The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1920-08-19

for Miss Sidney. I am older than I'd
like to be, but that is ALL"
You are hideous old fool" said
but think I can handle you, and I
give you warming"
81 am going to be quite friendly"
said Jed.
You f1atter yourself" l said.
"Weli, anyway" he said, I'm friend
ly."
He proved to be so. The life of the
house went placidly from day to day.
Isobel, with sense of our posturing
toward each other, made hooking ges-
lures of affection which shocked her
mother. She particularly delighted to
| demonstrate. when Jed was serving
dinner. I thought she would end by
| getting me shot in the back, but Jed
had rated me finally as unimportant,
which did my egotism no good. For
| such rascal to discard me, formally
| betrothed as I was to IsobeI, in his
scandalOus pursuits of that beautiful
| girl. was preposterous.
| If Mrs. Sidney had known that was
| idiotically in love with 1sobel, she
would not have sought relief from her
| made me her daughters protective
fiance. The only thing I could take
| credit for in this absurd situation was
| that Mrs. Sidney was not allowed to
know the state Of my feelings.
was as sensible as a corrupting ro-
manticism would permit me to be. /
Knew that any affection might place
| in this fashion was a real and serious
emotional vice, which if not controlled
might lead to unhappfaess. That con-
sciousness had steadied me, but it had
| not delivered me.
IsObel walked brightly through the
old house Of tragedy-as surely it was
however hidden the tragedy. She was
the CLINT of sunshine in the aisles of
the dark woods, the odOr of roses
against the wall. She had the charm
of the hOllyhOcks, the freshness of the
hepatica in the spring. the beauty of
the wild rose in June.
If I showed my feeling more than
liver sausage shows a soul, hope
may be punished What 1 thought of
IsObel was my own affair." so long as
kept it strictly my own affair.
[ took myself in hand with as much
energy and prOmptness as 1 could, fol-
lowing the announcement of our en-
gagement. l did not want to confess
myself fool. 1 did not intend to do
SO if I could help it.
l Overdid it, I became disagreeable. =
I kept as much out of IsobePs presence
as possible. I never willingly was
alone with her. / die my best to avoid
hOr
met the situation with her natural
frankness after had been giving this
demonstration of myself for some time.
Doctor" she said, this household
necessarily imposes friendships upon
the people in it. I wonder if we could
not be a little more agreeable to each
other"
1 did not know what to say. hoped
not to be a hypOcrite, and I did not
want to be absurd
81 shall be glad tc be as agreeable
as l can 1 said after some mental
suffering. 81 want to be, but I am
so awkward"
81 want to be, too,'' said Isobel; "and
if we both want to be, we shall not
have to glover at each other every
time we meet. Even mother does not
require it and father would detest it,"
Without saying anything more, she
made me see that had used a cheap
device to escape the consequences of
a foolish affection. The girl in a very
friendly fashion had shown me that
my avoidance of her was marked, cool |
and unreasonable. It was wholly rea-
sOnable from my poor standpoint, but |
from no other.
l saw that l was meeting my difficult |
ty by running away from it, and not |
only did not like the timidity of escape |
in this fashion, but Furthermore, did !
not like the opinion IsObel formed of |
me because of it. | had to face the |
music, and after that l did. 1t ought |
not to have astonished me that I felt
better instantly. I knew that a cow
ard only increased his troubles.
imagine If I had not seemed such
a professional stick, such a thing alOof
from human emotions, Isobel would
have been merely friendly and kind.
AS it was. she was tantaliZng. She |
liked me we'll enough but that meant
very little.\ II she did not drive, ride,
walk or play tennis with ME, she had
q choice of the servants. 1t was I or
1Othing.
/ was with Mr.. Sidney d number of
hours every day. They varied, some
times seven or eight day in different
periods, sometimes three or four. Very
little of this time was occupied in pro-
fessfonal duty Life at Hartley house
would have been intGlerably lonesome
f had been there merely as prac-
:itioner' And therefore / welcomed a
.ou,ine that was outside my profess
'ion. MIR. Sidney had delicacy Of
perception which told him when at
eaiion nroA even so amiable an in
7alid sight be drawing upon the phys
col rasnrye of the nnnnla waiting uDOn |