Evening star., 1927-05-29

!
their home. Dreamed it, yes. and
found it all the more lovely after
the cruelty of reality. For more than
a month the dream had held. Why
must it die now?
What if Ollie did write to her
mother? Oh. there was no use pre-
tending about that-no use i'll calling
| that a dream She had lied to her
mother, lied as fiagrantly as though
this lovely house had not existed at
ALL Lied, as in the old days. when her
mouth had been washed out with soap.
| She put the key in the lock and en-
| tered the hall. Why couldn't she
bring him here and tell him simply
that here she could be happy.
| "No one but a hermit would want
| TO live there. So Out-of-the-way; no
modern improvements"
| Living here with Ollie, unless he
\ understood, would be worse than
| never seeing it again! Worse, even,
| than having her mother find out the
stark truth Of that other house.
! But things couldn't go on like this
| She couldn't wake another morning
| to see Ollie's eyes regarding her un-
happily, to read in them again that
| wordless demand. But why DO you
want to be let alone"
1
come to that? But, if she must give IT
I'D. she must give it up completely.
She knew that she couldn't continue
| to live near to it, knowing that it was
here alone and neglected, without
yes, without hating Ollie.
Hating Ollie! During the last week
when he had been SO anxious to un-
derstand. there had been moments
when she had come near to that. All
of his suggestions-from the plan of
sending for her mother to the absurd
ity of buying her a radio-had irritat-
ed her. He had suggested, even, that
they move to Jacksonville.
A sob rose in her throat. Move to
Jacksonville-and dream no more
dreams. Was that what she must do?
X X X \
THE fierce joy of remuneration sang
= in Margery's veins as she drove the
car across the grass, straight around
by the clump of banana bush, to the
edge of the covered walk that led into
the summer kitchens. 1t seemed to
her that the house had never been SO
beautiful as it was on this, her last
day.
A lump began to form'in her throat
at the thought, and she must set her
teeth. She was not going to cry! She
must remember last night, when she
and Ollie had sat up, talking, until
dawn began to break in the east,
across the brown fields. Ollie was SO
dear. 1t was worth anything, even
this, to have watched that hurt look
melt from his eyes.
1t was Ollie she cared most for; she
had found that out, then. And it was
all settled. They We're going to Jack
sonville to live. and she was through
forever with dreams and lies. Last
night she had been tempted again to
tell him the truth. But she hadn't
been able.
After today, she would forget that
her house existed, forget and give her.
home they would make together.
Today, She wasn't going to think
of anything else. 1t was as though
God understood and had given her an
extra blessing for this last day here.
II won't be able to get the five
train tonight" Ollie had told her
that morning. ''I've got big deal on
and want to close it before leave
the office. If it goes through. I'll buy
you everything you want for your
new house."
She didn't have to leave, today, Just
when the sun began turning the pill
lars of the porch a rosy pink! Today
she could stay on into the twilight
and watch the shadows creep up over
the grass, watch the house sink softly
into the evening.
She began her farewell. moving
from room to room, lingering at each
window to etch into her memory each
lovely view.
Tn the attic, where she had dreamed
so many dreams. her fingers refolded
the dresses which lay in musty
trunks. Before the walnut-framed
mirror she had hung between the Win
dows. she arrayed herself in the
ruffled white crinoline which Ollie's
ancestress had worn. I'm white satin
boots with ribbon lacings. But, as
she dressed, the thrObbing in her
throat became almost unbearable. Did
it always hurt SOTO lay aside dreams
and grow up?
Oh, it was no use! She was mad.
Never could she forget this house.
Wherever she went. whatever place
she called home, this house would
always remain, waiting for her.
~ the door. Why was it that she
hadn't been able to tell Ollie last night?
How could she have expected any
peace between them, erected on such
a foundation of lies? She had told him
that she was lonely here in the country.
lonely so far from town. Lonely.
What would she be in Jacksonville,
forty miles away from this place |
which had become her whole life? |
She'd be miserable and she'd make |
Ollie miserable. Resentment would |
mount between them, until they hated |
one another
She was lying there. motionless,
dry-eyed in her grief, when the first |
alien sound she had ever heard, here |!
in this house by the river, broke
the softness of wind in the
trees.
She looked out through the window.
Just beside the front door an auto
mobile was drawn up, and somewhere
below, hidden by the roses which
climbed over the veranda, people were
She tiptoed to the door and opened
it.
Voices inside the house. 1t couldn't |
be ghosts. Ghosts didn't come i'm
motor-cars and enter with keys. Or
hadn't she locked the door? She
couldn't remember.
Steps mounting the first fight of
stairs; it seemed hours while the
sound of those voices moved from
room to room, low. unintelligible.
Ollie? Could it be Ollie? What
could he want here? How dared he
come here. to this house. aaf her last
day? =
She shrarK back and stood like a
figure in pantomime, crimolineIuff
billowiug about her, as she liatened.