Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-08-18
BREEME HOUSE
By KATHERINE NEWLN BURT
By KATHERINE NEWLIN BURT

now 2"
2Aline sent round the quiet room
q long, pleading look. Her heart was
a great prayer for peace and good
counsel. She looked up at Sir Geof-
frey's face and saw those little wires
at painful work around his %tight-shut
mouth. Fl
For answer she, stood up and,
reaching her hands up to his head,
drew 1t down and kissed him on the
forehead. q
Then he stood at the door to let her
out, and she went by him like a crum-
pied little ghost.
Here's my new car, Aline." he
said. She'll whisk you home in no
m Isn't she a beauty, eh?"
Aline looked and admired. She was
completely dazed. The world looked
different; colors brighter, outlines
more confused. The old house seemed
as new as the shining car; Sir Geof-
frey, a stranger; herself, an unknown
entity. She had altogether lost her
life. She wondered coldly whether it
would be possible to find it.
Arrived at Breeme House, Aline
went indoors at once. AS Sir Geof-
frey turned his car to leave the place,
he caught sight OF Claire wilton,
coming towards him across the lawns.
His eyes lighted quickly with pleas
ure-and as quickly clouded with a
sudden unwelcome resolution He
the driveway as if he had not seen.
her. In that moment Sir Godfrey
knew the pang Of self-renunciation.
When, in the drawing-room after
dinner, Aline saw Alec coming over
to her, she hid her work under a
cushion and slipped out by one Of the
long open windows to avoid him.
She fled through bars of shade and
moonlight to q little bower, walled in
James mignonette. She sat down in
shadow, a little breathless, eyes
and ears alert. The night was even
stranger to her than the day. She
a not yet found herself. She was
engaged, 1t seemed, to marry Sir Geof.
trey Brooke. That was her secret.
She had decided to keep it so for some
little time. It was necessary, first,
to realize the fact before she made
it known. Peace might come. and
happiness; but lightness Of heart was
gone. HereSfor q moment tears stood
in her eyes But those brothers and
sisters Of hers would be happier now.
Sir Godfrey would father them. ev-
cry. one. He had always wanted her
to let MIN DO That; now it would be
his right.
II wonder il I look. old" abe
thought. II wonder il Sir Geonrey
really loved me-"
She looked down at herself-at the
hands Sir Godfrey had held. that
Alec had kissed. sShe remembered
tho pale, thin face, tear-marred. that
had looked vaguely at her from the
mirror while she dressed for dinner.
There r girls" she thought, "who
look like embodied Joy. who Rlearm.
hair, skin and eyea-girls With auras.S
r.. Aline stirred ~restlessly. why had
she thought Of Claire again? The "a
mihar laugh had been taken IN sub
consciously by her ear and Translated
quickly into conscious thought. she
should not have been startled when
g. clear, ringing voice called to her
and a figure appeared swiftly from
the shadows Of the 3ewe-walk. h
Tvs found you for mir. c,riaa
Claire triumphantly, sitting down he
side her. But shan't go baok ana
Ltell him II you don't want me to."
Aline tried to keep her
out OF her voice. She was dreadfnIlv
oppressed by Clatre's presence. Some,
how, in this mood ana Light Ina
American girls tingling vitality over