—
LADY
BLANCHE
FARM
A Romance of the
Commonplace
by
Frances Parkinson Keyes
WNU Service
Copyright by Frances Parkinson Keyes
CHAPTER X—Continued
oy Deen
New York. to P'aul, was not the
zlittering wonder that it is to most
boys, seeing it at his age for the first
time. Nothing thrilled him at all. The
vivid memory of the touch of Mary's
tips, the thrill of that frosty kiss, still
abliterated every other emotion. He
finnlly went to the department store
where he knew Rosalie King worked.
and sought her out. She was not very
cordial to him. Girls, Paul reflected.
had inconveniently long memories for
a fellow's shortcomings, But when
he gave volce to his lonesomeness and
depression, warmed to him at
once. 'aul was by no means the only
person whom Sylvia had sized up cor
rectly.
Jusiness was a litt
ing. Paul leaned
and told his story, with the conspicu
ous omission of some of the most
important parts, He told enough, how
ever, for Rosalie to guess a good deal
more and what she guessed moved her
not a little When he finished, she
needed to repowder her nose.
“Why don't you pick out something
swell to take home to her?” she asked.
“She likes blue, don't she? 1 got a
bracelet here, with sapphires in It
that's classy down to the ground.”
Paul bought the bracelet, but he
reflected. The houses at Lady
Blanche farm, like most of those in
Hamstead during the last decade, had
been equipped with bathrooms and
furnaces and when at the time of
Blanche's wedding, Violet had put elec
trie lights In hers, Seth and Jane had
done the same. Dut they had no set-
tubs, no electrical laborsaving de
vices, no elaborate short-cuts to com
fort and leisure. [aul began to won
der If he would not have done better
to buy an electric machine
and a vacunm cleaner than a sapphire
bracelet, He asked Rosalie what she
thought,
“Couldn't you get her both?
“I'm afraid not, just now
regretfully.
The next day Austin sailed,
*aul was free to go home again.
it was late in the evening when,
after a long, cold journey, he reached
the Hamstead station. Seth was wait
ing for him in the sieigh, and they
were soon jJingling along through
heavy snow down the road to Lady
Blanche farm,
How still it was, how cold
white! llow clean and open
friendiy! Paul wondered that he had
ever, for one single instant, imagined
that he would prefer to live in a city,
in that dreadful strangeness, that
hurry and dirt and noise! Not that
seeing New York hadn't been a won
derful experience, of course. But It
was much more wonderful getting
home after It, and it was going to be
most wonderful of all telling Mary
what he had seen, what he had felt,
what he had divined—watching
light in the steady gray eyes, the ex.
pression on the changing mouth. And
perhaps now—of course it wouldn't do
to force the Issue, even now, but per
haps—
“Is it too late to see Mary tonight?
he asked suddenly, feeling in his
pocket to see if the sapphire bracelet
wns surely safe,
*Geddap, King,” sald Seth, address
ing the wholly unregal creature that
was taking them on their way. “What
alls you, Paul, ain't you ben listenin’
to what | ben sayin’ to you these last
five minutes?”
“No,” said Paul breathlessly.
was thinking. She—ghe
she?
“Well,” said Seth slowly, “1 guess
she’s ben sick—ailin’, anyway-—for
some time, longer'n we realized. She's
worked real hard ever since her moth
er died. Mary ain't one to shirk. of
course, and not bein’ experienced. it
made it harder for her. Then she was
considerable upset over that trouble
you and she had in the summer. And
« ghe took Sylvia's death a good deal to
heart. Mary don’t say much, and 1
never saw her cry or git ‘nervous’ like
your ma. But you. remember she
fainted dead away one time just after
Algy begun to get better—sorter
dropped in her tracks? She seemed
to perk up again ‘round Christmas. but
danged if she didn’t keel right over
again the day after you left for Noo
York. Now she's gone”
“Gone! echoed "aul, an ley terror
clutching at his heart, “You mean
she's dead?”
