Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-09

irradiated by her exquisite, trembling
JOY.
They came in hand in hand. until
they saw Miss Winthrop sitting there.
and then Alice had remembered that
world did exist. world where or
dinary things happened and life went
on its unevcntful course.
eve brought you." she began. and
then looked in dismay at Norman s
empty arm.
"By George, we forgot the apples ="
he laughed.
They looked at each other guilty.
| for the apples lay on the other side
of the stone wall, just where he had
dropped them when he had taken Alice
IN is arms.
Miss Winthrop for some strange rea-
son had made Alice present of
linen hand drawn tea cloth. THAT
came from England in my mothers
chest
On the way back through the dusk
they had debated the question whether
Miss Winthrop had seen. The throaty
chuckle of tree tcads, the sleepy twit-
tering of birds, the sweet breath of
the woodlands had come to them
through the twilight.
He. was the perfect lover. Alice
thought, considerate. understanding
strong. Nothing could ever come be-
tween them: nothing.
Alice had come back to the city with
her head full Of dreams. At once they
began that delightful task. the sclec.
tion of their furniture.
Alice wanted studio with swing
ing Chinese lamps and lacquer tables
and odd shaped satin cushions that
were decorative rather tnan usefu.
Norman had said he wanted big COM
Portable chairs; and here their first
difference had come.
1--WE don't want it to- look like
mans club" Alice had said.
"Nor like Il Chinese junk shop"
Norman had laughed
Next morning letter had come.
II can see now I've made n mis-
take
She knew it by heart. had read the
simple words. unbelicving ut first. and
then in fearless anguish had walked
the floor and ut last had flung herself
disheveled little thing TO weep out
her eyes In the dimmest corner of her
sitting room.
lie was tired of her! He had hid
den it ut first in his splendid. mascu-
line way. but at last he had to write
and tell her so. She loved him. She
loved him more than ever and she knew
she would be willing to live in an
unpainted shack with an earth floor
She stood up at last and went into
her own room and tried to brush her
hair with unsteady fingers. She looked
taste she wondered how she was going
to drag out the miserable empty days
that lay ahead.
And then she heard his voice call.
ing her. -. -,
Alice. Alice!' he cried sternly
when she did not answer.
The Lathrops' maid must have let
him in. Alice couldn't face him now,
she felt. But she must get it over
some time
What's the matter?' he asked
when he saw her dropping face in the
dim room. lie came toward her eag-
erly. II thought I'd write you at
once, Alice, and leu you know.
made a mistake from the irst--''
She shrank back against the wall at
this last cruelty.
II ought to leave all the selection in
your hands,
II don't understand :" she whis-
pcred.
why. the furniture, darling. as
though that matters, as though any
thing matters. when I have YOU -
She was staring at him unbeliev-
ingly and then she put her hands over
her face. The letter, the letter--it
had meant only this
Come back in an hour, Norman
And have dinner here with me-" she
said uncertainty.
She waited until the door had closed
on him to realize that joy had come
back to her, that her dream was still
hers and that greater than any dream
was reality.