Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-03
Continued rvs yesterday,

meant II from his heart: His voice
trembled. and he put his hind on his
fathers arm for minute M he used
TO do when no was child. Words
wouldn't come TO him: but he was
Ceeply touched, and II seemed TO him
that tho barrier which had divided
him from his family had suddenly
iaiich. Never since his roturn.s<rom
france had no felt 30 near to his
father as he folt Mt that moment
We'll. well, Thought you'd like
20 know rcJoirc' Mr.. Culpcror. and
MIS- voice nlso shook n little. II must
DC getting down town now Mny
take you In my cnr?'"
No, ] rather like tho walk, sir.
1t dncR mo good" Then. without a
word more. but with a smile of SYM
10 Thy and understanding. they part
20. and stephen went out or tho
housn and nescendcd the steps tn me
strcct
4 It was true, az his mother had OBJ
served. that ho was happier to-day
than hs had been for weeks: but this
happiness wns founded upon what
Mrs. cuipcpcr would have regarded
hr the most reprehonsiblc OF decep-
ttons. lie WAS happier simply be-
i cause. In spite Of everything no had
!
that he was soon 20 soc Patty again.
Tho longing OF the past few weeks
was TO he appeased. II only for an
hour. and he was TO see her again!
He did not look beyond the coming
night He did not attempt to ana
lyEe either his motive or his emo
'ionH. Tho future was still obscure:
Blifc was sun evolving SIS inscrutabla
problem: but IL was enough for him
n In ha
should see her again. And this cor
fainty. coming after the hungry pain
1 OF the last three weeks. brought a
glow To his eyes and that haunting
fn!lc. like the smile OF memory, to
his lips.
The light that Corinna had kindled
lHumined not political career. hut
the small vivid image Of Patty
Wherever he looked he saw her nit
ting ahead Of him. "a figure painted on
sunlight. He had never found hcr
20 desirable as In those DAYS since
be had irrcvocably given her up.
His sclf-dcnial. his vain cndcavors
1" avoid her and forget her. seemed
merely 10 have poured themselves
into the dccp rchcillous longing of
hts heart lie lived always now in
that hidden country OF tho mind.
where the winds blew free and
erong and the sun never set on the
cnd!eas roads and tho far horizon.
And yet. SO incXpilcablc are the
laws Of tho mind. this escape from
the tyranny Of convention, from the
lrk some round OF practical details.
recoilcd pcrvcrscly into nm Increased
ioN nf living. Because nc could cs-
cave a; viii from the routine. he no
ionrcr dreaded u return 20 IL. The
firht which irradiatcd the image OF
Patty transfEurcd the events and
circumstances amid which he moved.
], shed its glory over external in
ridents ns we'll as into the lone!icst
vacancy. tho deserted places OF his
being. Everything around and with
In him. the very youth in his soul.
became more intense In the hours
T@hcn he allowed this emotion TO as
sumo control OF his thoughts. just
to be alive. tha; was enough Just
TO he free again from the sensation
,of sitting In trivial things. OF SUI
locating IN the monotony which
rushed over one like torrent OF
ashes. Just To ESCAPE with Patty in
To that wild kingdom OF the mind
where the sun never set!
when he returned hope that even
Ing. his mother met him as he
entered the hall. and followed him
upstairs,
TT is n beautiful evening for the
dance. dear. They are having the
garden illuminated"
Though he smiled hack Il, her. his
smile had that dreamy rcmoteness.
that look of meaning more than II
revealed, which was bcwiidcrinG TO
m acute and practical intelligence.
From long and intimate association
With her husband. Mrs. Culpcpcr was
accustomed to dealing with ponder
Gus barriers to knowledge: but this
plastic and variable substance of
Stephens resistance, gave her an un-
comfortable feeling of hclplcssness.
Even when her son acQuiesced. as
he did usually in her demand she
suspected that his acquiescence was
merely on the surface, that in the
depths OF his mind he was. az she
said to herself resentfully. "holding
something back"
margaret is looking SO sweet" she
began In her smoothest tone. COT
course she isn't the beauty that Mary
Byrd u.s. but. In her quiet way, she is
very handsome"
NO, she isn't the beauty that Mary
Byrd Is" conceded Stephen. so pleas
,Iantiy that she realized he was re-
peating pnrot-lke the phrase she
had uttered His thoughts were
somewhere else. she observed bitter
~; II was perfectly evident that no
was not paving the slightest atten-
ton to anything that she said.
"You must use your fathers car"
she remarked. as amlably as before.
-SIt is better to have chauffeur. and
Mary Byrd is going with Willy
Tarleton."
and the other girls?" he asked.
for her words appeared at last TO
have penetrated the haze that en-
vcioped his mind.
Harriet is spending the night with
Lily Whittle. and she Will so from
there. or course Victorlt has given
up dancing since she came home from
France. and poor Janet stopped going
to parties the year she came out"
This pitiless maternal classification
df Janet aroused his amusement.
"Wcll. I'd be glad to take Janet any
where. even IL her nose is little
longer than Mary Byrd's," he re-
torted shes the jolliest of the lot.
and she seems to me very well con-
tented as she u.s."
"Oh. she is." assented his mother
eagerly. II always tell her that her
disposition Is worth fortune; and
she has very good figure too. But,
Of course, pretty face Is the most
important thing before marriage and
the least important thing aftcrwo rd >.