The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-12-30

vt .as the height OF the holiday
season at well-known watering
place on the south coast.
After a very cherries spring. sum.
uner had come In with a vengeance.
and the seaside towns had filled up
quickly.
Lorna MaIlingate stood on the
veranda of one Of the biggest suites
In the very imposing hotel on the
cliff and looked down over the ami
mated scene
She had promised her mother TO
1oin her on the lawns as soon as she
had finished her letter. but she had
suddenly thrown down her pen and
gone out on to the veranda.
The strains Of the band playing In
the center OF the lawns with its In
evitable syncopation. melted her to
move in rhythm to the dance tune.
and when the music ceased she
Joined I'm the applause.
Twice Lorna turned TO go back to
the unfinished letter. but each time
she changed her mind. The spell OF
this glorious morning with its full
note OF 1oyousness held her almost
sgainst her will
Drawing up a chair. she sat down
and leaned back IN 1t. and there came
in place of excitement. of throbbing
life. a drowsy sensation She was
thinking of how often she had
ongeo for sojourn at the sea just
10 she was enjoying. and how hope
lessiy she had dreamed of wearing
pretty clothes and Joining with q
crowd of lucky people to whom holi-
DAYS. and fun. anc enjoyment were
apparently everyday matters. And
IN a dreamy fashion she saw herseif
nack In her old environment: that
shabby old house In the out-of-the-
way little road up In the north OF
London.
When she cast her memory back
rood long way, Lorna could remem'
her that house when IT had not been
unite 40 shabby, and when the gar.
den which surrounded II had been
well kept. the lawn moved AND the
paths bordered with flowers and rose
bushes. but that was a very long
wav hack. and remembrance OF
those early days was vague and
rather mystifying.
II was of the later years that the
girl unused as she sat with closed
syes In the comfortable chair: those
DAYS when the blight Of poverty had
fallen slowly, but surely over her
nome. those days when trouble had
literally crushed her father into his
crave. and the cruel remorseless
hand Of war had swept her two
brothers out OF life. And then those
other days when little by little the
struggle had become almost unen
durable and when Pauline. her elder
sister. had left the home to earn heI
living. Pauline had always beer
restless; In a sense, dissatisfied with
the calm existence her parents had
uvei
In war time she had found vent
for her restlessness, for she had
done the work of a man, and then
gradually she had drifted away
from close touch with her mother
and sister; in fact, at the present
moment, Lorna had no idea where
her sister was.
When the armistice had been
signed, Pauline had not returned
to her home.
81 am off your hands now" she
had written to her mother, "and as
l have an opportunity of earning
some money. ] want you to know
that / shall help you from time to
time"
1t was some little time before
Pauline's room had been let, and
then suddenly one day they had
been taken by middle-aged. dis
tinguisehed looking man with
charming manners. Lorna had tax
en- a liking to him from the first.
Mr.. Henry Emerson had come to
them thru an advertisement and
Lorna had written to her sister
frequently, and had spoken warm
ly. even enthusiastically about him.
She sent these letters to a certain
address in Paris, from which Pau
line had told her she would re-
ceive any communication.