“No, she ain't dead! Land, Paul,
you must be gettin’ nervous yourself,
Geddap, King. She's gone to Boston
to visit that friend of hers, Hannah
Adams, that's heen teasin® her to come
for so long. Moses and Algy and |
hev moved over to Jane's to stay until
she gets back, 1 kMmder think that's
what we oughter hey done in the first
place, after Lauran died, until Mary
had finished her schoolin' and got her
growth and strength. Jane says she
don't how Mary ever done so much
she
le dull that morn
over the counter
washing
he sald
and
and
and
the
1
isn't sick, Is
-~
work. We've had to get In Myra's
nlece from out back, to help her, and
send the wash up to the steam Iaun-
dry in Wallacetown besides, and buy
bread once or twice, and still she's
ben on the Jump every minute. |
guess Mary put a good deal of vitality
into her job. Well, 1 give her Laura's
money before she went, without any
strings tied to it. It ain't much, but
it's somethin”
“Do you think,” asked Paul, chok-
ing a little, “that there was any other
reason, that anything happened just
before 1 left, that made Mary want to
go away-—besides just because she
was tired?” and as he asked the ques
tion, the boy seemed to feel her face
pressed against his, the ecstasy of that
swift, passionate kiss that she re.
turned, and to see the sudden tears
in her eyes afterwards,
Seth considered this question care.
fully before he answered it. “Well,”
he said at length, “women's queer. |
don't pretend to understand ‘em. [Dut
Mary thought a lot of you, and you
Jilted her. That's the plain English of
it, ain't It? 1 guess it hurt her a good
deal, and it was a long while, as |
don’t need to tell you, before she could
bring herself to speak to you again
But sence that night that Algy took
sick, and you helped her out so good,
she gradually got to be friends with
you again. She was real grateful to
you, and 1 guess she still likes you
some, in spite of everything. Mary's
like that, She don't change easy.
And she could see that you was tryin’
to do befter. 1 want to give you
credit for that myself, Paul. Mary
ain't harborin’ what you done against
any more, but she ain't forgot
that you done it, and she ain't certain
you wouldn't do it again. Wal,
of course I don’t want to pry, and |
ain't askin® you no questions, "
“I—I—had begun to hope that some
time"
“Then,” said Seth decidedly, “you're
a bigger fool'n even 1 took you for,
and that's sayin’ a good deal. Mary
made a mistake to let you get her
you
He Told Enough, However, for
Rosalie to QGuezs a Good D:zal
More.
easy before and to let you treat her
neglectful after you did get her. She
wouldn't make a mistake like that
again; even if she wanted you, and |
don't she does, Anyway, she
don't trust and I'm dummed If |
look to see her be gone
And that ain't
believe
you,
blame her 1
from here
all”
Paul waited,
than ever.
“1 got a letter from Mr. Hamlin, the
architect,” said Beth, “that was a8 con
siderable surprise to me. He says he
asked Mary to marry him three years
ago, when her mother died. And she
turned him down because she thought
Moses ind Algy and me needed her,
and because she was comin’ home—to
you, It shows she didn't have as
much sense as she might hev, or she
never would bev refused a man like
that to stick to a boy like you. Bat
I hope she's acquired a little sense.
Anyway, he says he's glad to under.
stand that conditions hey changed
somewhat now and he wanted 1
should give my consent to try his luck
again. Consent! Great Godfrey! 1
writ by return mall! Geddap, King!”
Late that night, when everyone else
had gone to bed, Paul went outdoors
and stood for a long time, looking
towards the unlighted windows of the
house across the road. Adam, fac
ing the angel with the flaming sword
which barred the gate into Eden, could
have felt no surer that he had lost
Paradise through his own wrongdoing
than did this humbled and Heartsick
boy.
some time,
his heart sinking lower
——
CHAPTER XI
The sun, streaming into the pretty
living room, fell on Blanche's golden
hair and turned the color of her deli.
cate negligee from palest pink to rose,
She was, her husband reflected, grow:
ing lovelier and lovelier with every
month that passed. Just now, how.
ever, her face wore the expression of
slight discontent which at firs? he had
noticed only when she spoke of the
dullness of Hamstead and which had
left it altogether during the first radi
ant weeks of their marriage.
