Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-04-20

- SNNC
Paused.
Lovers IT had a part for the woman
% say, and a part for the man, and
Royal and I said those, and then 1t
had a part for the woman's friend,
and the mans friend, and for all their
friends. And then there was a promise
ehat when love failed on either side,
the two were free, to keep the memory
81 the perfect love ~unstained by the
ugiy years"
She paused; Richard did not speak.
She had told him this much In a sim
pie, childish voice, a voice that was an
echo Of that old time, he knew. Pres
emily she went on:
'"There was music, and then they all
kissed me, and we had supper, and
they drank u health. / went back
that night to my sisters; Royal
stayed with his mother. We planned
to go away on our honeymoon the next
day. l did not tell Linda and Fred
that I considered myself married. I
knew they would not understand and
would try to interfere.
@'The next morning I slipped away
from the house with my suitcase, and
I met Royal Blondin downtown. We
notored to Syracuse and took q. train
there for New York. I had felt sick
when / awakened-it was partly ex-
citement, and partly the supper the
might before, when we had all eaten
and drunk too much. But l was very
sick In the train, / thought I was going
to die. Royal persuaded me to eat my
lunch in the dining car, and that only
made me worse. There was q nice
woman in the train, with two little
girls, and she took care Of me. And
when she got to New York; had told
her that l was on my wedding journey.
and perhaps that made her kind-she
took us to her boarding house in West
Forty-sixth street. The landlady was
q dear, good woman, a Mrs. Harring-
ton, and-I was very sick by this timel
she put me into her own room, be-
cause the house was full, and sent for
her WI doctor.
1T was q time of horror" Harriet
said, smiling a little, after a moment of
thought. ''The strange women and the
strange room, and Royal coming in
with flowers, and sitting beside me.
The doctor said 1t was a touch of pol
soning, and / was Ill only a few days.
But the inconsistencies, and the strange
Ressi Somehow, / didn't feel married,
/ felt like a lost little girl. / wanted
TO be back In Linda's kitchen again,
safe, and scolding because nothing In
eeTesting ever happened.
swell, I was sick for three or fsur
days. 1t a the fourth day when I
was well enough to 90 out. Royal
thanked them, and paid Mrs. Harring-
ton and the doctor and we went to
lunch downtown---it was at Martins,
I remember. and Royal was so excited
and interested In everything. But I
stu felt limp and dull. We shopped
and went about seeing things after
lunch. and then we went to the hotel
where he was staying. We were regis
tered there as Mr.. and Mrs. Blondin ; 1t
was all quite taken for granted"
Harriet stopped: her face was
drawn and white. her words coming
with difficulty, the phrases brief and
dry. Richard was paying her absolute
attention, his eyes axed upon her
face.
I'VE had dinner upstairs.'' she said.
She paused, her lips tight pressed.
Il can't tell you," she began again.
suddenly, II can't tell You how It was
that / came suddenly to. know that ]
was too young for marriagel In Miriam
Streets little studio, where they were
laughing about the baby and the sup
per. Il seemed different. But here, In
a hotel, / suddenly wanted my sister, 1
wanted to be home again.
I'VE were talking and planning
naturally enough. Royal was coming
and going In the two rooms; 7 had
plenty Of chance toto escape. Every
time / Let one 60 By my heart beat
harder
lie could tell from her voice that her
heart vas beating hard now with the
lmezneyy Of that old time.
4Tk X had let them all 60 by." she rev
commenced, my life would have been
different. III a few weeks we would
haYe come back to WATERFOWL, as man
ana wife. and perhaps had b studio
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