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


must not confuse silly. chatterina
women with simplicity and natural.
ness he said sternly, and glanced
again az the group. who became
conscious that they were under
discussion and were scandalized
"You will fnd their sort every.
where
But much worse in simple little
towns"
"I will not admit that. IL Is be
cause cities are more Indifferent"
She shook her head. You are
wrong. Cities are not Indifferent
They Judge with manners and
morals, but the city only for
appearances. Ii Is much easier 10
live up 10. You can always buy
appearances and have them deliv-
cred 10 your door in a box"
Their eyes met-hers cool and
mocking and his a little hurt and
bewiIdered. Suddenly they rea..zed
how little they knew OF n anoth-
&C, yet they were wasting time In
r~eneralities. And tomorrow this
would he over. The stiffish worldli-
ness or a flying train would oblit-
crate all this.
lie drew her 10 a window outside
the radius OF the bic red stove
where the other travellers were IN
happily co~ngregated. The panes
were covered with lovely frost cas-
ties and pIny peaks that reminded
Linda or Switzerland. But Brian
obliterated all this with his warmed
handkerchief. A little town drow-
sing with its covers half over its
head was revealed. Lig4ats winked
through the drift that was begin
ming again. Dark smoke from bur-
dened Chimneys coiled slowly up
ward. Belated figures huddled In
~shapeless wraps hurried past.
do you like it," he asked when
she had been silent q while.
IL would like 10 20 and walk
there" she said In a subdued voice.
This time they borrowed CATERS
from the landlords daughter-huEe,
knee-high cloth and rubber over
alls lined with thick cheerful red
wool. Their owner called them
"arctics," and cheerfully helped 70
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 mum
my. The gr0Ep or women beside
the stove muTmured together and
looked NJ her superciliously, bat
Brian Anstev seemed to consider
these precautions merely sensible.
Out OF doors q piercing SIN cold.
ness pressed their lungs until they
gasped ont words that were FROST
nlpped before they left their
throats- Linda was trying TO saw
she could not endure it-she must
go back-but he took her hand ana
drew her stumbling after him along
the beaten paths or the little town
Little houses hidden by Christ
mas trees; larger houses shoulder.
ing the storm; lights everywhere.
warm and inviting.
= want 70 see insida,n Linda
pleaded chlldIshly. and then they
began q game that only children
or lonely grownups ever plav.
! creeping carefully over the mufBed
snow they would reach M windouu
and peer fearfully within. some,
times they saw a little family. YIN.
Their, mother and children. ana
sometimes IL was q young mother
alone rocking her baby. Then theirs
would be young people watching
one another shyly and secretly.
married or about TO be marrfed-lf
showed upon their revealed faces
that this was all that mattered. Rut
Il was al pantomime, silenced nv
walls and wlndowpanes. They
could never hear a sound frrr
those moving. ~voiceless lips.
They went too far in this enrro<a
ing game. and found Themselves
at the edge OF the town whera Hfs
suddenly ceased In the mIdr+ ~
blank fields. Linda was exhausted
II must rest" she rasned ana
leaned against "a fence most
But how can we know that thew
are happy" she asked bltterIv.
when she could speak. eve nnfv
saw the outside OF things. II might
nave been %frightfuI inside those
houses" -oSe
He looked at her in a troubled
way. We've come too Far. r IN
tend TO carry you back He uaey-aa
10 have forgotten what they were
talking about. e
Linda started and laurhad -
vously. What nonsense ~ She en-
claimed. -
she looked around. They ~n-a
utterly alone In the midst ~ a.
empty world Distances mnrnInp.T
BY the intense whiteness and rttiI-
ness became nnnrrrn-- 11A