The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-02-08
By
LOUIS BROMFIELD

4 can pNl OH Lazy EsSht-H-
And why not ?"
Because I can't. It's impos-
sible.
We'll, your have to"
Tell Mr. Ransome you'll come
another day
I can't do that"
Why can't YOU Hes always
been so polite and kind. He
wouldn't mind
I can't because I really asked
him to have the party"
You asked him ." In her
astonishment Miss Hodge stopped
crying for moment.
Yes, I thought we should sec
more people
I won't put off Lady Esketh
for lot of Indians and mission
aries"
In perfect silence Sarah regard
ed her for a moment. with a look
so cold and so terrible that for
a moment Miss Hodge felt like
fainting.
In a terrible voice she said: Go
to the writing desk this minute
and write a note TO Lady Esketh.
| knew you We're stupid and silly
and fool, but I never thought
you We're snob and a bootlicker."
Miss Hodge went suddenly mad
For a moment she stared at Miss
Dirks as if hypnotized. her blue
eyes wide with horror, her mouth
hanging open. Then she cried: "A
snobi A bootlicker, I'm not a
snobi I'm not a bootlicker,
won't put her Off Now l know!
You hate me- You've always hated
me-" and she ran from the room
screaming to lock the door. She
did not sob quietly from nerves as
Miss Dirks did She screamed.
She wanted every one to know
how she was treated, how she suf-
fered. how cruel Miss Dirks could
be. She wanted the Untouchable
girls in the kitchen to know and
the Sikhs in the great gateway on
the other side of the road and the
passersby outside the garden.
From the moment her maid an
nouneed the doctor Edwina forgot
all about Miss Hodge and her envy
of small lives and the invitation to
tea. Even the last few words of
farewell were spoken mechanically
with a graciousness which did not
come from the heart but from long
established habit
And when the door opened and
the anajor came in she felt
twinge of disappointment, that he
lacked somehow the magnificence
with which she had endowed him.
He did not sit down. Il can only
stay a moment" he said; Il still
don't know what your husband is
suffering from, but whatever it is,
it is serious"
You must not 60 near him. 1t
is so serious that even the nurse
must keep her face covered until
we know. I've sent a specimen of
blood to the institute in Bombay
1t will go by the Bombay Mail
and we should know the result by
~" evening lIdNt dShtu
them to telegraph me-
What do you think it might be,
Major she asked him, making
an effort as she did in front OF
Bates, to give the illusion of con-
Germ where there was none. be-
cause she knew that this man was
an idealist She knew it from his
faan bic unipa
and kindness and from the look
in his eyes While she talked to
him a strange wild hysterical
thought came to her out of no.
where: Perhaps he is the one.
Perhaps he could save me-"
He did not sa.' what it might be:
There is no use in alarming you
needlessly, In any case it's GER
tain that your husband won't be
able to leave for weeks"
How many weeks ," She. who
had been bored and eager to leave
only a little while before, now
wished that he had said months
instead of weeks. The heat, the
rain, the m ono tony no longer
existed. She felt herself trem-
bling and put her hands behind
her.
-Four or five at the least" He
looked at her directly. saying, I'm
very sorry on your account. For
you Ranchipur must be deadly
And suddenly she felt very young
and very happy NO, it really
isn't"
Il must go now. Miss MacDaid
is waiting for me at the barracks"
Quickly she said, Won't you
have drink or at least a cup OF
tea % He could not go now. as
quickly as this. still in the cold
professional role of doctor. Some
how she must change that. Some
how she must lead the thing onto
a different plane.
Then he smiled for the first
time. and the charm and sim
plicity in his smile made her feel
suddenly ill., If it's all ready you
might give me a cup"
It's cold now III send for
some fresh"
II doesn't matter. Ill take II
as it is. I haven't time to wait"
And out of her instinct and a long
experience she knew by the way he
smiled and looked at her that he
had forgotten for a moment that
he was the doctor. For moment
he had seen her as a woman. And
she said to herself, You must not
60 too fast You are not in Europe
and this is a kind of a man you
have never met before. You must
not give your hand away. He
must think you are something
which you are not"
So she kept her voice and eyes
in control and poured him cup Of
tepid tea and even drank a cup
herself. although there was moth
ing she loathed so much. And for
five brief minutes thew talked