Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-09-16

"Do You Have to Be Judge Of My
Habits?"
me.
DR.. Brownell suggested the winter
trip to the South. Mr.. Sidney's vital.
ity needed careful nursing. 1t 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 change. He
prescribed one for both his patient
and himself. He and Mr.. Sidney made
the arrangements. Mrs. Sidney and
Isobel were ito go.
Arrangements went ahead rapidly,
and 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 it's 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.
1sobel was eagerly anticfpatory. Mrs.
Sidney, 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. ! 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 fiattery. 1t was intended
to be so.
Mrs. Sidney was the one who Of
fered me the real balm.
"John," she said. 1--WE shall want
you with us. We shall miss YOU"
"Don't you think, Mrs. Sidney" I
suggested, "that now we can consider
this fiction terminated?"
"You mean your engagement to Iso-
bel?"
Surely"
mo, please" she said. "On the
boat there win be no problems. The
community is too compact and must
be considerate. But when we come
back. TIT need you just as before
Isohef said:
"Good-by. John. Be at the landing
when we return. You'll be the first
person want to see."
ought not TO have been so discon-
sofste. These were fair portents, but
portent does little to console a less.
stood on the little dock and watched
the yacht 60 down the river. And
when 1t had disappeared below the
point Of land south Of the pool. all the
world was sad and life had no pros
poets to give 1t value.
Charles drove me to the city. Twas
q bit of human driftwood for a week.
1t did not matter that they were com.
ing back. They were gone; that was
the disaster. It was in the present
the future is too ambiguous for conso.
lation or comfort.
I went through winter Of ecstatic
distress, trying to be efficient in my
discharge Of professional duties TO,
Doctor Brownell and to be profession.
ally composed in aspect and mind. ]
had an anguished delight in my expert
ences. My loneliness was my most
acute pain and my most cherished
comfort. I did not want to profane
| the emotional solemnity Of so much
unhappiness by subjecting it frequent
" to the banal touch Of sociable life
in the ordinary. It was a Joy to be
profoundly unhappy.
had letters from the enchanted
party in the South. Mrs. Sidney wrot,
twice week with great affection. Mr.
Sidney once week dictated to Jed /.
letter, cordial and jocular, for me. Oc
casionally Jed added sheet for him
self. kindly or rasping as the moot
had him at the time.
lsobel also wrote, but with the great
est eccentricity. While. they were q
Palm Beach had a letter a day from
her for four days. Then had nom
for two weeks. although they RENAME,
at Palm Beach,. She made the post
man a tragediaD for me.
In one letter this virginia. imp wrot,
as IL / were her lover, and that lette
was as the song Of the meadow larI
from snow-covered field in March
as the odor Of lilacs on q warm nigh
In May.
| The Sidneys went to the Bahamas
but did not remain there. They wrot
me that MI. Sidney was well. Dotto
Brownell was convinced that all wer
The better, himself included, for thei
experiment and that Mr.. Sldney's con
dition would permit q longer voyage Il
his pleasant circumstances. Conse
auently they. were going on to Sout
America. Mr.. Sidney wanted TO revisi
Nontevideo. 4. {. +.
(oonsnusd next wesi)
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