Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1921-02-19


mother. She particularly delighted to
demonstrate when Jed was serving
dinner. | thought she would end toy
getting me shot in the back. hut Jed
had rated me finally as unimportant,
which did my cgOtiSm no good. For
such II rascal 10 discard me, formally
hctruthcd as | was To ISohcl in his
Scandalous pursuits of that beautiful
girl, was prcpoSterouS.
If Mrs. Sidney had known that was
idioticaliy in love with Isobei, she
would not have sought relief from her
distress by the arrangement which
made mc her daughters protective
liahce. Tn" olly thing I could take
credit FOR in this absurd situation was
that Mrs. Sidney WAS not allowed 10
know the state of my feelings.
] was as sensible as a corrupiing ro-
manticism would permit me To be.
knew that amy affection | might place
in this fashion WAS real and serious
emotional vice. which If not controlled
might lead to unhappiIeSS. That con
seriousness had Stcadicd me. but il had
not delivered mo.
ISohcl walked brightly through the
old house of tragedy-aS surely it was.
however hidden The tragedy. She was
the CLINT of sunshine i'm the aisIes Of
the dark woods. the odor of roses
against the wall. She had the charm
Of the holIyhocks. the freshness of the
hrpatica in the spring. the beauty of
the wild roSe in June.
If | showed my feeling more than
"a liver sausage shows Il soul, | hope
may be punished. What | thought Of
Isohel was my own affair, 50 long as
| kept it strictly my own affair.
took myself in hand with as much
energy and pr0mptncsS as | could, fol-
lowing the announcement Of our en-
gagement | did not want to confess
myself a fool. | did not intend to do
50 if | could help it,
0verdid it. | became diSagreeable.
! kept as much out of IsObeIS presence
as possible. | never willingly was
alone with her. | did my best to avoid
meeting her or speaking to her. Isobel
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 il. | wonder if we could
not be a little more agreeable to each
other"
did not know what TO say. hoped
not to be Il hynOcrite, and l did not
want to be absurd.
81 shall be glad TO be as agreeable
as | can" | said after some mental
suffering. Il want to be, but 1 am
so awkward"
Il want to be. teo,' 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 l had used a cheap
device to escape the consequences Of
foolish affection. The girl in a very
friendly fashion had shown me that
my avoidance of her was marked, cool
AID unreasonable. 1t was wholly rea-
sOnable from my poor standpoint. but
from no other.
| saw that | was meeting my difficult
~ 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 1t. l had to face the
nj ,ft hot Il l..
not to have astOniShed me that | felt
better instantly. I knew that a cow
ard only increased his troubles.
l imagine if | had not seemed such
professional stick, such Il thing aloof
from human emotions. Isobel would
have been merely friendly and kind.
AS ii was. she WAS tantalizing. She
liked me well enough, but that meant
very little. If she did not drive. ride.
walk or play tennis with me. she had
Il choice of the servants. 1t was or
nothing.
was with Mr.. Sidney number of
hours every day. They varied. some
times seven or eight a day in different
periods, sometimes three or four. Very
little of this time was occupied in pro-
feSSinnal duty. Life at Hartley house
would have been intolPrably lonesome
If I had been there merely as a prac-
titiOner. And therefore | welcomed n
routine that was outside my profess
sion, Mr.. Sidney had delicacy of
perception which told him when at
tentiOn upon even so amiabIe an in
valid might he drawing upon the phys
zeal 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
iat, and il had harOniai habits. hut Il
brought no friends to the doors.
II was nearly always with regard to
lsobel 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
fer Jed and the servants in the house
il 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