The Indianapolis times., 1928-09-28
CHAPTER XXI

CHAPTER XXI
MFRS. THORNE leaned back in
1V1 her Boston rocker. Mr.. Gran
don flowed on. BY and by the
maid came with tea. Before they
knew it the clock on the mantle
was Ginning four.
II am sorry" said Mr.. Crandon
81 have another appointment now"
And Mrs. Thorne, gathering her
moleSkin about her, apologized and
prepared to depart.
"I feel so much better" she told
him. "I simply can't thank you
enough for all you do for me. It's
as If load we're lifted from my
mind"
And that night she told Valerie
MIR. Crandon thinks it would be
great mistake to send Sybil away
And he says that the child may be
a perfectly marvellous thing for her.
He is very anxious to analyze Sybil
for her own good, you know, Va
lerie. But I suppose she wouldn't
hear of such thing"
II should say not!" scorned Va
lerie. "And what's the sense of
analyzing Sybil? The girl never
had a repression nor an inhibition
in her life. It's primitive ego that's
Sibs trouble-and there's no sub
limating that, Mother Thorne. Be-
sides, she'd just laugh at you"
IT suppose so," agreed Mrs
Torne sadly. well, we won't let
her go away, anyhow, Valerie. Mr..
Crandon advised very definitely
against it,
CYBIL, however, had ideas of her
- own, and it was Tad who per-
suaded her at last to stay at home.
1T seems to me-" he said,
"that it would be cowardly thing
to hide somewhere. Like con-
feSsion of fear-fear of what people
are going to say. Hold up your
head Sib. There's nothing like
facing the music. And tell them all
to go to the devil"
AS soon as the announcements
were out, the news began to per-
colate
"sybil Thorne's going to have
baby"
"A baby? My dear, what are you
talking about! I just got an an
nouncement of her marriage"
WELL"
"You don't mean it?"
IT certainly do. Next April I
heard"
Women telephoned each other at
all hours of the day and night. AT
bridge parties they forgot to play
cards. They met one another for
luncheon, and their food grew cold
while they talked.
The most arrogant of them went
to see her. With incredulouS ex-
carnations and small gifts they in
vaded her privacy.
One day she bundled together
five little jackets, six pairs of
bootieS, four baby dresses en-
broidered in Madeira, and a knit
bonnet or two.
Tying them around with a blue
satin carriage ribbon, she laid them
on the blazing logs in the library
fireplace. And while they burned
she held tiny band of silk and
wool, all Shrunk with ears, to her
lips, and laughed eXcitedly.
"Look!" she cried, when Tad
came in and found her crouched
over the ashes. "I've burned all the
tickets of admission my friends
bought to come to look at me-"
WINTER dragged on-such
w long, long winter. Sybil was
very beautiful, but there was no one
to see her Somber lovelinesS but hel
mother, and Tad and Valerie.
Her eyes seemed to grow larger,
and in their tragic depths there
was sort of Madonna beauty.
She moved quietly with a sort of
heavy, peasant grace. And she wore
a blue smock of soft wool the color
Of wild flowers in the country.
She looked womanly and full of
grace. She seldom went out, being
extremely conscious of all that was
being said.
Once Craig came to call, but size
sent down word that she was out.
After that he left flowers with his
card occasionally, but never again
asked to see her.
THEN, at last, it was over.
i. Spring came And forsythia
waving yellow banners. Crocuses,
and gay red tulips, and purple
hyacinths.
Sybil lay quietly is a small
white bed in a big white hospital.
The crisp curtains at her window
rustled like small girls pert
petticoats.
Spring, with the breath Of lilacS,
stole through the open window
and the little bundle at her side
walled mournful wall. e. Such
a funny little bundle.
Sybil Graded it on her arm,
poked timidly at the white cloths
that swaddled it. They fell back,
revealing a. small red face, with
a bit of nose in the middle of it.
There were tight little wrinkles
that would undoubtedly disclose
eyes later, and a noisy, busy
mouth that seemed large for the
rest of the features. The head
was covered with soft black hair.
A nurse appeared in the door
way, pleasantly professional.
''It's the most beautiful baby I've
ever seen," she said. "And alb
SoIIYteIv rerfect."