The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-04
CHAPTER KNIT

Inc stars when, shortly after o'clock
that evening Sylvia entered the capitol.
All night, In the room she had oc-
/ cupied on that far day of her first
visit to Mrs Owen. Sylvia had pom
! dered. It is not for US to know what
| passed in that still chamber between
her and her friend; but it was the
| way Of both women TO meet the truth
squarely. They discussed facts i'm
| personally, dispassiOnately. and what
! Sylvia had assumed, her old friend
| could not controvert. Not what others
lad done, not what others might do
but what course Sylvia should follow
this was the crux Of the situation.
Il must think 1t out: l must think
it out" Sylvia kept repeating. At
| last Mrs Owen left her lying dressed
on the bed, and all night Sylvia lay
| there in the dark Toward morning
she had slept, and later when Mrs
| Owen carried up her breakfast she
/ cid not refer to her trouble except
/ 10 ask whether there was any news
| Mrs. Owen understood and replied
| that there was nothing. Sylvia merely
| answered and said: Then there Is
stil time" What she meant by this
her kind old friend did not know: but
! she had faith in Sylvia. Dan came.
| but he saw Mrs Owen only. Later
! Sylvia asked what he had said. and
she merely nodded when Roses story
was repeated. Again she said: Yes;
there Is still time"
Sylvia had kept her room all day,
and Mrs. Owen had rigidly respected
her wish to be alone. She voluntarily
appeared at the evening meal and
| talked Of irrelevant things: Of her
school work, of the sale of the house
at Montgomery, Of the projected
school at Waupegan.
I'm going out for a while" she
said, after an hour in the little office.
Il shant be gone long. Aunt Sally;
don't trouble about me. I have my
key. you know"
When she had gone. Mrs. Owen
called one Of the colored men from the
stable and gave him line TO Har-
wood, with a list Of places where Dan
| might be found. Her message was
contained in single line:
Sylvia has left the house Keep an
/ eye out for her; she told me moth
ing"
Sylvia found consolation and cour-
age in the cold night air; her old
friends the stars, whose names she
| had learned before she knew her
| letters, did not leave her comfortless.
! They had unconsciously contributed
to her gift for seeing life in long
vistas. when you are looking at the
stars" Professor Kelton used to say,
you are not thinking Of yourself"
| It was not of herself that Sylvia was
thinking.
She prolonged her walk. gathering
strength as the exercise warmed her
blood, planning what she meant to do,
even repeating to herself phrases she
| meant to use. So it happened that
Mrs. Ovens messenger had found
Dan at the Statehouse and delivered
the note, and that Dan, called from
6. prolonged conference with Ramsey.
saw Sylvia's unmistakable figure as
she reached the top of the stairway,
watched her making inquiries Of
| Younger, saw men staring at her It
crossed his mind that she was seek
| ing him, and he started toward her:
but she had stopped again to ques-
| ton one Of the idlers in the hall He
| saw her knock at n door and knew II
was Bassett's room-a room that for
years had been set apart for the
private councils OF the Senator from
Fraser. AS Sylvia knocked, several
men came out, as though the inter
Iuption had terminated an interview.
| The unveiled face of the tall, dark
| girl called for a second glance; it was
an odd place for a pretty young
woman to be seeking Morton Bassett.
They looked at each other and
erinned.
| single lamp on a table in the
middle of the high-ceilinged room
shed a narrow circle of light that
deepened the shadows of the walls.
Bassett. standing by a window, was
aware Of a lighter step than was
usual in this plotting chamber. He
advanced toward the table with his
hands in his pockets. waited till
| Sylvia was disclosed by the lamp.
stopped abruptly. stared at her with
eyes that seemed not to see her. Then
he placed a chair for her, muttering:
| II thought you would come"
1t seemed to her that sigh broke
from him, hidden by the scraping Of
the chair across the bare floor. He
crossed and recrossed the floor several
times. as though now that she had
come he had dismissed her from his
thoughts. Then as he passed near
her with slow, heavy step she spoke
II came to talk to you. Mr. Bassett.
Please turn on the other lights
Pardon me" he said; and she
heard his fingers fumbling for the
switch by the door. In moment the