The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-08-07
Chapter L

'sus Va NVUISC OuN SuC uIOu huOW
she enjoyed it. On the contrary, she
it didn't. It was really her best
asset. socially. and she could get
herself into the limelight almost any
time by descanting and dilating upon
her long hours of wakefulness when
others were sleeping.
Sympathy flowed freely at hear
ing of her weary vigils. her inter-
minable but futile efforts to get to
sleep, her tossings and turnings on
her bed Of unrest.
Partly because Of a physical tend
encv TINT way, and partly by reason
Of nurturing, pampering and aggra-
waiting the u.sease, Mrs. Prentiss was
ch, onicaliy and happily insomniac.
Which explains why, one night. she
prowled about her bedroom, in hci
no. very fetching mid-victoriar
nightdrcss, and gaxcd out Of one
window after another.
For her bedroom had windows fac
ing three ways, which enabled the
wakeful Mrs. Prentiss to note condi.
tions in the houses Of her neigh
bors on either side as we'll MS across
the street.
And, from window that lookct
west. she could see, late as it was
sundry goings on that thrilled hel
curious soul. And, when tho goings
on had ceased and no hint of them
was left save two tiny specks Ol
light, Mrs. Prentiss thought. the show
was over, only to have It rcopeneC
two or three times more.
Breathlessty she watched. and
Though her soliloquized exclamation
were Of homcly diction. such AZ "Fol
the Lands sake!" or my goodnessl'
they noncthclcss expressed the whole
gamut Of human surprise and won
derment.
Gaybrook Harbor was one of tht
most beautiful bits of natural charm
on Long Island. and one of the mos,
desirable locations for q summer
colony.
The Harbor was, as harbors hav,
a way Of being. crescent shaped, ant
down to the middle Of It's curvin(
rim ran little stream Of pleasant
water.
Though really a tiny river, th'
stream was called GaybrOOk and wal
- RtSktX % lSS U0uAsVs
Now this arbitrary provision o
nature divided the Harbor into hal
vcssxocially. ms we'll IA Typographical
". Not far from the shore. y bridge
miniature Rialto, connected tn
land on the two sides Of Gaybrook
but except for that there was
great gulf fixed.
On one side, the. north side, tn
collection Of estates and dwelling
was called Harbor Gardens, and tn
other side was Harbor Park.
United municipality, geographical
~ and patriotically, the two wer
yet divided socially, or 1t least il
some phases of the social life.
Harbor Park was there. first, ant
1t held the railroad station, tn
postoffice, the church, the clubhouse
the amusement halls and the "places
Of many of the rich and great, who's
greatness was the direct result o
their riches. They were men o
wealth, with wives of extravaganza
with spoiled children and pampere'
servants. They were, for the mos
part, men of hearty good fellowship
of outdoor habits and conviva
tastes.
Now, somewhat as = reaction, thcr'
had sprung up on the other side o
the bridge, the modern institution
known as an artist colony.
A one of their brilliant-mindea
youths put it. "In Harbor Gardens
you find men who do things. Il
Hsrbor Park, you find men who d.
people,
Yet they came together in man!
ways. They all belonged to the on'
and only country club, they all wen
to the one and only church and the!
all shopped ut the stores in HarbOl
Park. In fact, there were no out
ward and ordinary signs of friction
or dissension, but the Park people
felt they were more Worthwhile thar
the Gardens people, while the Gard.
eners, ~ they came TO be called
knew they were superior to tn
Parkers.
So the Harbor people lived ant
flourished, with the silent. bond oi
the Harb0r holding them together
and the subtle bar Of the bridgs
dividing them.
Mrs. Prentiss, she Of the insom'
lsia, was q resident Of the Gardens
The widow of an artist, she had
lived on in their attractive bunga.
low. covered with honeysuckle and
Virginia creeper, and furnished with
wicker things and rush rugs.
Next door to her. toward the west
was the far more pretentfous bunga.
low Of the Perry Hsaths. It wal
indeed, q two-story house. but when
Heath was told that. bungalow
didn't have more than one story
he merely replied, "This bungalow
has"
He was an artist. was Perry Heath.
and though his pictures we're mot q
great value, they were graceful little
aQuarelles, and found IN ultimate Il
not ready sale in the New Yprt
shops. ..
That Is, they had done 90, but with
the recent fad for "no pictures at
all.'1 the water color Othello began
70 find his occupation going.
Yet, in way. it didn't matter
much, for Myra. his vito, had al
ways had money, and recently. by
seaton Of en- rnc(o's deetht had In
herited = lot more. aAeath'g work
WIS rather desultory, auywst. He
painted when he felt like Il, and the
rest Of the time he spent on the
whtar or ID it, or. else he ran down
TO New York for . few days
An impulsive, itfesponsible exist
ence was his, but his srtistic tenn
permanent belked at Aates or fixed
kours, and ke was far from being
Alo1e IN thak attitude.
Myfa Heath. an ncknqWlsdged
beauty, Of the esh blond, Saint Csci-
IA. Aasesn 60. shasn aeAAp ana anlf -afm.