The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-10-28
SHORT
SHORT
STORY

SUSN hair was like black
NE~AN1 lacquer, and whose
SHON tiny mustache gave
him a frivolous air.
Life is a circle, you say, Mrs.
Bradford. In what way, for in
stance?"
''We start out ambitiously, tired of
home surroundings, wishing for
something brighter, better, bored by
old loves, seeking new ones-search-
ing for the gold hidden at the foot
of the rainbow-for my part, I be-
heve that the reason we cannot find
the foot of the rainbow is because it
has no foot-even the rainbow is a
circle
Alice Wayne thought of what Mrs.
Bradford said as she went up to
her pretty little room on the third
floor. She closed the door and sat
down near the window. On the
narrow bed lay her hat and light
wrap, for she was expecting Ernest
Rayner to call and take her to the
theater. Even the thrill of going
to the theater in New York could
not Danish the unruly thoughts that
Mrs. Bradford's remark aroused.
If life was circle, then she was
even now on her way back to Rowen-
vile! She had started out a year
ago, full of hope, ambitious to work
her way to the top of the business
ladder, as far as a woman can go,
and she had constantly met with re-
bluffs. She found the bottom of the
ladder rather crowded.
PACK in Rowenville was home, her
- parents and brothers and sisters,
and Dick Davies-one of the girls,
her sister Rose, perhaps, had writ
ten that Dick seemed "quite smit-
ten with the school teacher over at
Little Rowen." Alice had not even
felt stir of excitement over that
news. If Dick wanted to vegetate
in Rowenville he could!
Ernest Rayner was different-he
was city born and bred, and he
had a gay, smart way with him
that almost carried Alice off her
feet.
do you believe that life is cir
cle?" Alice asked him as they
walked over to the subway.
''High-brow stuff, eh?" he queried.
Alice WINGED. ooh, nothing; it
doesn't matter. Are we a little
late?"
"Rather-if we can catch an ex-
: press we will get there on the dot"
he said placing his hand under her
elbow and hurrying her along.
Alice hated being pushed along"
in that fashion; feeting memory
of walking in Rowenville with Dick
Davies-her hand resting on his
arm in the gentle old-fashioned way.
The play was good, and so was
the little supper that followed, but
all the evening, like a nagging pain,
ran the thought of the circle that
was relentlessly returning her to
/ Rowenville.
! HE next morning Alice read in
\ her morning paper about a bad
automobile accident in Rowenville.
The letters stood out huge in her
startled gaze, as she swiftly read
the few lines-Richard Davies car
in collision with another car round
ing the curve by the mill-Alice
knew the very spot-a girl, Agnes
Brown, a school teacher at Little
! Rowen, was unframed, but Davies
was badly hurt. He was taken to
his home-there were hopes for his
recovery.
Only hopes for his recovery-no
certainty-Dick Davies-whom she
had taken as matter of course
] Dick with his deep abiding love for
her, his generous heart that en-
deared him to everybody.
'No-no-it can't be thatl'
sobbed the girl, and going to her
chief, she asked for permission to
go home for few days. my fance
has been injured in an accident"
she explained. On the train, speed
ing toward Rowenville, Alice knew
that she must face the truth. She
had never been engaged to Dick,
but he had asked her to marry him
before she left home.
In Rowenville, she went straight
to the Davies house. DR.. Whites
little car was before the gate. Mrs.
Davies opened the door. -
'My dear child, I am SO glad you
came-he has fretted about you for
a year, knew it--oh, yes, he is
better-he is all right-there, slip
up the back stairs to his room-the
doctor has gone down the front way
Il want to see him."
Guided by the smell of antisep-
tics, Alice found the door into Dicks
pleasant room, and pushed it open.
81 don't know whether | am
dreaming or not" said Dicks voice
rather weakly, "but my mind seems
running in circles and l always find
myself thinking of you"
81 am here, dear" said Alice soft
] ~ aT boya baap IN o o;,a1a -