Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-05-29


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must not confuse silly, chatferins
women with simplicity and natural
ness" ne said sternly. and glanced
again at the group, who became
conscious that they were under
discussion and were scandahEed
"You will hna their sort every.
where"
"But much worse I'm simple little
towns"
Il viii not admit that. II is be
cause cities are more Indifferent"
She shook her head. You ara
wrong. Cities are not indifferent.
They judge with manners and
morals, but the city cares only for
appearances. IL Is much easier 20
live up 20. You can always buy
appearances and have them deliv-
cred To your door in a box"
Their eyes met-hers cool and
hooking and his "A little hurt md
bewildered. Suddenly they RET led
how little they knew OF one anOth-
a. yet they were wasting time I'm
lenpralities. And tomorrow this
would BE over. The stifish worldli-
ness OF a flying train would oblit-
crate all this.
He drew her to n window outside
the radius of the bic red stove
where the other travellers were UNI
happily ~ccngregated. The panes
were covered with lovely frost cas-
ties and piny peaks that reminded
Linda We Switzerland. But Brian
~obllterated all this with his warmed
handkerchief. "A little town dIow-
sing with It's covers half over It's
head was revealed. LiEAts winked
through the drift that was begin
ming again. Dark smoke from bur
dened Chimneys coIled slowly up
ward. Belated figures huddled in
shanelesS wraps hurried past.
do you like it?" he asked when
she had been silent q while.
~ would like 20 90 and walk
there" she said I'm n subdued voice.
This time they borrowed CATERS
from the landlords daughter-huge,
E~nee-hlgh cloth and rubber over
ais lined with thick cheerful red
wool. Their owner called them
"arctics." and cheerfullv helped 20
fasten straps. Linda SO clothed
could scarcely lift her feet, and
when a red knitted shawl was tied
around her head and neck she
gasped and called herself a num-
my. The group OF women beside
the stove murmured together and
looked at her superciliousIy, but
Brian Anstey seemed TO consider
these precautions merely sensible.
Out Of doors a piercing still cold.
ness pressed their lungs untTl they
gasped ont words that were FROST
nIpped before they left their
Threats. Linda was trying to say
she could not endure it-she mngr
20 back-but he took her hand ana
drew her stumbling after him along
the beaten paths of the little town.
Little houses hidden by Christ
mas trees; larger houses shoulder.
ing the storm; lights everywhere,
warm and inviting.
Il want TO see inside" LInda
pleaded childlshly, and then thew
began a game that only children
or lonely grownups ever play.
creeping carefully over the mufaed
snow they would reach A window
and peer f~earfully within. Some.
times they saw q little family. IA.
Their, mother and children. ana
sometimes II was a young mother
alone rocking her baby. Then there
would be young people WATCHING
r. another shyly ana secretly.
married or about to be marrIed-if
showed upon their revealed faces
that this was all that mattered. But
II was all pantomlme. siIenced by
walls and windowpanes. They
could never hear "a sound fru%
those moving, voiceless lips.
They went too far in this envrosu.
ing game and found themselves
nj the edge OF the town where life
suddenly ceased in the midst M
blank fields Linda was exhausted
II must rest" she gasped. and
leaned against a fence post.
But how can we know that they
are happyfr she asked bItterIv
when she could speak. "we only
saw the outside OF things. II mirht
have been frIghtful inside those
houses"
lie looked az her I'm N troubled
way We've come too far. II IN
tend TO carry you back" He seemed
to have forgotten what they were
talking about.
Linda started and laughed ner.
vously. What nonsense m aha nr.
claimed.
She looked around. They were
utterly alone in the midst of am
empty world Distances rnarnInad
NV the intense Wilderness and still
] ness became enormous.
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