Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-05-01


the chalk mark, before she went to
stand by Helen, serving the double
role as maid of honor to her sister.
and as her fathers escort.
II do murmured Helen sweetly.
The familiar voice of her father,
resonant and low, unbreaking, con-
tinued the service. And presently
/ Helen's hand was In that of Horace.
A great lump rose In Glnger's small
+, throat And In the momentary breath.
less silence that followed Helen leaned
forward, put both arms around her
fathers shoulders, md kissed him
J, tenderly.
Helen was married-it was all over.
| With laughter and kisses, and many
gay words, the crowd surged down to
the Sunday school room for the buffet
luncheon served by the Rutheans. And
when the proper moment came, Helen
slipped away from the others, and
| went Into the small room beside the
pulpit where she changed quickly
from her bridal robes 10 trim black
and white, for travelling. And then,
just very little later. there was a
cab at the curb. and the guests from
within f1ocked out to mingle fra
ternally with those eq1ally interested
outside.
Horace took Helens hand In his,
and In a shower OF flowers and rice.
they ran down the walk. With her
foot on the running board OF the car,
she paused. Her eyes swept the
small sweet sea OF loved and loving
faces. She found the bright eyes OF
Marjory and Miriam, found her father
standing little away by himself.
Then she found Ginger, small. SOL
emn figure, with lips forced to n
grim smile. And Helen tossed her
great bouquet, lilies OF the valley, for
get-me-nots and tiny rosebuds.
Ginger had not thought OF this, !.
must have been sheer instinct which
shot her 1.-THE young arms high over
others to catch the precious trophy.
Htltu hmlieU ut ner.
My Ginger" Her lips merely
formed the words, but Ginger. staring.
read The syllables distinctly.
The cab rolled away.
A shout OF laughter, chorus of
prophecies, surrounded Ginger, with
the captured bridal bouquet In her
hand But she heard none OF 1t. She
was going home. She answered no
smiling thrusts. called no responsive
greetings, to the merry throng about
her. She just set her small face
toward the old brown door, and her
obedient little feet carried her lead
emily toward 1t.
Up the stairs, heavily, heavily, and
down the hall to the bedroom she had
shared with Helen. The room looked
strange-big and roomy. She marveled
at its bigness, for she and Helen had
often complained laughingly OF its
slight dimensions. Suddenly she real
lied. One OF the little twin beds was
gone. and The other, her own, was in
the center OF the space the two had
occupied. Ginger's eyes burned sud-
denly. But she was glad that other
bed was gone. She had not realized
how 1t would have teen, lying there
and gazing across Mt ihat-empty pIl-
low where Helens brown hair, Helen's
gentle face, Helen's friendly eyes, had
been before.
"She thought Of that" she said
aloud.
Conscious OF the weight OF the flow
ers, she crossed duly to the desk BY
the window. There she found a fat
blue vase, filled with fresh water.
waiting to receive them.
"She did that. She meant all the
time that should have her flowers"
Carefully, with fingers that seemed
unfamiliar and strange to her, she
loosened the white ribbons, folded
them carefully, and placed the flowers
In the blue bowl.
Then she sat down, on the solitary
little twin bed, and stared at them.
stared all about the room.
That's what she was, doing all
morning she thought, fixing this
room for me. Putting my things where
her things had been, strengthening the
drawers, and tidying the closet, 80
everything would be full Of me. and
wouldn't show so much emptiness OF
her.
She got up suddenly, and turned
down the hail. The ladder was against
the wall She climbed dismally, phil.
ing herself. great weight, through
the trapdoor, and crossed the beams
to the dormer window. From force
OF habit, she drew the small stool nm
to the table, and reached for her
pad. And then she saw a white en-.
velope.
"Hy Ginger"
She picked up the letter. It was
then she saw the velvet box. She
opened 1t curIously--a small diamond.
In an old-fashIoned setting-her moth
ers engagement ring that Helen had
worn for sixteen years Ginger held
1t Ia her hand long time, and stared
Into the dim recesses Of the dusty old :