The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-24

that was the despair of the later arrivals in this district.
 From the highway to the rivers brim stretched an even mile of vel vet-green sward. The house stood halfway between. There were chest nuts, oaks, birches, elms and naples landmarks of what had once been noble forest.
 From the southern to the northern line 1t was fully three miles. In the south was a great garden, typically English at the northern boundary was splendid apple orchard more or less typically American in that it was periodically permitted to run wild.
 Beauty of the Scene
 It was a brilliant October after noon when Selma Nordstrom's car rolled up to the grilIed gate. She , could not control her delight at the exquisite beauty of the scene. the un- dulatiiig reaches of grass, the brown and scarlet leaves. the ruby vines, the amethyst hills across the noble river, which was mottled with blue shadows and dull silver.
 "Oh, this is beautiful." she ex- claimed. NO wonder-"She did not
 
 having recognized lady of quality, was opening the gates.
 '.Is Mrs. Lane at homer
 "Yes, Miss. Mrs. Lane is always home"
 The phrase struck cold note in Selmas ears; always home. Con fronted by conditions which presuma- bly confronted Mrs Lane, selma knew that she would have found this spot intolerabIe, beautiful as 1t was. The woman could live here, then? She could go on with life as though nothing extraordinary had happened? What kind of mind was sheltered here? What kind of heart?
 She nodded to the chauffuer to proceed; and the car glided smoothly forward onto the crisp pebbles of the oak lined driveway, which was series of half-circles, with sudden and unexpected vistas. inexpressibly lovely. Always some angle of the ruby -garnished gray stone of the manse was to be seen.
 Selma laughed: the plummet in the well. What an adventure! And who but Selma Norstrom could have conceived it or would have had the audacity to dramatize it?
 Not a gesture, not word, would she miss of this strange interview; she would memorize all and some. day would utilize-it. What a sou- venir for her old age
 Oh, it would take courage of no mean order. Wonder woman might be cold, but usually these cold minds were clear minds and armed with a thousand daggers of merciless wit.
 Mrs. Lane is always home.
 The phrase recurred and robbed the bloom from the impulse, at once ironical and noble. selfish and mag unanimous. She shrugged and laughed again. Having laid a course, 1t was one of her characteristics to pursue it without deviation to the end.
 Her conscience did not trouble her. She was nc vampire. She had not stolen Mrs Lanes. husband. There had been no vulgar intrigue. She had refuffed Lane flor weeks; she had forced him to retell his tale hun dred times in order to find discrep- ancies in it. and she had found none The man was as honest as he was earnest. Only then had she accepted his attentions or met his advances.
 She knew that she loved him loftily and enduringly. as a woman of her caliber loves but once; and it had become intolerable to both her love and her pride to find the specter of his wife occupying his dreams, peering out of the shadows, lurking Deyonu the WtnQC WIS at niSnt. = She knew that she could hold him indefinitely, by the fire of her love and the rocklike sdadity of his loyalty She would have all of him or--none of him.
 From Lanes description. Selma had constructed handsome woman with a splendid body, alcof in manner. mar row minded, puritanical fixed unal- terably in her outlook upon life. one of those creatures who take and take and never give.
 Buteashy was she always at home? To remain here where she had spent the first weeks or her honeymoon after being cast aside as weighed and found wanting? It was incredible.
 A strange little doubt seeped into Seimas mind as the car drew up under the porte cochere. Sine reso- lutely trampled upon this doubt. got out and rang the -oid-fashioned bell. As she waited she became conscious of a familiar flutter. the quality re- :, ,sembling that which always attacked her on first nights. Here. it was not good presage.
 How should she announce herself? As for that she would go directly to the point. without subterfuge CT use less circuling. She owed Mrs Lane nothing. she was under uo contract to be gentle or kind
 An elderly maid answered the ring. accepted Selma's card and escorted her gravelys into the library. which