The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-06
After Ten Years
BY MARION RuRINcAM
MILE
synopsis Of Preceding Chapters

MiIIl6
Synopsis of Preceding Chapters
After ten years of married life, Mil |
licent Buchanan realizes she is un-
happy without knowing why She has
money and social position in Wissa-l
Reagan and everything she wants.
She isn't in love with Humphrey-butI
after ten years she did not expect to
be. Few married people were, she
thought
Her sister, Patty, has been at col
lege and travelled. When Humphrey
loses his money, and when her con-
slant fretting and nagging make him
leave, Millicent willingly sells her
house in Wissakeagan, and goes to
New York with her mother and Patty,
who has been offered a position there.
But the big city is lonely for her, and
she is too INDECENT to want to work.
She watches a friendship grow be-
tween her sister and Paul Darlington.
Paul has a great deal of money, but
Patty's earnestness and her faithful
ness to her work, causes him to get
Job too His mother disapproves, she
wants him to marry a certain wealthy
young girl. One night he tells Patty
| he loves her.
Chapter 73
Mile, on the whole, was an intelli-
gent woman. Or rather, she was
shrewd and shrewdness in many cas-
es will pass for intelligence. She
might be shallow and selfish, but she
was not lacking in insight. and she
| had a great deal of sympathy
| Also, she had soft moods, when she
was a sweet as she was other times
hard and cruel
| When Patty came in that evening,
even less observant person than
Millicent could have seen she was
elated Patty had a curious quality
of lighting up inwardly. When she
was happy she glowed, she almost
radiated light, she fairly shed her
happiness about her.
Mile saw it. It was in her eyes,
blue gray, luminous, the soft golden
brown lashes fluttering as she tried
to look steadily and unconcernedly al
her sister. 1t was in the slight culver
of her lips, so tender one would not
notice their little weakness. 1t was in
her voice, which had a new, soft, un
dertone.
And all because, in somewhat RI
diculous and unromantic ride, Pau
had said he was in love with her
and that he had a lot of things tt
think over and to talk over with her
Only that and a kiss, and nothing
. more.
But the world was reborn for Patty
And Mile knew this when she look
ed up. She and her mother had beer
to "the movies" that evening. Mrs
Parke always got a headache watch
) ing the films and had gone to bed
I Mile sat alone in the little Twin:
q room, mending some beadwork on al
' over-elaborate black satin gown.
She asked the conventional, unnec
essary question,
Where were your"
She knew. Patty knew she knew
> But she answered.
. paul met me at the school. w
! went for short run in his car" Sh
:. felt it necessary to excuse this" H
thinks l don't get enough fresh air,
: she added rather lamely.
I Millie said nothing. She caught VI
j a few loose beads with her needle an
pulled them tightly against the pal
tern on the dress.
i Are you and Paul engaged" sh
n asked suddenly.
Patty reappeared from the bedroom
where she had been taking off her ha
and coat. The sisters shared the on
bedroom as a dressing room, but Pa
ty slept on the couch in the Twin
room-the one that became a bed b
} night and disguised ITSELF more o
: less, under a rug by day.
= Was she engaged to Paul? Sh
= didn't know. The question had flash
ed through her mind, but she was to
excited to think about it or about any
thing but the fact that Paul said h
: loved her, and that there was SORT
difficulty he had to work out frs
. Certainly she couldn't be, though
n Neither of them had spoken of it. Til
4 word marriage had not entered int
q their talk. Indeed Patty had urge
< haste in getting home, for it was nea
< II and she dared not be out late,
mo" she answered, trying 10 kee
; her voice impersonal. mo we're nc
= engaged. Why"
< She wondered whether Mile woul
n accuse her of Improperly in goin
a motoring with Paul between the hour
q of nine and II. She was prepared
defend herself by saying tnat, VIII
her work all day and her two hou
class, there was no other time.
e She looked at Miles thin, shar
i little face, waiting for the dow
+ drawn mouth that meant disapproya
d But Mile only attached few NOR
d loose beads, and then, looking up, al
swered.
Nothing I only wondered. l hop
you will be-
& Patty turned in genuine ast6nisl
ment She was pulling the rug off tn
s couch, ready to turn it into a be-
< She rather wished Mile would sto
= sewing She wanted to be alone