“What's the matter, honey?”
“Nothing, except that I'm wishing |
was a nymph again”
Philip laughed,
“The first time | heard you say that
was because you wanted to get away
from spring cleaning,” he said lightly,
“and the second, when you had to go
to an Intelligence office and engage a
mald, The third time was when you
tried In vain to crank the ear on a
cold day and 1 got home and fonud
you nearly crying over it, What's the
matter this time?”
“Bills.” sald Blanche briefly.
“Bilis?” echoed P'hilip. “Why, |
should think those were one of the
last things that need trouble you
We've plenty of money to pay bills
for all the things we really need. Yon
silly child, hand them over—"
She gathered the fluttering sheets
on the desk and gave them to him.
Then, watching his face as he began
to glance through them, she suddenly
burst out, “I'm sure [I've tried to he
careful! We have only one maid, In
stead of three or four, nnd an apart.
ment Instead of a house, like almost
everyone we know, And I really don't
spend anything on clothes compared
to the other young married women
I've met this winter, And we don’t go
to the theater or entertain much or—"
“1 know, darling. It does seem to
cost a lot, just to live, I didn’t
realize how much, beforehand, tut
after all, we had a lovely trip and
we've been pretty comfortable and
happy in this little apartment. And
I can take care of all these all right
tut 1 guess we shall have to go a little
slow for a while,”
“Well, It's lucky we
baby! 1 don’t
said about bills then!
been perfectly erazy—"
Something about *‘hilip's silence
halted Blanche, She decided that it
wins wiser to change the sublect,
“1 had a letter from Paul last night,”
she sald, “1 meant to speak of it be
fore, 1 guess he's rather fed up with
Lady Blanche farm, too. At
come to Boston for a
week or so and asks if It would be
convenient for us to have him here”
Philip hesitated. lle felt that the
present state of his finances could iil
permit him to give his brother-in-law
the kind of a good time he would ex
pect if he town. On the
other hand, he was curious to see if
the more favorable Impressions which
he had gained of the boy at Christ
mas time would prove to be lasting.
“Of course, if aul is coming to Ros
ton, we must have him here.” he sald
pleasantly, .
Paul appeared three days Inter, and
Philip, with his usual fairmindedness,
confessed to himself that the boy was
still more changed, and though differ.
ently, it was certainly not for
worse. He seemed much older, much
quieter, and decidedly preoccupied,
“Yes, of course I'd enjoy going to
the theater,” he sald a trifle absently
“Thanks awfully. Or anything else
you've planned. First of all, though
if you don’t vind, I'd like to go and
see Mary, haven't heard from
her at all indirectly, since be
fore 1 went to New York, Do you
think she's had a pleasant winter?”
"“ieasant winter ("exclaimed Blanche
“Why, she's had a wonderful
She's packed these few months pretty
full, 1 can tell you! And | must say
she's a great success, | don’t belle
she'll turn her back on it all
time in a hurry! Mary is nice,
no denying that, and awfully
and you'd never believe th
clothes h
haven't had a
And yet youve
any
came lo
time!
8 second
theres
clever
too, e differ
ence good-looking made
in her appearance™
“And
ave
she's had time to
read,” cut In Philip, “which 1 think
has meant more to her than almost
anything else. The first week she was
here she was In bed most of the
time. Then she began to go for a
dally ride and to pick up generally
Mr. Hamlin's preity attentive to her”
“Pretty attentive!™ Blanche echoed
her husband, “Why, he follows her
like a shadow! Wasn't she queer not
to tell us that he was after her be
fore—and not to accept him® 1 dont
see how she could have hesitated a
minute!”
“I'm glad she's had a good time”
was Paul's only comment nt the end
of these and similar disclosures. , “1
want to see ber myself”
“Well, let's go to theater to
night, and you ean go there tomorrow
afternoon™
There was an amusing Tarce running
the
curtain went down after the first act
and the lights came on, Blanche, wip
ing the tears of merriment from her
eyes, gave Paul a sudden nudge,
“Look I" she whispered, “in the first
box on the right!”
