The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-26
Chapter ia.
LOOKING BACKWARD.


1t was months before I heard the
end of her affair from Violet. We
travelled about SO that mail reached
US systematically We had gone
straight to Paris from the boat, and
spent only a week there, seeing only a
few of the fascinating bits of the city.
and spending most of the time shop
ping-since had to get warm weather
clothes. -..
Then we had gone TO italy, and the
charm of the country took such hold
upon me. that felt l must be almost
new person when left it. for l
had absorbed so much of it's beauty,
SO much Of it's romance. Then north
again. going slowly and stopping often
in the cathedral country of France
Then again to Paris, where we receiv-
ed some long-delayed mail, and on
into Holland.
And it was at The Hague that ]
found Violet's letter telling me OF
the happy termination of her affair
and other important news. 1t was
very rearly June then and Francis
and ] had been married three whole
months!
of course you won't be a hit
surprised to hear that Bud and
are engaged again." she wrote.
Both you and Uncle Francis have
known all along it would happen
and l never denied it would-ex-
cept to Bud himself. But l felt
that the few months that I kept
him from knowing were good for
him-he thought it was only a
within VII. hn IiI foL
it seriously at ALL The conceited
child never thought l could help
being in love with him.
well, I couldn't. But after two
months he was very doubtful, and
in properly humble frame of
mind. So then l graciously recon-
sidered what I had said before,
and now we are engaged again.
And this time it's forever-until
we are married.
you were right and so was
Helen, in what you said some
times-that Bud was too sure of
me. But now he knows an indie
pendence of mind that he never
suspected in me before. and I
believe he likes me much more
for it. And as for myself. l ap-
preciate being engaged more, too
since I denied it to myself these
last few months. Helen says it's
always so-we appreciate things
more when we have been without
them for a long time. That's why
she is so happy now, for she and
Toby are to be married this week
and you ought TO see them! They
are worse than Bud and l"
There was a POSTSCRIPT on the letter
that made me laugh
you should see my ring-a reg
ular large diamond"
Francis laughed at this, too.
They say at the office Bud is do
ing very good work now, so l suppose
he has been steadied by all that affair
of the robbery When I get back. we
will give him a raise"
But they shouldn't marry on his
salary, even So" tNts
NO, we will try to hold our young
Violet until year after she is through
college-she will be 81 then, % wher
you have given her a frivolous socia
season. She may not have him then
She will" l said, nodding my heaC
'emphatically.
And after he left me I went out 70,
2 walk alone-thinking of Violet's let
ter and of other things. l sat in {
park in the center of the city. will
white swans in the lake, and beyond
bit of the old medieval town.
1t was June and the summer wa:
fully upon us. A fashionably dressed
woman passed me. then a nurse and {;
child-a golden haired girl of two who
made my heart ache with longing fo
another one just like herself-and
peasant womant gathering in woode1
sabots. Tomorrow we We're going tt
England, then back in July. And il
October we were to open the houst