The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-20
ALICE ADAMS
bg BOOTH HARRINGTON
Copyright. 1921. by Doubleday. Page & Co.

trip with him felt pretty sure of It
and now it turns out I was about
right. In return I guess I have got
about the best boss in this world and
l believe you will think 80 too. Yes,
sweetheart, after the talk / have Just
had with him II J. A. Lamb asked
me to cut my hand off for him I
guess would come pretty near do
Ing 1t because what he says means
the end Of our waiting to be together.
from New Years on he is going to
put me IN entire charge of the sun
dries dept. and what do you think is
going to be my salary? Eleven hun
dred cool dollars a year (S1,100.00)
That's ALL Just only a cool eleven
hundred per annum! Well, I guess
that will show your mother whether
can take care of you or not. And
oh how 1 would like to see your dear,
beautiful, loving face when you get
this news.
would like to go out on the pub
liz streets and Just dance and shout
and it is all can do to help doing it,
especially when I know we will be
talking 1t over together this time
next week, and oh my darling, now
that your folks have no excuse for
putting 1t off any longer we might
DO in our own little home before
Xmas. Would you be glad?
well, darling, this settles every.
thing and makes our future lust
about as smooth for US as ANYBODY
could ask. I can hardly realize after
all this waiting Hfe's troubles are
over for you and me and we have
nothing to do but to enjoy the happi.
ness granted US by this wonderful
beautiful thing we call life. know
am not any poet and the one I tried
ebout you the day Of the picnic was
fearful but the way think about
you is a poem.
Write me what you think Of the
news. I know but write me ANYHOW.
I'll get it before we start home and
L can be reading it over all the time
on the train.
Your always loving
VIRGIL"
The sound Of her mothers diIiRent
scrubbing in the hall came bacl,
slowly to Alice's hearing. as she re-.
stored the letter to the packet
wrapped the packet in its muslin
covering, and returned it TO the
drawer She had remained uDon her
knees while she read the letter. now
she sank backward, sitting upon the
floor with her hands behind her. an
unconscious relaxing for better ease
10 think Upon her face there had
fallen a look Of wonder.
For the first time she was vaguely
perceiving that life is everlasting
movement. Youth really believes what
IS running water to be a permanent
capitalization and sees tine fixed to
a point; some people have dark hair.
some people have blonde hair. some
people have gray hair. Until this mo.
ment, Alice had no conviction thai
there was a universe before she came
into It. She had always thought Of
.t as the background Of herself; the
moon was something to make her
prettier on n summer night.
But this old letter through which
she saw still pickering an ancient star
light Of young love, astounded her
Family before her It revealed the
whole lives Of her father and mother.
who had been young, after all-they
really had-and their youth was now
50 utterly passed from them that the
picture Of 1t, in the letter, was like
a burlesque Of them. And so she, her
self, must pass to such changes, too
and all that now seemed vital to her
would be nothing
When her work was finished, that
afternoon, she went into her fathers
room. His recovery had progressed
we'll enough to permit the departure
Of Miss Perry, and Adams, wearing
one Of Mrs. Adams wrappers over his
night-gown, sat in high backed chair
by a closed window. The weather was
warm, but the closed window and the
flannel wrapper had not sufficed him:
round his shoulders he had an old
crocheted scarf Of Auce's; his legs
were wrapped in a heavy comfort.
and, with these swathings about him,
and his eyes closed. his thin and
grizzled head making but a slight in
dentation In the pillow supporting It,
he looked old and little and queer.
Alice would have gone out softly,
but without opening his eyes, he spoke
to her: Don't go, dearie. Come sit
with the old man little while"
She brought a chair near his. Il
thought you We're mapping"
No. don't hardly ever do that. I
just drift a little sometimes"
How do you mean you drift, papa?"
He looked at her vaguely. "Oh.
don't know. Kind Of pictures. They
get a little mixed up-old times with
times still ahead, Ike planning what
to do, you know. That's as near a
nap as I get-when the pictures mix
up some. I suppose It's sort' Of
browsing"
She took one OF his bands and
stroked it. What do you mean
when you say you have pictures like
planning what to dO'?" she asked.
Il mean planning what to do when
1 get out and able to so to work
again"
But that doesn't need any plan
ming" Alice said, quickly. You're
You're going back to your old place
at Lambs, of course?"
Adams closed his eyes again, sigh
ing heavily, but made no other re