Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-05-21


by anyone else and their rebellion
gave the cue to the older child to
fall downstairs. with considerable in
jury to his tired feelings, but no
great bruising. So dinner was late
and the confusion still was discern
ible when Robert arrived.
There were intermittent walls from
the nursery. slamming of dishes in
the kitchen and glimpses Of the rather
fush-faced. distracted Vera rs she pur-
sued the older children through the liv-
Ing room In her effort to pack them Off
to bed. But Mrs. Laurence was not
one to be much ruffled by such mild
domestic confusion, and eventually she
managed to sit beside Mr.. jLudwell
alone before the fireplace and make
the first probing.
She discovered one thing. He had
horror Of boarding houses. He
disliked boarding house coffee. He
likewise had horror Of any sort of
confusion. He minated when Mrs.
Laurence asked him point-blank why
he had never married that possibly it
was because he was n recluse by ma.
ture. He had to have quiet for his
writing.
So Mrs. Laurence decided to invite
Mr.. Ludwell to leave his boarding
house and spend Il 2onth at the Lau-
renee establishment There he would
have no more boarding house coffee,
there would be no more confusion. she
was sure.
She was surprised when he nc
cepted her and the doctors invita-
ton. She hadn't expected he would
come SO willingly. And the doctor
was even more surprised.
HE says he wants TO he away from
confusion?" gasped the doctor.
II am sure you don't think there
Is ever any confusion here" said Mrs.
Laurence. land the coffee is certainly
better than the kind one gets in
boarding house." Mrs. Laurence was
planning now for her system Of psy-
chOpathic treatment on Mr.. Ludwell.
II she succeeded with him. she might
take the work up as a career-she
might become quite q specialist.
Meantime Doctor Laurence had been
making observations, and he had OBJ
served pair of pretty blue eyes which
he had come to regard with something
akin to fatherly affection He noticed
that at times those eyes turned very
soft limpid blue and then dropped In
confusion. And then he would glance
across the room, only to find q pair
Of supposedly melancholy dark eyes
suddenly delve deep In q book or news
paper.
At times Mrs. Laurence was profuse
In her apologies to Mr.. Ludwel. At
breakfast she would ask him how he
slept. II hope you didn't hear the
twins" she would say. "They were
up earlier than usual, and Richard, fell
out of bed. You may have heard him
screaming in the night; not hurt. mere
ly frightened" And you might have
discerned her confusion which was
deep-seated because 1t had been part
OF her plan to have the Laurence
household breathe that calm and quiet
which would be the proper antidote for
the boarding house fear image.
Then one evening you might, had
you been hidden somewhere beside
the Side veranda of the Laurence
homestead. have heard the following
conversation. 1t was an evening when
Doctor and Mrs. Laurence were attend
Ing some board meeting or other and
Vera was at home to look after things.
as usual. Mr.. Ludwell, In spite of a
previous engagement, had remained
home also:
'Did you get any sleep last night
at ALP" asked Vera YEARLY.
Some" commented Ludwell; "what
was the row in the nursery?"
well. Richard woke up at eleven
and decided 1t was q good time to bite
his sister Bells big toe. He has been
waiting for chance to get even. That
woke the twins. and so 1t went on, and
Of course, some one is always sure to
wake at five, and then they begin
again."
"Hard on you," said Ludwell SYM
pathetically. "But there's this about
1t. When do get chance to sleep,
I sleep hard. I never saw such confu-
slon-the boarding house was Eden
compared to this bedlam."
"Then why do you stay" came a
rather shy question that seemed to
trail off weakly toward the end.
"You don't suppose I'd leave you
here, do you? And I'll tell you, Vera,
that what has set me on my feet again
after the exhaustion that followed get
ting out my last book In such fright
I wanted to know you. After l knew
you and saw how hard you worked
here, felt had to pull myself to-
gether so. I could take care Of you.
xyonted 70 no ahle IN offer Won n homo