The Snowflake herald., 1922-04-14

IHO "Oiiu StdIu up ~ tie IHuSlC! OHS
writes that all the family can be told,
because she knows the news will leak
out here and there, in confidence, lit
tie by little; SO by the time she gets
home they'll all have been through
their first SpasmS and after that she
hopes they'll just send her some for
giving flowers and greet her with
manly handclasps-an get ready to
usher at the wedding"
"Well," said Mr.. Atwater, I'm
afraid you're right. 1t does seem
rather like Julia to stay away till the
first of the worst is over. I'm really
sorry for some of her love-lorners.
| suppose it will get whispered about,
and they'll hear it; and there are
some of the poor things that might
take it pretty hard"
"'Take it pretty hard y" she echoed
loudly. There's one of 'em, at least,
who will just merely lose his reason!"
(Which one?"
"Noble Dill"
At this. the slender form of Flor
ence underwent a spasmodic seizure
in her chair, but as the fit was short
and also noiseless, it passed without
being noticed.
"Yes," said Mr.. Atwater, thought
fully. 81 suppose he WILL
He certainly willr Mrs. Atwater
declared. Mobiles mother told me
last week that he'd gotten so he
was just as liable to drop a fountain
pen in his coffee as lump of sugar !;
and when any one speaks to him he
either doesn't know 1t, or else jumps.
When he says anything, himself, she
says they can scarcely ever make out
what he's talking about. He was try
ing enough before Julia went away !;
but since she's been gone Mrs. Dill
says he's like nothing in her expert
ence. She says he doesn't inherit it !;
Mr.. Dill wasn't anything like this
about her."
Mr.. Atwater smiled family. Mrs.
Dill wasn't anything like julia"
mo" said his wife. "She was
quite a sensible girl. I'd hate to be
in her place. now, though, when she
tells Noble about this |"
"HOw can Mrs. Dill tell him, since
she doesn't know it herself?"
"Well-perhaps she ought to know
it, so that she could tell him. Some
body ought to tell him. and it ought
to be done with the greatest tact. 1t
ought to he broken to him with the
most delicate care and sympathy, or
the consequences"
Nobody could foretell the conse-
quences," her husband interrupted
mo matter how tactfully it's broken
to Noble"
"No," she said. 81 suppose that's
true. think he's likely to lose his
reason unless it is done very tactful-
ly, though"
"Do you think we really ought to
tell Mrs. Dill, Mollie? mean, ser-
Ously: Do you?"
For some moments she considered
his question; then aswered, "No. It's
possible we'd be following a Christian
course in doing it; but still we're rath-
er bound not to speak of it outside the
family. and when it does get outside
the family think we'd better not be
the ones sponsible-especially since
it might easily be traced to us.
think it's usually better to keep out
of things when there's any doubt"
Eyes" he said, meditating. IT new
er knew any harm to come off peoples
sticking to their own affairs"
But as he and his wife became ST.
lent for a time musing in the fire.
light their daughters special convic-
tions were far from coinciding with
theirs, although she, likewise. was ST.
lent-a strangeness in her which they
should have observed But so far
were they from true cOmprehension<
of her. they were unaware that she
had more than casual. young-cou-
sinly interest in Julia Atwater's en-
gagement and in those possible con-
sequences TO Noble Dill, which they
hau sketched with some intentional
exaggeration. and decidedly without
the staggering seriousness attributed
to their predictions by their daughter.
They die not even notice her express
sion when Mr. Atwater snapped on
the light. in order to read, and she
went quietly out of the library and up
to her own room
On the floor. near her bed, where
Patty Fairchild bad left her coat and
hat. Florence made her second dis
covery. Two small, folded slips of
paper lay there. dropped by Miss Fair
child when she put on her coat in the
darkening room. They were the re-