Henderson daily dispatch., 1934-07-17
SILVER SLIPPERS III
EHAPTk~[ 81

AUE.LAIDE DELAFIELD was dy
ing in heI old house IN Baltimore
She haG beeI norn in that house, and
il vas. perhaps fitting that %he
should rome TO II for the end
II was a huge Drown stone StTuc-
ture built in the days when Baltimore
entertained in state and elegance fol-
months AT time without those Hit
tinGs TO Florida and California anC
Southern France which now made IT'S
hospitality intermittent Since the
Great War there had been less for.
maIity and fewer servants not he
cause Adelaide could not afford them
but because she didn't need them
Yet there were enough left to make
this business of dying a we'll ATTENDED
affair: besides the regular stan there
were two trained nurses.
Nurses and servants had no power
however u protect Adelaide from the
wave . awful loneliness which
swept over her when the doctor told
her that the end was near. He had
TO tell her: there we're business mat
teTs. the lawyers said, which must
be settled. and Adelaide had not set :
tied them
lis there any one you wish to send
IST?" the doctor asked
mo-" the old woman said with
bitterness. TN die alone"
Yet when she was really alone
with Farley and the day nurse. she
found herself wanting more than
that Was there anyone IN the
world who really loved her2 She lay
there thinking of the life she had
lived in the old house She saw her
self Q lonely little girl with a gay
and widowed mother. who came in
Tustling black silk and shining Jet.
with creamy shoulders and a coroner
OF braids. and who leaned over the
bed and kissed her. then went away
- dinners and things. and at last to
Q wedding with a man who didn't
like Adelaide . oand whom Adelaide
hated, So she was sent away 20
school. and came back to be married
or so that she might be away from
her stepfather. and that she might
not make her mother seem old oy
comparison with q tall young daugh-
SER
A fteT that Adelaide had worn rust
6ns silks and earrings. and had
allowed her own creamy shoulders.
and had gone to dinners and cotil-
lions, and after she had been mar
Tied FIVE years. her husband ran
away with another woman and broke
her heart.
a fnf fIIl
beast" said old Adelaide. lying in
her bed. And she didn't know
whether il was her own fault. or the
fault Of her mother. or the fault Of
the man she had married
But late IN the afternoon. as dark
ness came over the room. she whis-
pered TO herself. IF l had loved
more ! L. might have been
II was perhaps. as near to repent
ance as Adelaide ever came. Yet the
good Lord knew what was in her nn-
happy old heart.
It WAS then that she sent for Joan
You know where she is, Farley
And say that she must come at
once."
When Joan arrived Adelaide lay in
the great French he'd with silken
hangings The hangings were rose
color and so was the silken spread.
and Adelaide wore a lace cap with
9 rose in it, and a little jacket which
matched the rose. All the things
about her belonged to youth. yet
there she was with her old. old face
rA 1Anr nIs al M han
ing for love.
She put up her arms to Joan. DO
you love me?"
You know ! do"
Then . stay with me-"
Joan knelt beside the bed and Ade-
Iaide closed her eyes and after a
while she said. II am leaving you all
my money. made my will this
morning."
"Dtarest :"
II am going to make you a rich
woman Joan. I'm not sure whether
You will be any happier for having
money. Perhaps II had been poor
-. might have been different" the
tears ran down her old cheeks.
Joan drew the thin old body into
her arms, my dear" she crooned
. ''py dear .F
Z. That night Adelaide died. There
were many matters she, had intended
a., TO talk over with joan She he'd
wanted 10 talk about Drew Haffa1fT,
To say that he'd make as good a
husband rs any Of them. and that