The Washington herald., 1921-03-12
LyrrWILIGHT yIsIoNs.

f a. oLyErWILIGHr VISIONS.
Stanley. had been right in his
prophecy-the little. man who was
responsible for the motor accident
had vanished. and with him had
{ gone all evidence which might have
led to identifcation of the battered
srrsehine on it's side in the ditch.
wen have to wait until the girl
RECEIVERS sufficiently to talk before
We know who the rascal is." said
Desmond. when he returned from
the scene without the arch culprit.
--IlI wager she never tells..s de-
-elzred Stanley. She's probably as
keen as he to keep the matter Of her
little Sunday excursion hushed up"
Nancy left the two men discuss
ing the accident. and wandered rest
ressly down the broad giassed-in
veranda.
IL had been wretched day. start
ing with Staniey's appearance In
the morning. continuing with Maj.
Desmonds impetuous proposal. and
eliminating with the motor acci-
dent.
= All of her plans for the saving
: Of Edith's happiness had gone a
: e1fmmering. A irritation between
'Edfth and Desmond was now clearly
out Of the question, and the serious
turn affairs had taken with the
presence Of Flsurette in the house.
would undoubtedly crush any senti-
mental overture from DR.. Langwell.
Thus, II was impossible for Nancy
{ 10 carry out her promise to Edith.
At the farther end of the veranda
Eshs stopped and leaned against the
glass, looking out over the lake,
family discernible in the twilight.
Again-as on the night before-a
feeling of utter desolation envel-
oped her. She felt very forlorn and
very unhappy.
Apale shaft of light from an up
stairs window shone out across the
lawn. pointing like a ghostly finger
toward the lake. 1t came from the
room where the sick girl lay fight
ing back to the consciousness which
had been so cruelty blotted out.
while the sun rode high in a blue
sky and the lake rippled under the
,caress Of the wind.
II was all very depressing.
fhought Nancy-not alone the pres
enoe OF the injured girl. but the
other discordant forces which held
tho Lsngwell house in their grip.
There was Edith, whittier and more
weary than ever, and the doctor,
forcing a bravado which he surely
could not feel. There was Des-
mond, silently asking the question
rrh 81 d 1fp1
because of the fine. honorable gen.
tleman that he was
And there was herself, conscience
stricken, a little panicky of the
-ruorass into which Constance STAN
1ey's practical joke had led her.
Moreover, she was tired. utterly
weary of visiting. Of being at other
peoples beck and call.
She shut het eyes and summoned
a vision of her own pretty apart
ment in New York.
II she were at home, there would
be gas-logs burning cheerily in her
drawing room, with the lights
TieasantIy low under their golden
shades. She herself would be curl
ed up in corner Of the davenport
In a nest of cushions with Semfra-
mis- purring drowsiiy beside her.
not-to-be-replaced treas
ure, now lost to her forever-would
be deftly wheeling away the tea
wagon. and Gerry
Nancy's heart contracted at the
mental vision Of his broad Shout
ders and steady eyes-Gerry would
be lighting a cigarette and saying,
between puffs:
Want to do a concert at the Met
ropolitan tonight, or would you
rather read?'
As II the vision hurt. Nancy OPEN
ed her-eyes with a jerk on the chill
twilight prospect of Lake Michigan.
The wind sighed fitfully through
the bare branches of the trees, and
she could hear the eery murmur of
the water at the foot of the lawn.
suppose" she thought resent
fully, that Peggy Lewis is having
Sunday tea in my apartment with
her former in-laws. and that the
Harding offspring is carrying poor
Semiramis around by one paw. I
hope he scratches the little brute"
She was still staring disconso-
LATELY into the night, when DR..
-Iangwell came down from the sick
room s,
= BE glanced at her in surprise.
and then. looking toward the sun
parior. where Maj. Desmond was
gravely converting with Stanley, re-
marked with = grin:
Tfn, eh? 1 thought. something
WIS wrong when we came upon YOU
tto IN our walk this afternoon. Did
sypn have to confess that you are
not q widow after air.