The Neshoba Democrat., 1922-10-05
aVllVI6a{Ia SNe ilse a. 0sAInV y.,;, !

shrilly. She was enjoying 1t.
Lulu said no more. After 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 incarnate.
Perhaps, so far, incarnate only in her
feet and her long hair.
She took the lamp to the parlor and
stood before the photograph of Ninian
Deacon, and looked her fll.s She did
not admire the photograph, but she
wanted to look at 1t. The house was
still. there was no. possibility OF inter
ruption. The occasion became sensa-
ton, which she mhdes no effort to
quench. she .Reid, VI rendezvous with
she knew hetswfHf.
I In the early. hourssof the next after
noon with thsssan shihing across the
threshold, LliIG Vas paring something
at the kitchen nSfabie Mrs. Bett was
asleep. t"TNf0n't blame you bit,
mother" Lulu had said as her mother
named the intention.) Ina was asleep.
(But Ina always took off the curse by
calling 1t her "si-esta," long i) Mo-
mona was playing with neighbor's
child--you afdptheir shrill vet love
" laughter as. they obeyed the adult
Aw that motion Is pleasure. Di was
not there.
+, A man came round the house and
stood tying'a puppy to the porch post.
A long shadow fell through the west
doorway, the puppy whined.
"Oh," said. this man. 81 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.
'It's Ina, isn't it?" he said.
'Tm her sister," said Lulu, and un-
derstood that he was here at last
swell, Pm Bert's brother" said
Ninian. $50 l can come In, can't I?p
He did so, turned round like 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 1t absently, hardly looking
at her.
"I'll get the pup drink II 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 cut-glass tumbler, as heavy,
as ungainly as stone crock. This
she filled with milk.
II thought maybe :. -" said she,
and offered 1t.
Thank you!" said Ninian, and
drained 1t. Making pies. as / live"
he observed, and brought his chair
nearer to the table. II didn't know
Ina had a sister,, he went on. II re-
member now Bert said he had two Of
ner relatlVeS-
Lulu flushed and glanced at him pitt
fully.
"He has," she said. "It's my mother
and me. But we do quite good deal
Of the work"
"I'll bet you do" said Ninian, and
did not perceive that anything had
been violated. whats your manner"
he bethought.
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 met" he went on.i
"Oh, yes!" she cried, almost with
vehemence. "Why, we've looked for
you every day"
"'See," he said, show long have they
been married?"
a Lulu flushed as she answered: eff
teen years."
"And year before that the first one
died-and two years they were mar
ried," he computed. Il never met that
one. Then It's close to twenty years
since Bert and have seen each
other
'How awful" Lulu said, and flushed
again.
"Why?" 4
"To be that long away from your
folks @t
Suddenly she found herself facing
this honestly, as II the immensity of
her present experience were clarifying
her understanding Would 1t be so aw-
full to be away from Bert and Monona
and Di--yes, and Ina, for tw enty
years2
You think thatf" he laughed "a
man don't know what he's like till he's
roamed around on his own He liked
the sound OF it. "Roamed around ion
his own" he repeated, and laughed