Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-15
tcon,inucd From Yesterday
CHAPTER III.
Comma of the Old Print ShOp.

AS Stephen left The square there
floated before him picture of the
old print shop In Franklin Street,
where Corinna Page tstill looking at
IS as II she had stepped out of a
portrait by Rornney) sat amid the
rare prints. which sho never expect
ed to sell After an unfortunate
early marriage, her husband had been
Kent Page. her hrst cousin she had
accepted her recent widowhood II
not with relief. well. obviously with
resignation. For years she had
wandered about the world with her
father. Judge IIoratio Lancaster
Page. who mad once been Ambassa-
dor TO Great Britain. Now. having
recently returned from France. she
had settled in charming country
house on the Three Chopt Road. and
had opened the ridiculous old print
shop. shop that never sold an en-
craving. IN quaint place In Frank
lin street. She had rented out the
upper floors to a hslf-dozen tenants.
had built "A couple OF rooms beside
tho kitchen for the car.taker. and
had planted two pyrnm!dai cedars
hedge OF box In the short front
yard. "a shop Is the only place
whcr" YOU may have calls from PEG
Pile who haven't been Introduced to
YOU" she had said. and OF course. as
long as she had money to throw
away what did II matter. stephen
reflected. whether she ever sold a
pictur" or not Al IS sh. was love
ii"r. hc thought. than ever: she
would always b" lov-lier than any
on" else II she lived 10 be 80. There
wasn't Eirl INA his set who could
cOmpar. with her. who had the glow
and charm. tho fiamclik- inner radi-
anc": there wasn't one VINO had The
singing heart %. Corinna. Yes. that
was tho phrase lac had been trying
TO remember. tribe as IL was-the
singing heart--that was Corinna
She mad had n hard life ne knew. In
hni;" OF her beauty and her wealth:
Vet she had never lost the quality OF
youth. the very essence Of gaicty and
adventure. when he though; OF her.
FATTY Nctch appeared merely cheap
and common. though hc felt instinc-
lively that CorInua would have liked
Patty IL sh. had seen her IN the
square with tho pigeon. II was
part OF Cortinnh's charm. perhaps. GER
tnirly a part ~ her enjoyment OF
III" that She liked almost every one
every one. that Is. except Rose
stribliuE. whom she quite frankly
hated. hut. then. people said that
Ros. Stribling. twelve years youngc.
than Corlnna and as handsome as q
Red Cross poster. had run too often
across Kent page in the first year
OF the war Kent Page had died In
France OF Spanish Influenza before
no ever saw a tranch or battlefield:
and Rose StribilEg. all blue eyes ana
white linen. had nursed him at the
last. AT that time Cor!nna was IN
America. and she hadn't so much as
looked al Kent for years. but u NO.
man has long memory for emo
lions. and she Is capable OF rescnting
the loss OF a husband who is no long
er hers. Rumors. Of course. nothing
more; yet The fact remained that
CorInna. who liked all the world
hated Rose StriblinT ], was the one
flaw on the stainless cheek. which
had always made her adorable TO
stephen.
Like the snow-wh!te lock waving
tack from her forehead T. intensified
tho youth in her face He had often
wondered II she could have been half
SO lovely when she was girl. before
the faint shodows and the tender lit
tie lines lent depth and mystery TO
her eyes. and the single white lock
swept back amid The powdered dusk
Of her hair.
While tho young man walked
rapidly up Franklin street. ne saw
before him the long. delightful room
beyond the pyramidal ccdars and the
hedge OF box He saw the ruouy
glow Of the fire minEling with the
palcr light of amber lamps. and this
mingled radiance, shining on the rich
rugs. the few old brocadcs. ana me
rare English prints which covered
L. =
roses In alahastsr bowls which were
scattered everywhere. on tables, on
stools. on window seats, and on the
rich carving OF the Spanish desk in
one corner. Against the curtains Of
gold silk there was the bouSh Of
twisted pine he had broken and
against the pine branch stood the tg-
ure OF Corinna in her gown OF soft
red. which melted like spray of au-
tumn foliage into the coiorS OF the
room She was tall woman. with
n glorious head and eyes that re-
minded Stephen OF a forest pool In
autumn. Who had first said OF her,
he wondered. that she looked like an
October morning?
AS he approached the shop. the
glow shone out on him through the
dull gold curtains. and he traced the
crooked pine sweeping across
the thin silk background like the
bold free sketch OF Japanese print.
When he rang the hell minute later.
the door was opened by Corinna. who
was holding a basket OF marigoids.
I'VE were just going" she said "as
soon as | had put these flowers in
water"
She drew back into the room. bend
ing over tho low brown bowl that
she filled. while Stephen went over
to the fire, and greeted the two old
men VINO were sitting in deep arm
chairs on either side of the hearth
II was like stepping into another
world. he thought. as he inhaled a
fun breath of the warmth and the
fragrance OF roses: il was as II a
door into dream had suddenly
opened. and he had passed out OF the
night and the cold into q place where
all was color and fragrance and
pleasant magic. The other was real
iifc-life for all but the happy few
he found himself thinking-this was
merely the enchanted fairy-ring
where children played at making be-
lieve.
Il