The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-08
The Key to Paradise
G. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service
BY cosMo HAMILTON


THE presents had made a brave
show in her New York drawing
room. After tea she had taken sew
eral of her friends TO see them. all
who, drawn Immediately to the string
of pearls, had read the card and cried
out incredulously. Look. even her
husband has remembered her birth
day. Ii seems" Lunch at the Ritz,
dinner at Pierre's, box party at the
Opera-the event had been celebrated
as well as it deserved. But Hobart,
who had given his wife that string.
had gone out of town TO play golf
This was Lillian's fifth birthday as
something quite unintentional, per-
haps. in the tail of Ends remark.
she found herself looking at life
through a window the existence of
which came as a great surprise. She
was painfully aware of something in
it that tugged at the strings of her
heart She found herself saying, This
is not life. l am not living. l am only
pretending to live" She heard her so
called husband as be came up to go
to his room. A thousand times she
had heard the same footsteps at the
same hour and let them pass her door.
But without knowing why she slipped
into a peigncir, went out and said.
Hello"
Curtis was still in golf clothes. His
face had caught the sun Good morn
ing and good night" he said. "Have
you had a good time today?" There
was a curious laugh in his eyes.
wonderful. Come and look at my
presents glittering in the light"
He did so. uncomfOrtably conscious
Of the fact that he was trespasser
in that room. quite a show" he said.
Something from every one. And
even my husband remembered my
birthday, it seems. Are you only just
back?''
He nodded. smiled and went out.
The footsteps died away. "No, this
isn't life" she said. what am l
missing? who have so much?"
Curtis hesitated next morning out
side the door of her bedroom on his
way downstairs. This girl whom he
had married for love had not mar
ried but had been married to him.
Her brilliant and scheming mother
had brought that deed about.
Eel In, hot
derful room was empty, but through
the open windows came the rustic Of
young leaves. Spring had come to
town. A well-bound book was open
addressed to himself. He picked this
up with a greedy hand as his eye
caught some writing on the margin
of the book. The words, The Key TO
Paradise" had been underlined and
against them had been written "A
child-boy or girl" He drew the letter
from the envelope as something
touched his heart
In the garden alive with flowers
there stood Lillian. Then she saw a
man come out of the kitchen carrying
a tray-a man with a smile on his
sun-tanned face. His golf clothes
smelled of grass and tobacco so that
her mind turned back TO the previous
night and the words outside her door.
But l wish TO be alone" she said.
"You will be alone" he said. I've
sent the servants away. You and l are
going to see what the simple life will
do
But this was hopelessly wrong! She
wanted to be quiet, to think, and here
was the very man whom she didn't
want to see. She found herself in a
panic and turned toward the door.
He blocked the way with a quick
movement and his face was boyish
and grave. please don't co. he said.
Lets look life in the face. l will be
your servant"
She stared at her husband. bewil-
dered and amazed.
And so they had tea together as
though they had really been married
those wasted years ago. The light had
almost gone and Curtis sprang to his
feet. "Good Lord" be said. there's
dinner" and went out with a rush.
And she, too, said, Good Lord" and
followed him into the kitchen at the
other end of the house.
She had never supposed that any
thing funny could enter into this. But
when she caught sight Of Curtis. the
finished man Of the world. peeling po-
tatoes in his shirt-sIeeves with the
concentration Of one who was engaged
on a work of art. her laughter rang
through the room. "Give me that
thing" she said. and took the pan
and the knife. Feeling potatoes was
a woman's job.
He gazed at this girl for a moment
with something new in his eyes. 1t
might perhaps have been hope And
then he went TO the stove. Watch
me murder the steak"
And so day after day this pathetic
week went merrily by.
She asked two questions when that
week had come to an end. "Was the
Key to Paradise any nearer to her
hand? Was she going back any nearer
the fulfillment Of the mission she knew
to be lifeT" She looked at the man
whose chivalry had won her respect
and whose sympathy, though never
spoken, had stirred the love In her
heart
And he caught the Iook-the look
for which he'd been working. The
writing that he'd seen on the margin
of the little book in her room seemed
to be written on the wall.
Il love you. | love you" ne said
How good was that smell of grass
and tobacco, when she hid her face
on his coat
Spring had entered that house for
good