The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1937-01-28
A GOOD LAXATIVE

Twice the telephone rang and her
heart sank. thinking It might Be
to say that he would dine out, but
It was merely the inquiry a. 10
whether Mr.. Vance was yet home.
| Presently the lock turned and the
| outer door few back with the ner-
vous push that told that he had
| arrived.
For q moment Eleanor stood ~
il in doubt, then going out quickly
| she put both arms around her hus-
bands neck before he had a chance
| to greet her with his usual courteous
formality. and locking her hand in
his she walked with him back 70
the living room.
Poor little woman vlmce SAID
in a surprised yet sympathetic tone,
twas the country SO dull that two
half days of it made you desperate?
It is lucky that / arranged for you
to come back during the interval.
How did you find mother and
father? Still living in the OH hum
drum way. I suppose, while mother
bravely pretends that she likes it?
The children's visit viii be q perfect
Godsend to them"
Eleanor's first tremor Of dis.
appointment at the mistake in tho
motive Of her greeting was put asidL
by her eagerness to explain and
tell Of her pleasure, her absolute
Joy in her visit. So absorbed was
she by her story Of the House in
The Glen and its people, that they
were half way through dinner be-
fore she came to a stop and realized
that not only had she done all the
talking. but that The Stranger was
not there and she had forgotten to
ask for him.
"Dr. Amunde? He is certainly a
most singular man." Emery re-
piled; 'he has discovered in Miss
Mack, my secretary, a new source
Of interest. an original interpreta-
ton of the real Christmas spirit, as
he calls it, developed by modern
conditions, and so he has gone to
dine at her sisters home amid the
confusion Of six unframed brats. BY
the way. he will 60 to Westover
with us for Christmas, but he says
that he must continue his journey
the day after"
81 think your people would SIM
ply love him. I'm very sorry that
he must leave so soon, for, do O
know, dear, I believe if he could
stay with u a while everything
might be different. It seems as if
he were someone who had always
known me, and who understood"
Different - understood? Flea
nor, for some time past you have
been harping on one chord, growing
unreasonable, discontinued, or else
trying to pose as a martyr, neither
mood being necessary" and Vance
applied himself to eating with a
elaboration that made for a silence
lasting throughout the meal.
do I remind you Of anything?"
Eleanor asked, hesitatingly, after
the coffee had been served, the man
gone and Emery was holding a
cigar, rolling it between his fingers
as if uncertain whether to light it
then and there or to go out.
Remind me of anyone? Why,
how?" Then he studied her quite
carefully for a full minute with a
puzzled expression n knitted
brows.
81 can see that you are dressed
differently from usual and that it
has not only changed your express
sion, but your figure also, and very
much for the worse. In fact, you
look rather awkward AM mussed
up. Is it a riddle? Have you
amused yourself by making UP for
a book-title in a guessing contest,
or are you going to a masquerade"
AT that moment nothing could
have forced her to confess that it
was the once admired picture of
herself that she had striven to copy,
and the hurt thus turned inward
dipped her usually guarded tongue
in bitterness:
"Ah! you would not understand
if I told you'll" There was a new
quality in her tone not explained
by her words that startled Vance.
Rapidly she turned the subject and
told OF his fathers perception, of
his interest in the house and his
daily. hourly, worship Of and de-
~pendence on his wife, making the
simple narrative almost dramatic
and hurting it at her husband like
a challenge.