Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-09-01

w lldt 3 lle use VI LidihS iSe4'
with Inie? Where'd you been If she
hadn't marriedT
Lulu said nothing.
"What say?" Mrs. Bett demanded
shrilly. She was enjoying It.
Lulu said no more. After a long
time:
"You always was jealous Of Inie,"
said Mrs. Bett, and went.to her bed.
AS soon as her mothers door had
closed, Lulu took The lamp from its
bracket, stretching up her long body
and her long arms until her skirt lift
ed to show her really slim and pretty
feet. Lulu's feet gave news OF some
other Lulu, but slightly fncRrnate.
Perhaps, so far, incarnate only in her
feet ard her long hair,
She took the lamp to the parlor and
stood before the photograph of Ninian
Deacon, and looked her fill. She did
not admire the photograph, but she
wanted to look at it. The house was
still, there was no possibility Of inter-
ruption. The occasion became sensa-'
ton, which she made no effort 10
Quench. She held rendezvous with
she knew not what.
In the early hours of5the next after
noon with the sun shining across the
threshold, Lulu was pairing something
at the kitchen table. Mrs. Bett was
asleep. ("I don't blame you a 'bit,
mother" Lulu had Eaid, as her mother
named the intention.) Ina was asleep.
(But Ina always took off the curse by
calling it her "si-esta," long f) Mo-
mona was playings with neiShbor's
child-you heard their shrill yet love
ly laughter as they obeyed the adult
law that motion is pleasure. Di was
not there.
A man came round the house and
stood tying puppy to the porch post.
A long shadow fell through the west
doorway, the puppy whined.,
"Oh," said this man. Il didn't mean
to arrive at the back door, but since
I'm here"
He lifted suitcase to the porch,
entered and filled the kitchen
ats Ina, isn't IT." he said.
aI'm her sister," said Lulu, and un-
derstood that he was here at last.
swell, I'm Bert's brother" said
Ninian. $50 can come In, can't IL
He did so, turned round like a dog
before his chair and sat down heavily,
forcing his fingers through heavy, up
springing brown hair.
"Oh, yes" said Lulu. "Tll call Ina.
She's asleep"
"Don't call her, then," said Ninian.
Lets you and get acquainted"
He said it absently, hardly looking
at her.
"Tn get the pup drink If you can
spare me a basin" he added.
Lulu brought the basin and, while
he went to the dog, she ran tiptoeing
to the dining room china closet and
brought a cut-glass tumbler, as heavy
as ungainly as stone crock. Ihis
she filed with milk.
81 thought maybe 80" said she,
and offered 1t.
"Thank you!" said Ninian, and
drained il. Making pies, as I live
he observed, and brought his chair
nearer to the table. "I didn't know
Ina had q sister," he went on. II re-
member now Bert said he had two OF
her relatives"
Lulu flushed and glanced at him piti-
fully.
"He has" she said. ats my mother
and me. But we do quite good deal
of the work"
"Pn bet you do said Ninian, and
did not perceive that anything had
been violated. "What's your name"
he bethought. q,
She was In an immense and obscure
excitement. Her manner was serene,
her hands as they went on with the
peeling did not tremble; her replies
were given with sufficient quiet. But
she told him her name as one tells
something of another and more re-
mote creature. She felt as one may
feel In catastrOphe-no sharp under
standing, but merely the sense that the
thing cannot possibly be happening.
"You folks expect me?" he went on.
"Oh, yes!" she cried, almost with
vehemence. "Why, we've looked for
you every day."
"'See," he said, chow long have they
been married?"
Lulu flushed as she answered: Eff
teen years"
"And a year before that the first one
dled-and two years they were mar
ried," he computed. II never met that
one. Then it's close to twenty years
since Bert and l have seen each
other"
"How awful" Lulu said, and flushed
again. ,3.r.
"Why?"
'"To be that long away from your
folks"
Suddenly she found herself facing
this honestly, as if the lmmensity of
her present experience were clarifying
her understanding Would it he so aw-
full to be away from Bert and MOn"na
and Di-yes, and Ina, for twenty
years?