The Columbia evening Missourian., 1922-08-14

tonight Inc music ana program ana 81
And the way Miss Perkins sang-and ii
way Lillian gave her reading and-an
all" Through the effort of gay, carele'
sparkle, again the edged Hatness. 81
had the feeling Of having been poised o
the edge of a cloud and then dropped ini
the grayness of a desert. The Gghte'
wings Of love were brushing her soul, an
somehow she had no power TO pinto
them.
This was their tragedy-ihat the
should be so rich in youth and so bal
ren in its expression. Or was it onl
Mays tragedy?
/ Jim was mumbling something: -Wel
lis getting pretty late now. Ill writ
to YOU MAY. if-if you'd like
-Oh. yes, do" she answered, with
little shake of her skirts and her thoughts
I'll be glad to hear from you. Oh
here's your ring.
''Uh-fhsnks." said Jim uneasily, taking
it. well. take care Of yourself. Tel
your mother g'bye for me. Well-gbye
May"
-C'bye. Jim. You have a nice time
C'bye."
He never wrote 10 her, perhaps becaus,
he was SO criminally shy. or because he
was busy in the plant or even becaus,
he had met some brighi-eyed girl with a
reader speech. Sometimes May rather
bitterly said, Every old maid is entitled
to her box Of love letters Life has for
gotten even that
But she had little time then to brood
about its forgetfulncss. When she had
finished high school, her mother sent her
south for year 10 get rid Of that
peaked look" Nav stayed with her
aunt, Mrs. Napoleon, a billowy wor.
shipper at the shrine of Southern tradi.
lions.
Mrs. Mapleton was duiiful enough in
providing gentlemen TO pay May re-
spects, but no young Southern blood
leaped to the softness Of her hand or the
quirk about her mouth. The parties and
rides provided for her we're always over
hung by the dun fog of a careful polite
ness.
Il don't know what it is about Nav"
said Mrs. Maplcion 10 her husband, but
she doesn't seem to take. Sweet
and pleasant and pretty sometimes, too,
but something about her-well, YOU know.
Minnie will be so worried, too
Mays all right" Ma2leion grunted.
Young yet Minnie needn't begin wor-
ying so soon"
-You know how it is, Clay. Mays no
than the other girls she knows
md look at them. Most Of them en-
saged already. And ii isn't as if May
we're beautiful enough TO wait
Good thing We haven't a daughter
# our own" her husband laughed.
You'd be worrying TO death if she hadn't
,een spoken for at the tender age of ten"
well, its no laughing matter. OF
,ourse You can't feel the way a woman
ioes. What's May to do? There aren't
my chances for her at home and GER
ainly none here. And the money isn't
.oing so well with the Greers."
Matters at the Greer household had in
eyeral ways become strained. Greer, a
irab householder with a worried soul.
lad begun TO complain of weak lungs and
tayed away from the Office for long
'eriods at time. Mrs. Greer, frail as
candle fame and unable TO care for
lin alone, sent for May.
Il hate to do it," she said after send
ng the telegram. But there's nothing
or her down there anyway. And she can
sait here for Mr. Right to come along
'lr. Right-that Legendary ideal of de-
Gated hopes.
May came home to help her mother
md to wait The object of the vigil was
lever openly expressed either by her OF
Mrs. Greer, but it was felt that out of the
lin nebula of the future a knight in
all hat and an critic waistcoast might
ome day come riding by.
There were fewer parties to attend.
Most Of Mays friends had formed their
'wn intimate circle devoted to the sane.
tiles Of Val. lace and embroidered doilies
md silver olive dishes. And May, with
Ter Mr.. Right still far in the future.
'ould stand only on the edges Of the
'roup. Her opinions as TO an ideal house
md the kind of crochet for dresser scarfs
we're lost in the maze Of engagement
'lans and honeymoon promises.
Sometimes her whole being ached with
oreboding and fear. The dim old house
With its prim blinds and walnut furniture
was she TO stay here forever? 1t seemed
o be closing in around her, shutting out
Ter youth. For years ahead she could
ee nothing but the gray monotony Of
leeping little, sewing a little. living
title. The nights were hardest; it was
hen her ache became almost a physical
hing and the grayness of existence
merged into sightless black The rack
4 her fathers cough cutting into the
light silence was easier than the rack Of
Ter own fear.
In Mrs. Greer, her heart a mirror for
Nays emotions. the ache was reflected.
Ter own fear grew as poignant. Other
'irls married and had homes and happi-
less: and her own May. as sweet as any
4 them. was seldom ever taken out.
Aways reading or sitting by the window
md sometimes-hadn't she seen her CRY.
ng? Ii wasn't fair.
She took to fussing about May max
ng the kind Of collar she liked to wear