Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-12
~I AUTSNAIS Public Les Ne0 Short Stories in the
of Writers the Day

agreeing. She was 50 utter,v d,s.
when, now, she wheeled toward h,..
"Look here. Mr.. Clauson," sb. -.
briskly, "Why did you come 70 ga. '.'d
tonight?" '' M
She was looking at him asrr.,,,r.,
And abruptly-perhaps It was beo.n.
he just noted the thinncss Of ~.
wrists-Clauson was swept by a ,,,o.' n.'
pity. Poor little thing, no thonssss s
suspecting everybody, quite on hon s
in this big town. Poor little thin. n
this fearful boarding house, Just w",,
Ing ahead on the chance that so..
bookkeeper or other would mar, u.' ~.
out Of things. A lonely, sordid s,,s '
ence. Common little thing, he now ,,S
He leaned forward. '"'
Miss Rickson," he said. "mu
and I have been married for s,,.a ..'
years. We have only ourselves 70 u ,e.,
after. Sitting with her tonight IN s Nv.
comfort and security and-and ~" W.
panionship, lin fact, as I told vou
couldn't get you out Of my mind, A.,
I resolved to see II couldn't bright.
up life a little for you as a sort ~
er-thank offering for the brightp.,, =,
my own!"
For the first time that eveniu, MI,
Rickson relaxed. The sweetn.,, ..-'
back to her face, her head dronn.S
her eyes were liquid.
There isn't a thing YOU csr 4.
she told him. "But my, what o n,,,..
you are.' '
|0N A spontaneous word from IT..
~ about raiss, they pstted. Under
the eye OF the accursed dog hs took b.,
hand in friendly, though formal l.,,.
taking. This boarding house with n.
measles facade he left In a high tbou,h
impromptu sense Of having played tbs
benefactor. Oauson hadn't mrsh
humor. Not enough to laugh A. him m
self. With a measureless proclivitv %,
self justification he almost thou,h,
now, that It was expressly in ord., ~
make this proposition that hs h,a
escaped to Miss Rickson.
All the same he entered his a.,
apartment quietly and rather a. - !,
thought-or hopsd-that Jep might B,
asleep.
She was not asleep. She came fy,u,
to meet him, her face radiant, and be
saw that something had happened.
something that she liked; that th,v
would like.
"Oh. dearest" she cried, "wh.t do
you think? It's all mistakeMr,
Dibble called up to say they aren't soin,
to tear down the building this wear At
all. And we don't have to move"
Say" said Clauson. "Say!"
He sat before the fire and filled his
pipe. The fireplace that drew so veil,
the book shelves near enough to be
reached from his chair and the Old
brown familiar tile were theirs for O
long time TO come. He looked round on
these things. He liked them, he was
used to them. lie looked across at Jsp
and smiled. He was used to them o.
he was used to her.
That held him. He stared at her,
his pipe suspended. He was not likely
to think things out, but gently, 4 Ger.
tain satisfied sense Of her very accus.
tomedness assailcd him. OF her ia.
miliarity as Of a well-loved home. lie
cared and she cared and they always
would care. 1t had always been and il
would always be. An eternity Of being
accustomed to each other. So accus.
toned that each hardly knew the Other
to be there at all.
He had no idea how to voice what he
was feeling. So lie got up and wounl
the clock.
ITS got to be regulated, that thing,
he heard himself mutter.
Jep smiled up at him lastly.
III you didn't say that every might
dear" she observed, "I'd miss IT,
He stood looking down at her. AM
then he said in vast content:
1--WE certainly are used to each other
dea rest-nren' we?"
Copyright. 1888. by United Fsdtvrs hmfeaf,
All rights reserved. Reproduction S'Sms0sa