The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-06
After Ten Years
BY MARION RUBINcAM
DEPARTURE
Chapter 81

DEPARTURE
Chapter 81
| 1t happened that the visiting tennis
! players stayed longer than they expect
ed in Wissakeagan. A heavy rain
after the first match delayed playing
an dspoiled the courts for three days.
As the boys had the whole summer
with nothing to do but follow their
own wishes, and as the little town was
all on tiptoe to be nice to them, they
managed to amuse themselves in spite
of the weather.
] We're on our way to the coast, we
never make dates for more than one
town ahead, and we've won most Of
our Matches" one easy-going youth
put it. He had attached himself to
seventeen-year-old Clarissa, and was
enjoying a mild Irritation with that
fluffy haired young lady. How could
he know that Clarissa would have her
head turned by his flattery that she
would not look at a Wissakeagan boy
for three months after his departure?
i One afternoon Paul came to the
house in tweed Knockers and golf stock
! ings. There was light rain and driz-
zle following a heavy storm in the
morning. He wanted to ask the road
to Timber Cliff, and permission to stop
for tea on his way in from the tramp.
! 'If it were nicer, I'd ask you to GO"
he said to Patty.
II like rain," she answered, and at
his eager invitation, put on a thick
skirt and raincoat, and they went off
together.
Back Of the window in the next
J house stood Mile watching them as
i they went UP the street. If any of the
wrinkle between her eyes had been
smoothed out by the care she had
given it for several days, it must have
: been deepened again by her present
expression.
Il want to go, oh, want to go!" she
!, was saying to herself "Why don't
: they ask me? They always do ask me
places With them. They think I'm mid
die ageN1I have to stay home by a
fire because it's wet out" She quite
forgot her often expressed hatred of
rain. She quite forgot that Paul was
: % and Patty little more than 20
a though she remembered her own 20
Q years and felt that they were so.
A sense of justice came to her after
wards.
OF course they've every right to go
!. off by themselves and leave me home,
she thought. They're young and I'M
married-Im married woman. / be-
i long home. Oh, how I hate it!''
t But Patty was SO lacking in coquetry
d that had she known Millie wanted to
go, she would have asked her.
FL 1t was five miles to Timber Cliff,
i part of the way steep climb. At the
a top they sat under the shelter of a
rock and munched milk chocolate and
looked into the valley, covered with a
> silver gauze Of mist. Paul talked a
!, little of his home, the first time he
II had mentioned it.
There's only one other girl know
e who would do walk like this on such
1t a day." he said as they neared home
It But Margaret was brought UP liz
II camps. Her father had some mines
II you see," he explained casually, land
the whole family, with a nurse and
e Margies governess, lived in the differ
a ent camps"
FL Patty wondered who Margie was. II
IS seemed almost too luxurious to live in
a mining camp with governesses anG
maids and nurses. She wondered
:, whether Margie was pretty-of course
u she would be, all girls whose fathers
Il Il owned some mines are Paul otter
u talked like this-his life was spelled
le in words like private yachts and higl
'e powered limousines, pearl necklaces
big game shooting and casual trips tt
% Europe. 1t was only sign that hi
r felt at home with her that he talked
t. SO.
b When he was unnatural and affected
n was when he was with other girls
r when he guarded his talk so that moth
ing beyond the interests of the pres
ent company escaped him. Paul wa!
:, rich woman's son, frankly idle an,
> spoiled, and rather charming about ii
d. He had too much money and he knew
: it; to pretend otherwise was to b,
u affected.
Patty saw this. But nevertheless,
III emphasized gulf that lay between
e. them. They were two young people O
ii perfect equality-but the gulf wa
It. there! Paul did not think about it
" but Paul was not in love, and if h
h had been, it was he alone who coul
Id bridge the gulf.
Patty was the woman, and Patti
= was poor-except by WissakeagaI
>; standard. And Patty was unknown il
- certain powerful little circle in
10 distant city. That was what made TIL
gulf, that was what made her blu