The New York herald., 1922-04-30

4
thusiasms. which was her mothers
and which she had made her own.
She believed in this world and in
herself as a part OF il so consumedly
that 1t gave her force. a power.
She had the faith which moves
mountains.
1t is through Oldmeadow's eyes
that we study her most keenly.
Barney has fallen at her feet,
Barney's family follow him in
charmed devotion to this new, this
wonderful. girl. so different from any
thing ever met before. But Old
meadow. the boyhood friend of
Barney. though somewhat older. al
most regarded as the elder son of
the family. himself an orphan and a
lonely man. it Is Oldmeadow VINO re-
mains outside the circle Of her in
huence. who weighs her. measures
her, estimates her-and breads her.
"She will spoil things" he thinks
For she changes things. changes peo-
pie. goes her way with the per-
sistence Of the blind. understands
nothing but the patter OF her faith.
can see one side only. and that in
a bright white light.
This is her appearance. Old
meadow mas come down for the week
end to his friends house in the Cot
wolds. where Miss Toner too is stay
ing. She is not yet promised to
Barney, but the indications point all
one way. He meets her at the tea
table:
Miss Toner'S was an insignifi-
cant little head. il indeed it could
be called little. since it was too
large for her body, and her way
of dressing her hair in wide braids.
pinned round it and projecting
over her ears. added to the top
heavy effect. The hair was her
only indubitable beauty. fine and
fair and sparkling like the palest.
purest metal. 1t was cut in a
light fringe across projecting
forehead. and her mouth and chin
projected too. So that. as he
termed it to himself. il was a
squashe6 in face. ugly in structure.
the SINAI. nose. from its depressed
bridge. jutting forward in profile:
the lips. in profile. fiat yet promi-
nent. Nevertheless, he owned.
studying her over his teacup, the
features, ugly. even trivial in de
tail. had in their assemblage some
thing OF unexpected force. Her
tranquil smile had potency, pd
he suddenly became aware of her
fiat. gentle voice. infrequent. yet
oddly dominating -. he saw
il as bland blue ribbon rolled out
among broken counters of color
all the other voices went
up and down: all the others half
said things and let them drop or
trail. She said things to the
end.
And what she says are platitudes.
She says the obvious thing. she
makes the obvious quotation. she
trots out the proper enthusiasms,
The world IS for her the inside of
guide book. She tries to feel the
proper thrill in the right places Not
with any effort. however. It is nat
uraI to her
Already she is beginning to turn
things upside down at the Chad
wicks. She is planning a motor trip
in Switzerland for Mrs. Chadwick,
who has not been away from home
for fourteen years and more, and
who has not thought anything about
it till now. when Adrienne makes her
see that perhaps she is a little tired
and bored with the home duties and
moHotony. She brings a sense Of ad-
venture and movement To Palgraye.
th, younger son. Lad OF IS, she
brings visions. Danger and venture
and conquest. and then resting. on
the heights. while one hears the bells
beneath one. /. It's life. isn't IL?
The pulse of life." So she talks TO
him. and Palgrave says that it is.
Oldmeadow and Nancy talk hef
oFer later. Nancy loves Barney. has
loved him since she was a child. AMI
he was On the point OF loving her
when Adrienne came. Nancy IS
sweet and fine. She bears Adrienne
no grudge. but she fears for Barney.