hard,
or living away from Esther-she'd
make me old in no time-or what
But anyway, you got me just as crazy
about you as | used TO be when l was
a boy. Enid, do you want me to say
/ love you?"
So he had said it-that he loved me.
So, after all, one man had told me
that-for his proposal last year was
nothing but an unflattering offer to
marry me in order to make me his