The herald., 1922-05-25
AFTERMATH
By ORA REDMOND
!. 1s22. BY Mcclure Newspsper Syndicate


whimsical-just the sort to pique the
interest of the most Indifferent. Bon .
had read IL several times before ue-
Gliding 10 accept the challenge OF the .
last few lines-a gay little challenge
that meant much or little, us he chose
to interpret ii:
And 50. if you are still the same
4 old Bob, with an eye 10 what the other
half of the world is doing, come and
/ see what my share of it is up to- l
nm still the true daughter of travel, but
If you will but say the wish my wings
= shall be folded for Il little time, and
a coy fire and chairs for two shall
be in the order of things for the sake
of Aud Lang Syne.'
Just like Peg" he declared. as he
studied the letter, dear little, jolly
Peg"
For with the perspective given by
the years that had passed, Peg and
their Aud Lang Syne seemed very
Jolly and very dear indeed. This re-
minder of her brought back incidents,
long forgotten, of his college days,
when he had been an incorrigible
dreamer. and Peg his contidante; theirs
merry camaraderie with certain
breath-taking tacit understanding OF
fuller depths to be sounded in some
PARKWAY day. Memories madSsudden-
" dear by their uneXpectedness
stirred. shaking off the mental dust
of years. He was carried back be-
yond the considerable success that
he had gained through the sitting of
his earlier ambitions.
He was whistling merrily as ne
made an unusually careful toilet.
The room into which Bob was
ushered was much as Bob had expect
ed 1t. High up in one of the city's no
tells, II held the usual impersonal SUD-
stantial air of comfort common 10
such establishments, and with it
little transitOry touch OF nominees
which is the knack of the born trav-
eler.
The Peg that greeted him was his
Peg. only a tritie older, and wiser, and
very much at ease. Chattering COM
fortably of things and people they
both knew, she ensconsed him In the
! largest chair, lighted the gas log and
| turned off all but one rose-shaded
g lamp that gave the room over to a
$ soft twilight. Then, seated opposite
him, she turned the subject TO the years
d that had passed since they had
/: met. Where had he been? Was
e his work congenial?
Under her frank regard Bob felt un'
!. comfortable. How could he explain
l TO this confident little visionary. to
n whom he had once poured out desires
s for adventure and travel, that manu-
t featuring clothes-line had come Il
mean more to him than the lure OF
4 Tunis and Bagdadi For the first time
l. he realized how different was his HI
e from his early expectations. TIT
e knowledge brought an accusation
,. from the boy submerged in the mai
he had become. Impatiently enough
he disposed Of his story and asket
for hers.
Leaning forward in her chair, chill
in hand, she studied the fire thought
p fully.
81 think that from the first, Bob, GU
t old dreams have Influenced my cours
Of action"
II Bob felt a guilty twinge. Here wer
memories fresher than his. Her mai
10 ter-of-fact tone was reassuring how
n ever. Evidently she wasn't going t
sentimentalize over II.
20 life used to be more real, NOR
at vivid to you than to me. I thought
was through some failure of mine {
ID live up to your dreams that we drifte
K apart. and lose each others aims 6
completely. But opportunity cam
ur and used It, All these years I hav
re been seeking romance in out-of-th'
way lands. 1t hasn't been all pla,
or but there have been many, many con
m pensations. Ny latest book is lyin
there on the tabla 1t will be on ii
al market soon"
OF Bob opened the book which she II
dicated-a collection Of essays
le. somewhat philosophical trend.
ly "I am Youth" sprang out at hi
from the printed page. Embodied
on me are all the colorful dreams
Wnlcn i dIu ucH, Nchtuiih6 oAN -
sured.
" Before me lie the trails to ia
1e- away lands, where 1 may spend n
energy; the mystic lure Of Bagdad ar
res Calcutta; the frozen wastes OF
i'm IBERIA: the romance of Venice and Il
charm Of Nice-playgrounds for n
ny unsatiated fancy! The whole wor
ms Is mine II l will claim II, not on
this little slip Of ground where Chan
Jay has placed me. How, then. could
de- ever consider the stolid comfort
middle age In exchange for my he
ne tage"
ex- Just like Peg again; and II he
rs knew It, like the boy who sent h
Tou out on the quest. But this time
ell, unaccountable anger assailed nj
Stolid comfort, indeed!
He was vastly impatient to get aw
from the fancied criticism which h
- faithfulness to his outgrown idei
Z held. He drew q breath of relief VIII
) he passed through the lobby. out IL
- the street.
70. orooa peo stared OuiZZica