Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1927-01-29
@ 1926. NEA SERVICE INC,
RI was the height Of the holiday

TT was the height Of the holiday
season at q well-known watering
], : place on the south coast.
After a very cherries spring, s,irn-
Z mer had come in with a vengeance.
3. and the seaside towns had fled up
h quickly.
= Lorna Mallingate stood on the
veranda Of one Of the biggest euites
In the very imposing hotel on tie
= cliff and looked down over the ani-
I mated scene.
{, She had promised her mother to
Join her on the lawns as soon as she
had finished her letter, but she dad
suddenly thrown down her pen and
gone out on to the veranda-
The strains Of the band pla yipg 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 in 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 joyousness held her almost
against her will.
Drawing up a chair, she sat down
and leaned back in It, and there came
in place of excitement, OF throboiag
life. a 'drowsy sensation. She was
thinking Of how often she had
> longed for a sojourn at the sea Just
as she was enjoying, and how hope
lessly she had dreamed OF wearing
pretty clothes and Joining with a
crowd O. lucky people to whom holi'
DAYS, and fun, an6 enjoyment were
apparently everyday matters. Ana
in a dreamy fashion she saw herself
back in her old environment; thai
shabby old house in the out-of-ths.
way little road up in the north OF
London.
When she cast her memory back
good long way. Lorna could remem'
Der that house when 1t had not oenn
uuite so shabby, and when the gar
den which surrounded It had been
we'll kept, .he lawn moved ana the
maths bordered with flowers and rose
bushes: but that was q. very long
way back, apd remembrance OF
those early days was vague snd
rather mystifying.
II Yves of the later years that the
girl unused as she sat with closed
ewes In tho comfortable chair; those
days when. the blight OF poverty naa
fallen slowly. but surely over ner
home: those days when trouble had
literally cruehed 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
struecle had become almost unen'
durable and when Pauline, her elder
sister. had left the home to earn her
living. Pauline had always been
restless; In a sense, dissatisfied with
the calm existence her parents hao
uvet
In war time she flad found vent
for her restlessness. for she hao
done the work of a man, and then
gradually she had drifted away from
close touch with her mother ana
sister in fact, at the present mo-
ment Lorna had no idea where her
siste: was.
Wien the armistice had been
signed, Pauline had not returned to
her home.
IL am of your hands now" she
had written to her mother, land as
! nave an opportunity OF earning
some money, l want you to know
that ! shall help you from time to
time"
1t was some little time before
Paullne's rooms had been let. and
then suddenly one day they had
been taken by q middle-aged, dis.
tinguished looking man with charm
ing manners. Lorna had taken a
liking to him from the very first.
Mr.. Henry Emerson had come to
them through an advertisement and
Lorna had written to her sister ire
quently, anr mad spoken warmly
even automatically about him. She
sent these IetteEs to q certain ao
dress in Paris from which Pauline
had told her ahe would receive any
commun' "aticn