The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-10-04
CHAPTER vi

The words revolted her. Without
trying to understand her reaction,
she exclaimed in protest Arthur had
given his life for his country and
that was all there was to it..
Nothing his country could give her
could restore him and she had no
desire for anything else. But when
she tried to tell them this, Uncle
Clarence and the banker, two kindly
men with gray mustaches and
sympathetic if astonished eyes, ex-
planned to her as gently as they
could that it would be very foolish of
her to insist that she had no need
of a pension, since she unquestion-
ably had. Most of what her father
left had been spent on her educa-
ton. And then-didn't she remem-
ber?-when she married she had
spent good deal on furnishing her
home. Arthur's insurance, though
as much as he could have afforded,
was small-and in short, the Amer
lean lawmakers had taken all these
matters into account when they pro-
vided pensions for the widows of
men who died for their country.
Uncle Clarence knew this was a
painful subject; he would have liked
to spare her these details, in fact,
he had already attended to every
thing, but there were a few forms
to be filed out, and then her sig
nature here, and here, and here
the banker dipped the pen into the
ink and held it out, the handle point
ing to her.
Elizabeth took the pen and looked
at 1t an instant, then as though it
were a horrid object she threw it
down on the blotter and stood UP.
mol" she exclaimed, and she
meant it, though she could not just
then have told what prompted her.
No. I don't want the government
to pay me for Arthur. I can earn
my own living. I'd rather"
Before they could reply she ran
out of the bank, leaving Uncle Clar-
ence to apologize for her strange be-
havior, and the banker to answer
Uncle Clarence that it was quite all
right, he understood, the poor girl
was young and had no idea of money,
and she had undoubtedly received a
great blow, just come back when
she's more reasonable, glad to see
you both any time.
Elizabeth was walking quickly
along the street. She felt somehow
strong and free, stronger and freer
than she had felt since the day she
had received that terrible telegram.
All her senses were abruptly alert.
She noticed that there was a. tingle
of spring in the air. People were
walking fast, as if they had some
where of Importance to go. All of
a sudden she stopped in front of
store window and said "Ahl"-not
an audible exclamation, just the
swift little catch of her breath that
she would have given this time last
year at the sight of smart black
hat with a red feather.
Her thrill was gone in an instant.
She had time only to think, "Why,
this is the first time I've noticed any
thing" before the tiredness was
back on her and she was saying to
herself, What difference does it
make what wear now?" Looking
up at the store front, she remem-
bered that she had bought many hats
here in the past. One afternoon
she had called Arthur and told him
to pick her up here on his way home.
He had come in while she was still
hesitating, and had made the choice
for her-'Here's the one for you,
Elizabeth, black with red feather"
She caught her breath again, but
this time it was to stifie sob, and
she hurried home as fast as she
could.
Once at home she sat down tense
ly, asking herself with a sense of
desperation, Cant I ever get away
from this?" Then, suddenly, she be-
came aware that in asking the
question she had unconsciously, by
the words she was using, provided
the answer. She had to get away.
But though the answer had come,
it was not clear. For a few mo-
ments this morning she had been
exhilarated, until the hat with the
feather had brought him back. What
was it, she asked herself now, that
had given her that brief bright
sense of being alive again?
1t was something that had hap
pened at the bank She had said she
did not want to be paid for losing
Arthur. No wonder they had heard
her with sllch surprise.- for on the