The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-15
The Story Of Julia Page e-By Kathleen Norris

| hlm call to Alan Gregory; For the | Lords sake, cut this short, Greg! It's | roasting out here!"
 Beside this picture hung another. smaller, and also a snapshot This was of a man, too. a tall, thin, un- gainly man, sitting on a roadside rock, with battered old hat in his hand. Behind him rose a sharp spur of rough mountainside, and so sharply did the ground fall away at his feet that far below him was a glimpse of the level surface of the | Pacific. Julia smiled at this picture, and the picture smiled back.
 Come, MouseI'' said she. rousing herself from a reverie a moment la ter. Get on your hat! You and I | have to go to market!'' | The morning wore on; it was like a thousand other happy mornings. | Julia and Anna loitered in the cool l odorous fish stalls at the market, welcomed asparagus back to it's place in the pleasant cycle of the years 1 events. inspected glowing oranges and damp crisp heads of lettuce; stopped at the hardware store for Aunt Mays new meat chopper, stop ped at the stationer's for Annals S, Nicholas, stopped at the florists to breathe deep breaths of the damp fragrant ar, and to get some but | tercups for Grandma.
 Julia's mother was in the kitchen when she and Anna got home, her | dark hair still damp from brushing, 1 her thin wrists no winter than her snowy-ruffles. Presently they all | moved into the dining-room, where | Geraldine's sewing machine was | temporarily established, and where Ann's blocks had a corner to them l selves. The invalid, between inter- 1c of knit foJ,a with her luminous and sympathetic smile.
 "A letter for you, Julie, and four for me- said the bride-elect, coming | back from the door after the post l mans ring.
 1 -Four for you-Gerry! You lucky thing!''
 'WeH-two are from Morgan" ad- mitted Geraldine. smiling. and there was laugh as Julia opened her own letter.
 Its from Dr. Richard Toland.'' she announced a moment later. He says Mill Valley is too beautiful for words Just now. How's you like to go over and see Uncle Richie tomor- row, Anna?'
 ''Td love it," said Anna unhestitat- ingly.
 We've not been for weeks" Julia
 
 doesn't mind?'' She turned her bright smile to her mother. Reg ina says she has an engagement with the OBriens for Sunday" said she, and if Gerry goes off with Morgan, will that leave things too quiet ?'
 ''lndeed it won't!" said Mrs. Tor ney, looking up from the tissue-pa- per pattern over which she had hung m profound bewilderment for almost
  some of the children in, or Lloyd and Elmer may come over Go along with you!"
 Richie, much stronger in these days. and without his crutch, though still 1imping a little, met Julia and the dancing Anna on the following afternoon, and the three crossed the ferry together. It was a day burct- ing with summers promise. the air was pure and warm, and the sky cloudless- Getting out of the train at at Mill Valley, Julia drew an ecstatic breath
 oh, Richie, what heavenly freshnessi Doesn't it just smooth your forehead down like a cool handr"
 There was a poignant sweetness to the mountain air, washed clear by the late rains, and warmed and in- V1gorated by the sunshine of the lengthening March day. The coun- try roads were dark and muddy and churned by wheel tracks, but fringed with emerald grass Even at four o'clock the little valley was plunged In early shadow. but sunshine lay stil upon the hills that framed it. and long lines of light threw the grim heights of Tamalpais into bold relief. The watching tiers of the redrwoods looked refreshed their spreading dark fans were tipped with the Jade-green sprays of the years new growth. The first pale smoke of wild lilac bloom lay over the hills.
 It makes you think of delicious worlds said Julia, as Richie's rusty white mare plodded up and up the mountain road. "Ozone-and aro- matic-and exhilaratingl In town it was little oppressive today-Anna and were quite wilted!''
 You don't look wilted!" Richie smiled at his god-daughter, who was In her mothers arms. Look. Ju-there's columbine! Loads of it up near my placer"
 And the wild currant. with that uelic1ous pungent smau!" sighed Ju- la bl1ssfully. Whats new with YOU. Richle! she asked presently
 Oh nothing much! Cable from Bab yesterday, but you must have had one, too?"
 'Yes. I did. A third boy," Julia laughed. Poor Bab - when she wanted a girl so badly!"
 1 suppose she did," grinned Rich ard.
 "Oh, of course she did, Who wouldn't?' Julia hugged her own girl. And isn't it glorious about Keith ?" she added. with sudden en- thusiaSm
 ls it? I suppose it is" Richie said -But then those old guys in Germany called him a genius long before New York did and you girls didn't make so much fussi"
 "Oh. but Richie. there's no much money in this American tour; three concerts in New York alone. think of iti" Julia protested eagerly. And Sally's letter sounded so gay; they having