The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-18

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phone to Irene.
DERYL liked the fog horn. It's
- below or faint boom had
stirred elusive thoughts in her
mind, she had said.
( Something seemed to come-like
that train in Llion-and carry her
away. Only this was boat, and
/ for q bit OF time she could feel
that she had Travelled, been some
where.
Tommy had laughed at her.
Carried away by a sound-huh?
/ That's some innaginationl"
Now he did not laugh. Did death
/ give you a new sense-Some one
else's death? Bewildering thoughts
and he had TO telephone Irene.
How did he feel when he had
talked with her? Back in his room
the tears unchecked now-he was
not conscious Of any effect upon
himself from Irene's words. What
had she said to him? Certainly
nothing Of moment, nothing to be
remembered.
Many people came to the house.
Irene, Of course, and Beryl, too.
There were many things to do.
Tommy felt beWildered. Death was
new to him. New and terrible.
Beryl told him in conventional
phrases that tortured her how
grieved she was for him. Her
voice was steady, but what she sup
pressed would have astonished
Tommy.
Irene had declared openly against
the tyranny Of q fate that upset her
plans. Beryl had learned then what
those plans we're and what that
mysterious smile had meant
Irene did not seem to mind that
Aunt Emma was dead. She was
annoyed because her plans were
spoiled
Beryl had dreaded to hear what
Tommy would say. Would he, like
Irene, think Of himself? Would he
have less regret for the passing Of
one who had loved him because
that passing interfered with his
plans?
He did not once speak Of the
proposed elopement and Beryl knew,
with an elation she found it hard
to hide, that it was because he had
not thought Of it.
She watched him with Irene and
could see that Irene was provoked
with him. There could be but one
explanation for that. He was not
thinking about her.
With Beryl it was as though she
lived on the edge of q deep, black
abyss, never knowing at what mo-
ment she would be pitched headlong
into the bottomless depths. That's
what Tonmy's marriage to Irene
would mean to her.
She had not quite known what it
would mean before their first at
tempt to run away and be married.
That &C Esion had opened her eyes
and she had not been able to close
them completely since.
ONCE when she was g little girl
~ there was a thing Beryl had
said she would never do. Later she
did it.
1t wasn't a great Sir-some slight
piece of mischief that she had since
forgotten-but from it she had
learned g lesson. The lesson was
that she might say she never would
do so-and-so again, but that did
not make it a fact. She might be
fooling herself again, Beryl agreed,
when she said she never would love
any one but Tommy.
Still she believed this was true
and the anguish the thought of
his being married to Irene caused
her was real enough, no matter
what changes the future might hold.
For a while after his aunt's
death Beryl felt safe. Then the
terms Of Emma Hoffnan's will were
made public and she didn't know
what to think Tommy was not
the heir. His aunt had died il1teS-
tate.
Shed had q superstitious fear Of
preparing for death and so her IA
vorite nephew was left to share her
fortune with other kin There we're
several children Of several brothers
and sisters and Tommy did not re-
ceive much.
Irene told her nothing. Beryl did
not ask questions. It was like the
crisis in an illness. She was IN
! certain.
Would Irene think of Tommy
now? Was there a streak Of fine
ness in her character deep under
/ the shallow exterior?