The Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1927-1930, 1930-01-23

little while he knew she was on
her way to visit him. He stood up
to watch the slim figure in its close
fitting siIken raincoat and hood He
knew how she would come In through
his door, hiding her grief as much as
she could from the world that its
gloom might not Cypress or embarrass
others. To have a mother at home,
dying, and then to SMILE was-Carla.
He met her at the door, and Carla
had wet, fresh nasturtiums in her
hand. A glow of greeting was in her
eyes and the smile was on her lips, as
he knew they would be. He helped
her off with her coat and hood
She objected little to taking off
her raincoat.
81 want to talk With you Cor only a
few moments, II the Inconvenience
isn't too great" she said
'And want TO talk with you--for a
long time he replied. Il am not
working, not even debating, and /
have let my secretary go. | have felt
peculiarly the desire to do nothing
this afternoon. The day has been
empty and blue, and ii frightened only
when | saw you coming down the
path. have been thinking about you
quite bit"
He had never said as much as this
with the steely shutters lei down from
his eyes so that the other man within
him was looking through. A flush so
! faint that Paul did not notice II gath.
cred in Cara's cheeks,
"Thinking of me?" she inquired
THAT is kind of you. like to be
thought about pleasantly. And you
could not think otherwise of ME when
bring you flowers"
! He was glad she had spoken about
her flowers.
"They have been an encouragement
and an inspiration to me for long
+, time" he said "No matter how an.
noyine my work or how gloomy the
day, they are always like cheering
friend smiling at me from my desk"
The warmth in her cheeks deepened
into delicate rose flush of color.
! 81 am glad my flowers have seemed
friendly to sou. They are always that
to me love them just as | love
| trees. If it were not rhat their crown,
Ing mission is to bring us comfort and
| solace. | should hate to pick them
| Sometimes it seems to me like killing
! beautiful things with souls in them
I feel the same way when see a tree
| cut down"
Her gaze rested upon the picture
of his wife.
81 often think of Mrs. Kirke when
| l pick my nasturtiums," she added
"She is of their beauty. colorful. vivid
| full of gold and life Is she weIl?"
81 believe so. She Is In Paris.
received a letter from her yesterday
in which she speaks Of you She says
she has not forgotten her threat to
come up and paint you some day.
That will be exciting her third visit
In three years.
! She caught the infection of irony
in his voice, though he was not trying
to reveal 1t. The knowledge of his
loneliness sometimes oppressed her. II
was one reason why she picked flow
! ers for him. And she was always
saying something nice for the woman
whose picture was on his desk and
whose life was so apart from his. SO
infinitely separated from everything
in which he might have found happi
ness
81 have tried to grow hyacinths
about my cottage" she said But
they won't live. They die love
them and have given them every care,
and make myself believe they would
like to grow for me If they could
told Mrs, Kirke of my experience
when she was here a year ago. and
you should have seen her eyes light
up. I am like tnnt she said. I
would die if had to live up here
Paul doesn't understand You won't
Yeti would die-ani | believe that.
too II isn't her fault any more than
II is the hyacinth's They are very
much alike. wonderful fluwer-and
wonderful woman. think your
wife is The more wonderful of the two
giving you up as she Is doing, all be
cause Ct your work
Behind her carriage vas smolder-
ing depth of pain. l'eul thought she
looked like an angel ms she sal OPP
posite him. with the desk between
them like an exquisite, white-faced
nun he had see in rbt Ursuline con.
vent in Quebec
"Yes. she is wonderful wnman,"
he said. thinking only vaguely of his
wife. "All women are wonderful
And especially -mothers"
He knew she had come to talk TO
him about her mother Carla did not
finch when he brought her mission
home to her in this way. She bowed
her head little, then her eyes came