The Coolidge examiner., 1936-08-14

| San Francisco when you're not ac-
customed to motoring" the man
said.
Il am sure it must have been try
ing" Grandmother said. still look
ing at her tenderly. There was
something new and solicitous in her
expression. Now that our greatest
problem Is solved, surely we can
make a real change in our way Cc
living"
"What do you mean?" Deborah
asked quickly.
ooh, so many things, dear"
Grandmother leaned forward. 1--WE
must furbish ourselves up, for one
thing. We are becoming quite care
less as to our ways of living. I've
been feeling guilty about it for a
long time. but I've been so worried
about Deborah that nothing else
seemed of any particular impOr-
tance. But now l feel" she finished
briskly, that we must have two or
three extra servants at once, have
the grounds put in order, have the
electric plant repaired :"
But" Deborah said family, and
stopped.
"But what, my darling? Would
| you not like to see the house filled
with young company, with music,
with life? To have host of pretty
| new clothes?"
1--WE don't know anyone to fill the
house WITH" Deborah protested mis-
erably.
Stuart does" Grandmother said
with confidence. ''IIe told me only
few moments ago that he had a
great many friends in San Fran
CISCO"
Grandmother :"
She smiled. 'Now, Deborah, of
course we should not ask anyone
for some time, my dear. You and
| Stuart must have month or two
of your own, first. But during that
time the house and grounds can be
taken care of they have been neg
lected so long it will be quite an
undertaking. Since your grandfa-
ther wished that we should spend
year here after your marriage, |
| think we must try and make it a
happy year, and in it prepare you
as best we can to mingle in society
when we emerge at last from our
retreat"
Il never want to 60 away from
here" Deborah cried, "never,
never"
"Why, Deborah !" Grandmother
said in surprise. "Stuart, the dear
child is quite Overwrought. OF
course you will go away from here,
my dear, you and Stuart. The whole
world is before you. Am not
right, Stuart? You would not be sat
istied to spend all your life here?"
He hesitated. but only for frac-
ton of second. Then, I'm not at
all sure that shouldn't be, if Debo-
rah were to be here" he said.
Deborah jumped from her chair.
Her eyes flashed. WAS that neces
sary?" she asked him bitterly.
Grandmother stood up too. a
slight small figure in her gray.
What do you mean?" she asked in
still cold voice.
"Oh !" Deborah began, and stopped.
Nothing" she said slowly. Il am
Oyerwrought, Grandmother. |
think will go and rest for little" "
"Of course, DEAR she answered,
relieved. "Of course. | understand.
Go along, then and your things
are in the silver rooms in the south
wing"
The silver rooms?" Deborah re
peated. Involuntarily her startled
eyes fell to the mans and gray and
violet clung together. Deborah S
cheeks began to burn. She looked
away.
NO objections, my dear. The sill
yer rooms were always intended for
you, but you preferred to be near
me rather than in the south wing
alone. Go along, my darling, and
perhaps after a little | will follow
your example. The excitement and
the happiness have quite tired me
out"
| Deborah went across the room
and through the door. She wanted
| to stamp and kick and scream. This
must be how a rabbit felt when it
was caught in snare. She went
on, up the long curving staircase,
down the corridor into the south
wing, through the second door on
| the right. Inside was sitting
room, with walls panelled in sill
yer, with rugs and chairs and cur
tainS done in deep violet There
was huge four-poster bed against
the inner wall, with a beautiful
violet and tarnished-silver spread
upon it, and a long silver bowl of
violets on little table at one side.
And, at the foot Of the bed, was a
mans heavy pigskin bag, as yet un-
opened.
She went across to it and lifted
it with vicious jerk. 1t was
heavy. She went through the bed
room and the sitting room to the