The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-06-22

les. 1leIe aT6Il any u6llVerleS
in Sherwood"
He hesitated for moment, then
touched her shoulder lightly with
his forefinger. Look here. Let
Briggs take you to market, then
come back here, and we'll run up to
the house, get the things for lunch
at Chevy Chase, and put you down,
sausages, bags and all, at your own
door in Sherwood"
"Really?" She was all shining ra-
dance.
Really. You'll do it then? Sit
down a moment while ! call I'D
Briggs"
He called the garage and turned
again to Jane ''I'll dictate some
important letters, and be ready for
you when you get back"
So Jane went through the fine old
market, with its long aisles brilliant
with the bounty of field and garden,
river, and bay and sea. There were
red meats and red tomatoes and
red apples, oranges that were yell
low. and pumpkins deeper orange.
There were shrimps that were pink,
and red-snappers deeper rose.
There was the gold of butter and the
gold of honey-the green of spin
ach, the green of olives and the
green of pickles in bowls of brine,
there was the brown of potatoes
overfiowing in burlap bags, and the
brown of bread baked to crustiness
the brown of the pluncge of dead
ducks-the white of onions and the
white of roses.
Jane bought modestly and
Briggs carried her parcels. He even
made suggestion as to the cut of
the steak. His father, it seemed,
had been butcher.
They drove back then for Fred
erick. Briggs went up for him, and
returned to say that Mr.. Towne
would be down in a moment.
Frederick was, as a matter of
fact, finishing a letter to Delafield
Simms:
II am assuming that you will get
your mail at the Poinciana, but I
shall also send a copy to your New
York office. Edith has asked me to
return the ring to you. / shall hold
it until / learn where it may be de-
lvered into your hands.
''As for myself, I can only say
this-that my first impulse was to
kill you. But perhaps I am too civil
lzed to believe that your death
would make things better. You must
understand, of course, that you've
put yourself beyond the pale of de-
cent people"
Lucy's pencil wavered-a flush
stained her throat and cheeks-then
she wrote steadily, as Frederick's
voice continued:
"You will find yourself black
balled by several of the clubs. What
ever your motive, the world sees no
excuse"
He stopped. "Will you read that
over again, Miss Logan"
So Lucy read it-stil with that
hot flush on her cheeks, and when
she had finished Frederick said,
"You can lock the ring in the safe
until give you further instruc-
tons"
A clerk came in to say that the
car was waiting, and presently
Frederick Towne went away and
Lucy was left alone in the great
room, which was not to her a for
est of adventure, as it had seemed
to Jane, but great prison where
she tugged at her chains.
She thought of Delafield Simms
sailing fast to southern waters. OF
those purple seas-the blazing stars
in the splendid nights. Delafield had
told her of them. They had often
talked together.
She turned the ring around on her
finger, studying the carved figure.
The woman with the butterfly wings
was exquisite-but she did not know
her name. She slipped the ring on
the third finger of her left hand. It's
diamonds blazed
She locked it presently in the safe
then came back and read the letter
which Towne had signed. She sealed
it and stamped the envelope Then
she wrote a letter of her own She
made a little ring of her hair, and
fastened it to the page. Beneath it
she wrote, Lucy to Del-forever.
She kissed the words, held the
cracking sheet against her heart.
Her eyes were shining. The great
room was no longer prison. She
saw beyond captivity to the open
sea.
Mrs. Allison and the three old la
dies with whom Jane was to drink
tea, were neighbors. Mrs. Allison
lived alone, and the other three lived
in the homes of their several sons
and daughters. They played cards ,
every Friday afternoon, and Jane
always came over when Mrs. Alli-
son entertained and helped her with
the refreshments. They were very
simple and pleasant old ladies with
a nice sense of their own dignity.
At any rate, they had Jane. Some
of the other young people scorned
these elderly tea-parties, and if they
came, were apt to show it in their
manner. But Jane was never scorn-
full She always had the time of
her life, and the old ladies felt par
ticularly joyous and juvenile when
she was one of them.
But this afternoon Jane was late.
Tea was always served promptly
at four And it happened that there
were popovers. So, of course, they