The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-21
BY
Elizabeth Jordan

Irritation that meant nothing to me but
temporary excitement. Well,' Anne
hesitated, looking at her curiously,
that's the sort am. I'm rotter, and
you've always known I was one. Yet
you loved me, and forgave anything and
everything did till it touched you. That
always surprised me. suppose you won't
believe it, but part Of the stimulation Of
this little game I've played lay in finding
out whether you'd forgive even this. You
won't, and now I know it. But if ever I
get in hole land I'm pretty sure to
land in one before I'm throUgh) I'll call
on you, Helen-and you'll comet"
Helen's gaze did not shift from her
house. She was telling herself that moth
ing else mattered so long as the foun-
dations Of that home remained firm, but
she was conscious Of an intolerable sense
Of loss and loneliness.
"Yes," she conceded in a low voice, 81
II know you'll come. Good-by-tin
thenl"
Anne walked away, and Helen watched
| her till she disappeared into the house.
She had always loved Anne's walk-that
free, splendid stride which was one Of
the many misleading things about Anne,
| suggesting, as it did, the outdoor life
Anne had never lived.
Helen sat down on the bench again
and waited. She could not re-enter her
| house till Anne had left it. Then she
and let the fresh morning breezes blow
through its rooms. The house had not
been as we'll aired as usual while
Anne was with her. Anne objected to
drafts. Helen's thoughts ran on. Tonight
she and John would go to one OF the
summer concertS-but could she bear
music tonight? She had not realized
how strange life would seem without
Anne. 1t was as if a third Of her heart
was very cold and very empty. Some
, thing which had filled that space had
been torn out of it with violence.
She heard the taxicab drive up, the
front door Of the house open and close
She could have seen the last of Anne by
= turning her head, but she did not turn II
until the taXicab wheezed away. Their
she rose and went back into the house
with dragging steps.
AS she entered the hall she had a sense
OF its deSOlatiOn, and something OF the
l feeling followed her into the living room
and across to her pet chair. When SHIT
sank into the chairs soft depths anC
= closed her eyes the peace and serenity O.
= the familiar atmosphere enveloped he
a like a rising sea. Here she belonged
= safe and happy with her Beloved Two
S and there were all sorts Of pleasant du
t ties before her which she had beel
r neglecting for days.
D She rose briskly and hurrying to tn
:. various windows opened each of them II
= turn to the morning breeze. Some duS
e on Johns writing table caught her eye
S Jane, a we'll meaning but temperamenta
d duster, had overlooked one corner. Helel
d took a busting cloth from cOnVenien
d drawer and busted the spot. Anne
!, photograph smiled at her from the man
r tel above the fireplace. She picked
: up, tore it into small pieces, and droppe
d the fragments into the empty CRATE. Sh
: could not so easily dispose Of the oil
S brass hre set and SamoVar Anne had sen
= her from Russia, nor the Oriental rug o.
r the living room floor which Anne ha
y given her as a wedding present. Indeed
6 she now remembered, the house hel
dozens Of Anne's gifts. Anne had alway
g these souvenirs Of Anne, one by on
d doing nothing that would attract John
II attention. In the meantime they Woul
= be here to remind her.
4. A sudden sense of the irony Of Iii
n took her by the throat. Why, of all tn
women in the world, should the only or
t, she loved have to be the one she coul
1 not trust? She hurried to the nurser
l "Ill have my lunch with Junior" ST
is told the nurse. please tell the cook
e, send me up some tea and sandwiches
le She knelt down beside Junior as ST
s. spoke, passiOnately kissing the back
his fat neck as he bent over his block
n and Junior responded with an affable bl
preoccupied grunt. He was very bu:
v building a railroad and it was no tin
C. Tor careSSeS, buC all the grOWnupS arouL
~ him were given to carresses at inoppo
u tune moments. This grownup, for e,
!" ample, was now hugging him and cryiI
over him and getting his face wet. Jun
- ior sighed. She had never got his IA
We wet before, except by washing it, so som
II thing must be wrong. Whatever it W
Sc Junior knew he possessed an infallib
i" cure for it. With a final, regretful CLAN
en at the unfinished railroad, he put b
arms around her neck and made her
Id collar Of kisses, while she laughed
oy him through her tears.
'w ~, Copyright: 1926: BY Elisabeth Jordan