The Coolidge examiner., 1935-09-27

.
I the big house. where one light was
burning ia the living room. So.
phrouia saw his arms outs;rctched
toward Ilm's daughter. and heard
the booming greeting ~ his voice.
and vas suddenly afraid. But Jim's
daughter did not break down. There
was something unranny about the
girl. SophroBla thought IN confu-
sion.
In the house. Phronle relieved sll.
yer Grenoble of her wraps and the
men took her luggage upstairs With
the hrm belief In the efficacy of
food 10 dun the sharp edge of GRIEF.
PhrouIe then busted herself pre-
pairing 8 plate OF sandwiches Ja-
son went 20 the cooler In the vege-
table cellar outside. and brought IN
a stone iug OF ginger beer. while
old Roderick kept silver company
IN the living room.
When Sophronla returned with
the sandwiches, she saw a biz Of
color on Silyers cheeks. and al
though her eyes were darling about
the room Ike dark flames. they were
no longer the eyes of some stricken
animal.
Sophronia placed the sandwiches
and glasses on the table with iis
crochsted dolly. and Jason poured
ginger beer into the glasses.
Wow. silver she said stoutly.
'you must have a bite. Tha, darnei
old car NUT have played you OUT
Iii sure did me"
The men helped themselves. reach
ins out 10 the decked table In pain.
ful fasiidiousness with their large
brown hands
sophronia took In Silver's ap.
pearance 10 detail The girl was
slender. bDi not ms frall as Phronle
had ai hrsi supposed. Her eyes
were dark blue. although By the
light of the acetylene lamp they
seemed almost black. Her hair was
what would be called ash-blond. she
decided. and Il waved slightly and
was dressed 10 a plain fashion low
upon her neck.
Then Sophronia looked about the
room and saw Il. Ia a twInkling, a.
she had not seen Il In years. She
saw II now because she was won
dering what Jim's daughter was
thinking about H.
She saw the unobirusive. faded
tan OF the wall paper. with the
silver stripe In II. That was not
In bad taste. she thought stoutly
The curtains we're Of ecru net, with
side strips and valance OF plain
blue rep: that had been Roddys
Idea. She saw the upright plano OF
black walnut. the keys yellowlng
and recalled that until Roddy had
removed II there had been a hand
some green velvet scarf on It's top
AAAA it@AAt~A IA AAfA AhNt1- sNHiAAto-
MIA looked al the walls and thought
how much coSier they had been with
the pictures and notices on them.
and the burnt leather panel with
the head OF Pocahontas and the lit
tie calendar below. Now. on the
wall opposite her. were three small
ish eichlngs, placed step-ladder
fashion. Black and whife-no col
or or life 10 them. one was only
land and sky. the second the same
with a windmill stuck in II. and the
third was an old horse ploddlng
across a frozen pond dragging a
two-wheeled cart.
"And is this lawyer-thIs BenJa-
min Hubbard you speak Of" old
Roderick was saying-"is he look
Ing after all the-the arrange
mentsT"
Yes" Silver replied softly but
very clearly. Ben is looking after
everything. II was Dads wish that
his body should be cremated and
his ashes sent hereto be near
Mothers grave"
And did he live long enough 10
tell you that?" Phronie asked. clear
ing her throat
'Oh-he spoke OF that some
months ago" Silver said, right aft
er he had his first heart attack. But
he mentioned it again-before he
died"
Il see" Phronie winked rapidly
several times.
The men shifted their feet In
awkward silence.
Sophronia kept her eyes ON Sill
yer as the girl continued speaking
in the same subdued tone. Almost
as though she had been there.
Sophronia experienced in Sllver's
Nlling, the events Of the summer.