The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-06-25

and her mother talked at the win
dow, their heads together.
81 can't, Magda," he said more
than once. "I'm so sorry-I can't"
But when Victoria came out again
to find her mother alone, there was
an air Of disappointment or defeat
in Mrs. Manners attitude. She was
glowing with inner fires; she was
shaken, laughing, ecstatic. She put
her arms about Vicky; held the girl
away from her to laugh into her
eyes.
"My darling, do you like him?"
Victoria regarded her with
smile that had small heart in it.
''Isn't the question-do your"
"Vic, on the steamer, the day
we left Buenos Aires, we found each
otherl" Magda said. "He came up
to me and said, Aren't you the
Valdes' friend, Sonora Manners
don't know how he ever nerved
himself to do it, for he's not like
that as rule. But he said he had
seen me at the country club. We
hardly spoke to. anyone else on the
voyage; we had our meals on deck,
we talked and talked as if we never
could talk enough!
'For the first time in my life, Vic,
have met a man who stirs in me
something-something that might
have been, might have had?" Mag
da continued. ''He loves me, l
know that, although he's never told
me so. But it isn't that. It's the
companionslrip, the exquisite delight
of being Observation-Disclosures"
Magda broke off to say in amused
scorn. "He knows more than OF
everything-books, music, people.
And his attitude toward life is so
beautiful, so simple and eager and
fine"
There was a silence. Magda
smiled and wiped suddenly wet
eyes, and Victoria smiled, too,
mothers patient smile for child.
$50 WHAT" the girl asked good
naturally.
$50 nothing, my darling, that's
the tragedy" Magda answered
lightly, and there was another 81
lence.
NO." she went on presently, end
ing it. "Ferdy gets here next week,
and Lucius goes down to his wife
and the little girls in Carmel, and
that's the end"
The day moved on.
That night, when they went down.
stairs to join the Kendalls, and be
carried off for a dinner, Victoria
saw Lucius and a woman and two
gawky dark shy girls, all sitting in
the great red chairs of the hotel
foyer, evidently waiting for some
one. Was it for Mother?
Whether it was or not they all
came over to Vic and Magda, and
there were introductions. Mrs.
Farmer was a plain stout whole
some looking little woman in
glasses, with ropes of oily gray
brown hair wound about her head.
The girls were like her, although
both gave promise Of some beauty.
Ann. Constance. Victoria.
course of the next few days, when
you fall in love, make it with a man
to whom you can be an inspiration.
It's a sacred thing-it's worth all
the pain and the ache, to inspire
truly great mani"
At first Victoria felt most pity for
the man. He was clever, keen, af-
fectionate, simple, and he was suf-
fering cruelty. After a few weeks
she perceived that her mother was
in misery as great as his. Magda
carried it better, but it was there.
Ferdy was back now, restless, ir-
ritable, unreasonable. He went to
races, fights, polo games with men;
lie went off on hunting and fishing
trips. Sometimes Victoria thought
him entirely oblivious Of what was
going on; sometimes she thought he
knew. Magda was burning up with
it; she could not have wholly con-
cealed it even if she would. She
glowed and trembled, laughed and
cried; she was strangely, awk-
wardly like a girl again-a girl
upon whom the inexorable forties
had set their tragic seal. Some
how it hurt Victoria to the deeps
OF her soul to see her mothers
agony in this grip of young love.
Lucius was fighting it; grimly,
honestly, uselessly. He and Magda
met; sat long over hotel tea tables
telling each other that this must be
the end, that there was no honor,
no happiness for them except in
remuneration. Magda, in her dark
violet velvet, with the broad brim
of her dark velvet hat shadowing
her splendid eyes, and the rich gold
brown of sables setting off her ex-
quisite skin, was perhaps as beau
tiful at such moments as she had
ever been in her life. Just to be
with Lucius brought the transpar-
ent color to her face and the strange
liquid pulsing to her eyes.
But when they had parted it was
only to begin the agony again.