Evening star., 1926-06-20
EARLY AMERICAN VARY 1'; :,n, mXMI
Had Learned Pleasures and Exvag
Beyond Who Had Been Waiting for He
Home, Was Struggling Lawyer

you've had me for second fiddle ever
since you began to play with the
crowd at the lake. l didn't realize.
/ saw 1t was u choice between them
and me. I put it up to you, and
you chose them. That's why l don't
come any more, Lucie."
You're unfair" she told him.
Those girls are ny friends. I've
gone to school with them. They're
the only ones in town ] know any
more. Why should they wreck our
friendship"
''They wouldn't" he said, 'If you
weren't willing to let them"
But you told Cara Doane that
you'd call on her"
THAT'S different. I'm not letting
that call come between you and me,
if you want me not to 60
ut doesn't matter TO me-
That's It," he said. his own voice
growing hot You know what you
mean to me, Lucie. You know that
ever since we've been children I've
wanted to work for you, TO win you,
TO love you. | thought till last year
that / had a chance. That's why
worked so hard. Then you made me
see that YOU couldn't walt for me,
give YOU for long. long time, II
ever can. You chose more than
Cara's dance that night you went
there. You chose a different way OF
life I had sense enough to see 1t.
That's the way it stood then. That's
the way it stands now. I'm not com
ing TO you unless you're ready TO
come to me-"
You're brute" she flung at him.
You're a bully. I thought you were
kind. l thought you'd be tender. You
aren't. You're cruel.
"No" he said, "but I'm honeSt.
There's no use in my trailing you II
You're going to keep on pacing with
this crowd. can't compete against
trips to the West Indles in Winter
and the Arctic in the Summer
.'E0 one wants you to-" she said
angrily, and left him.
x x K +
CHE spent a miserable night, and
- even a long letter from Mark
Bramley the next day could not al
leviate the hurt to her pride which
Rogers words had inflicted. She
sent Mark a letter. however. thank
ing him for the flowers and intimat-
ing that, If her mother was willing.
she might accompany the party
northward. -,
IF I'm going to marry him. they'll
take me as their guest. she rea-
soned. II can accept II then, and PAD
won't have to pay anything out for
me. It'll cost him less than having
me home"
The telegram announcing that the
Bramleys were leaving New York
and would arrive at the Wisharts
the next day failed. though. to find
Lucie determined upon her course.
She had not seen Roger since the
evening of their quarrel. but she
heard Of him occasionally from Cara,
who seemed to take malicious de-
light in recounting the details of his
call and of her maneuvered meetings
with him.
"If he only weren't so rotten
proud" Cara said once, I'D have
lot more fun with him. But then
| shouldn't like him nearly so we'll
as I do"
How much does he like you?"
Hands off, Cara warned. When's
Mark coming"
Tomorrow.
You must have got that from
headquarters. Adelaide hasn't even
mentioned their coming to me. Isn't
she cagey? What are YOU going to
tell him, Lucie?"
Hail and farewell, suppose"
Don't be a fool. Go on with
them. You can be ready in a day.
I'll give you my big wool coat. You
can have the red hat, too, il you like
it,"
She ratified on a list of her raiment
which Lucie might take on the jour-
ney. and the thought Of Greeks bear
ing gifts came to Lucie. Why was
Cara so eager to get her out of town
this summer? Was it because OF
Roger?
II don't care what they do" she
thought, dwelling unhappily upon the
irony of Roger accepting Cara for
himself when he objected to her as
an associate for the girl he sa1d he
loved.
I'll take them if go" was all she
said to Cara's offers.
Mark Bramley came to town the
next day to find her no more de-
cided in her course. An oldlsh young
man. yerging already toward stout
ness. he beamed upon the burton
household with a geniality which
overlooked its shabbiness and found
Joy in it's heirlooms. endearing himself
to Charlotte by his praise Of her
early American furniture and glass.
Some day." he said, his glance
rowing to Lucie. I'm going to have
a house all early American. Nothing
else in It. I've fair start on the
collection now. but I'm going in
for it hard when l get back from
Alaska. You don't know where l
could find any around here? he
asked Charlotte.
You're not likely to find any lot
sale" she said. Nearly everything
that people have out here repre-
sents some family epic. People
treasure them for the sprit they
signify more than for the beauty.
It's only where an old family has
died out that the stuff gets on the
market. Our Lafayette silver-lts
much older than his visit. really
goes to the eldest daughter OF the
family when she marries.
"It'I be YOURS" Bramley said to
Lucie in a tone which truinpeteu
his intention that the silver would
on day grace the home of Bramley'
x y x Y
THROUGH luncheon he talked
l. Americana with Charlotte. After
luncheon, led up to Aunt Frances
Loring's room, he talked 1t to the
old lady, who surveyed him with ap-
praising eyes, signaling to Lucie her
opinion that he was better than her
expectations of him. Then deity he
managed to get Lucie to himself.
Coming with us?" he asked ner'
making his query inclusive Of more
than the Journey.
IT can't decide" On the spur of the
moment she felt that she owed him
honesty. MY fathers had a bad time
at the factory. My mother isn't Well
Itll be hard on them to have me go,