Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-09-02

lO1QtlC:lllv IN love with lSODel. she
would not have sought relief from her
distress by the arrangement which
made me her daughters protective
fance. 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 rs corrupting 70
manticism would permit me to be. ]
knew that any affection might place
IN this fashion was real and serious
emotional vice, which If Tot controlled
might lead to unhappiHess. That con
seriousness had steadied me. but it had
not delivered me.
lsobel walked brightly through the
old house Of tragedy-ns 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 | showed my feeling more than
a liver sausage shows a soul, l hope i
may he punished. What l thought of
lsohel was my own affair. so long as
kept 1t strictly my own affair.
| took myself in hand with as much
energy and promptness rs I could. fol.
lowing the announcement of our en-
gagement. / did not want to confess
myself fool. did not intend to do
so If I could help it. Me.
overtlid it. became disagreenble.
l kept as much out of Isobers presence
as possible. l never willingly was
alone with her. did my best to avoid
meeting her or speaking to her. Tsobel
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 little more agreeable to each
other"
l did not know what to say. I>hoped
not to be a hypocrite. and did not
want to be absurd.
II shall be glad to be as agreeable
as, ! can" l said after some mental
suffering II want to be, but am
so awkward
II want to be, too" said Isobel; land
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 q cheap
device to escape the consequences of
foolish affection. The girl in very
friendly fashion had shown me that
my avoidance of her was marked. cool
and unreasonable. 1t 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, I 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. knew that cow
ard only increased his troubles.
l imagine If had not seemed such
professional stick, such thing aloof
from human emotions, Isobel would
have been merely friendly and kind.
AS it was, she was tantalizing. She
liked me well enough. but that meant
very little. II she did not drive, ride,
walk or play tennis with me, she had
a choice of the servants. 1t was I or
nothing.
was With Mr.. Sidney 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-
fessional duty. Life at Hartley house
would have been intolerably lonesome
if l had been there merely as prac-
titioner. And therefore welcomed a
routine that was outside my profess
sion. Mr.. Sidney had q delicacy of
perception which told him when at
tention upon even so amiable an in
valid might be drawing upon the phys
ical reserve of the people waiting upon
him or being with him. He always
managed that they never should feel
the fatigue of it.
We saw. no company at Hartley
house. We made no calls and received
none. We extended no invitations and
received none. The estate was baron
ial, and it had baronial habits, but it
brought no friends to the doors.
1t was nearly always with regard to
Isobel that the condition seemed I'M
natural. For an invalid like Mr.. Sid
ney it was natural enough. Mrs. Sid
ney was wholly devoted to him; was
engaged in professional duties; and
for Jed and the servants in the house
it was natural to be content with what
they had of life or with the perform
ance of duties for which they were
paid and which they might abandon
at will. But this was 1sobel's life.
She was young, vibrant, beautiful, but
vistas opening into human prospects
were closed to her. And she was en-.
40 God RI q ntccn .of rrof assfonal don a