The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-06-15

| stuff is dead and gone, my dear. We
idealize the dead, but not the liv-
ing"
1t was true and she knew it. But
she did not want to admit it. "Ev-
ans" she said, and laid her cheek
for a moment against the rough
sleeve of his coat, "don't make me
unhappy. Let me help"
sYou don't know what you are
asking. You'd grow tired of it. Any
woman would
"Why look ahead? Can't we live
for each day."
She had lighted fame of hope in
him. IF might" eagerly.
"Why not? Begin right now. What
are you thankful for, Evans?"
mot much" uneasily.
"Well, I'll tell you three things.
Books and your mother and me.
Say that over-out loud"
He tried to enter into her mood.
Books and my mother and Jane"
She caught at another thought. "It
almost rhymes with Stevenson's
books and food and summer rain,'
doesn't it?"
Eyes. What man he was-cheer-
full in the face of death. Jane, /
believe / could face death more
cheerfully than life"
Don't say such things had
come to the little house on the ter
race, "don't say such things. Don't
think them"
"As man thinks-Do you believe
it?"
''I believe some of it."
well talk about it tonight. No,
can't come in. Dinner is at seven"
He fingered moment longer. "Do
you know what darling you are,
Jane?"
She stood watching him as he
limped away. Once he turned and
waved. She waved back and her
eyes were blurred with tears.
In James next letter to Judy she
told about the dinner.
1--WE had a delicious dinner. It
seems to me, Judy, that my mind
dwells a great deal on things to eat.
But, after all, why shouldn't I?
Housekeeping is my job.
Mrs. Toilette doesn't attempt to
do anything that she can't do well,
and it was all so simple and satisfy
ing. In the center of the table was
some of the fruit that Mr.. Towne
sent in a silver epergne, and there
were four Sheffield candlesticks with
white candles.
Mrs. Toilette carved the turkey.
Evans can't do things like that
she wore her perennial black lace
and pearls, and in spite of every
thing, Judy, I can't help liking her,
though she is such a beggar on
horseback. They haven't a cent, ex-
cept what she makes from the milk,
but she looks absolutely the lady of
the manor.
"The cousins are very fashiona-
BILE. One of them, Muriel Toilette.
knows Edith Towne intimately. She
told us all about the wedding, and
how people are blaming Edith for
running away and are feeling terri
bly, sorry for Mr. Towne Of course
they didn't know that Baldy and |
had ever laid eyes on either of them.
But you should have seen Baldys S
| eyes, when Muriel said things about
Edith. I was scared stiff for fear
he'd say something. You know how
his temper flares.
1 tTuJo1I M,,r;a1 eo;I -o~.o ozkx~.
things. That everybody is sure that
Delafield Simms is in love with
someone else, and that they are say
ing Edith might have known it if she
hadn't always looked upon herself
as the center of the universe. And
they feel that If her heart is broken,
the decent thing would be to mourn
in the bosom of her family. OF
course I'm not quoting her exact
words, but you'll get the idea.
'And Badly thinks his queen can
do no wrong, and was almost burst
ing. Judy, he walks in a dream.
| don't know what good it is going to
do him to feel like that. He will
have to always worship at a dis
tance like Dante. Or was it Abe
lard? always get those grande pas
sions mixed.
Anyhow, there you have it. Edith
Towne rode in Baldy's f1ivver, and
he has hitched that little wagon to
start
"We1, after dinner, we set the
victrola going and Badly had to
dance with Muriel. She dances ex-
tremely well, and / know he en-
joyed it, though he wouldn't admit
it. And Muriel enjoyed it. There's
no denying that Badly has a way
with him.
after they had danced a while
everybody played bridge, except Ev-
ans and me. You know how | hate
it, and it makes Evans nervous. So
we went in the library and talked.
Evans is dreadfully discouraged
about himself. wish that you were
here and that we could talk it over.
But it is hard to do it at long dis
tance. There ought to be some way
to help him. Sometimes it seems
that / can't stand it when I remem-
Der what he used to be-"
Evans had carried Jane off to the
library high-handedly. 81 want
you," was all the reason he vouch-
safed as they came into the shabby
room with its leaping flames in the
fireplace, its book-lined walls, its inn
posing portrait above the mantel.
The portrait showed Evans
grandfather, and beneath it was a
photograph of Evans himself. The
likeness between the two men was
striking-there was the same square