The Washington times., 1921-01-22
When a Girl Marries
A Story of
EARLY Welded LIFE
BY Ann Lisle.
" IHEN the managers office re-

w yHEN the managers office re-
w ported that Jim's telephone
+" number did not answer. i
hung up the receiver with a feeling
that I tried hard TO keep from being
suspicious.
Jim was held in the city by busi-
ness SO important that he couldn't
get out to Dresmwold even though
coming home some time during the
evening would give him his only OPP
portunity to see Lane before he
went thousands OF miles away from
us. III Jim's business WAS indeed
so vital. why didn't II keep him at
his onice. or al least keep his offics
open? il was only six. Busy offices
are generally open as late as that.
Someone ought to be there.
paced up and down the big liv-
ing room. wishing Jeanie and Pat
would come, wishing something
would happen to change the current
of mysthoughts, wishing I could di-
rect them away from the subject /
didn't want to contemplate. In The
midst OF my striding about 1 noticed
long gray coat t-sweater of Jeanle's
lying across a chair. 1t gave me
the idea of going out for walk.
i slipped into the warm woolen gar
ment and let myself out the front
door. rambled up toward the
crossroads, instinctively avoiding
the direction which would carry me
near the scene of Sheily's accident.
Half an hour in the outdoors re-
stored my poise and made me
ashamed OF my weak doubts. 1 was
thinking SO hard that l walked by
the front gates Of Dreamwold and
fntinh vruaaIf huI a.
path between US and Mason Towers
before I realized where my feet had
carried me. There was nothing to
be gained by turning around. so
scurried up the path toward the fork
that leads to, the Summer house and
up the hill to our side door.
A BULKY FIGURE.
Just as / got to the foot of the
hill the bushes parted, and from the
ravine at the side a bulky figure
crept out, shaking itself and look
Ing about to be sure no one was in
sight.
suppressed the scream that had
mounted from my heart to my lips
when / realized that the furtive,
hurrying figure was Lane. And l
shrank back among the bushes. /
could guess where he had been and
what thoughts must be his CON-
panions. / wanted to let him escape
without knowing that any one had
discovered his tragic pilgrimage to
the scene of the disaster.
Undoubtedly he knew how diff
ferently 1t might have ended for
him, and yet how much more ter
ribly--or perhaps disgraceful Is
the better word.
~ foh ~
his own Lane had come out to
inspect the wreck. With thudding
heart 1 thought of the hacked
straps over the tank and the evil
dence they had once held.
No. l mustn't let Lane discover
me. Or rather i mustn't let him
know that I'd discovered him.
But as I huddled back the bush
cracked under my weight Lane
flung up his head and, with the
sure instinct of the outdoor man,
he came toward the place from
which the sound had come. Not
to make bad matters worse, /
stepped out as il I'd been pro-
ceeding right along and had just
arrived. ...
We'll of all people!" I cried with
a vast attempt to portray ease.
$50 you share my habit of prowling
about in the twilight. Gives one an
appetite for dinner, doesn't it?''
For good measure i added a silly
little laugh. And when Lane ig-
nored my attempts at society con-
versation l was grateful The truth
was the only possible ending to a
friendship as simple as any rela-
tion with the big brown bear must
be.
Tive been to look at the wreck.
Poor Blake. what a wreck he made
of his Hfe. or anything he was
trusted to steer. The cars junk.
isn't itr' he said. ...t
YES" L replied as honestly.
That was poor Shelly's tragedy.
He gave an impression OF strength,
so folks were likely to trust him to
drive, and he needed nothing in the
world SO much as a hand to guide
him 70