Paul turned in the
cated. The box conta
~g@ middle-aged man and woman,
younger men, one of them in khaki,
and two girls At the first glance,
that was all Paul realized. Then it
came over him that the two older
direction indi
of the young men, Gale Hamlin, one of
the girls Hannah Adams and the other
--the one in white brocade, with the
rose-colored velvet wrap flung over
the back of her chair and the big
bunch of orchids and lilies of the val
ley at her waist—ayas Mary Manning,
whom he had last seen wearing a red
knitted hood, and shabby little red
wool mittens.
The theater seemed to he swaying,
then everything blurred. [le shut his
eyes for a minute. When he opened
them, the box was heginning to fill
Half a dozen extra men had joined
the party, one in navy blue, two more
in khaki, adding to its merriment,
Hannah was entigely absorbed In the
first officer, Lut Mary seemed quite
equal to handling the others. Blanche
kept whispering fo his ear, as he
watched,
“That blond man with glasses on
Is Hannah's fiance, Captain Merrill
They didn’t intend to be married un.
til fall, but since he's in the army,
they've put the wedding ahead six
months, now. that war Is declared.
Mary's going to be maid of honor.
Don’t you want to go up and speak
to her? You sald yon wanted wo
see her!”
ITO BE CONTINUED.)
ens oun ad
“what's the
and summer,
definitely In
HE question as to
siyle” for spring
1053, Is answered very
In most window displays and
majority of style parades
They are worthy to admire and to
are these genteel-looking navy
the thin kind you-love-to-wear mate.
In making your selection you will
be called opon to decide, perhaps, be
tween one of those voguish thin
or taffeta finished types, which
her tiny or wide welts
(newest thing out) or one of the nu
merous thin - almost - to - transparency
which are stich good style
Then again your fancy may turn to a
tailors to a nicety. At any rate what.
If it be navy and If it
it will qual.
ify a hundred per cent smart. What's
it will be the most practical out.
fit you could possibly choose and with
ft will flatter to heart's desire
It makes the navy-sheer story the
more thrilling In that those who cre
ate of these materials are displaying
such cunning and originality In thelr
manipulation. They are, for Instance,
tucking some of these sheer sults sll
over from head to foot. Then again
the treatment is varied in that these
thia fabrics are shirred In row.and-
row puffs from oeckline to hemline,
To these costumes of tucked, shirred
or tailored navy, or black, if you pre
fer, sheers, a final note of chic Is re-
peatedly added In the way of white
pique or organdie accessories. The
intriguing thing about these attraciive
collars and cuffs, gilets, lapels and
other items too numerous to mention
is, they are so fashioned as to buiton
on with a view to removing and laun-
dering at will
For those who prefer gay contrast
instead of touches of white, an array
of charming dresses are being shown
this season which flaunt enlivening
dashes and splashes of high color,
The combining of vivid print
gesture,
Hlustrated to the
This smart
frock left in
picture.
a Aa
mace
the new Paton neckline
bizarre scarf! print. A silver
fastening provides an
bright accent
For the
right the
rough-finished novelty
you learn sbout the
you will be eager to borrow Lhe
instanter. They are made of
shades of blue organdie set
with sliver thread fagoting. ¥he op
1 i
additiona’
Swagger navy
designer turns fo a sheer
worsted,
is endless
if they 80
fect using
gandie,
& 1923
chose, a Roman stripe ef
muiticolored bands of or
Western Newspaper Union
EVENING ENSEMBLE
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
This very lovely evening ensemble
which is a Lucien Lelong creation pro.
claims the charm of velvet as it poses
over dainty flowery gowns, The ador-
able capelike wrap has the new draped
sleeves which flow from a scarf yoke.
It is typical of the ravishing styles in
promise for summer. The gown Is a
gorgeous cire mousseline print with
dark green background.
Draped Bateau Effect Is
New Neckline Treatment
Another mood of width across the
top of a frock is the newest neckline
treatment, which several of the Paris
couturiers agree on, the draped bateau
effect. This Is sometimes done so
high that it crosses the front of the
throat, but In any case it Is another
hint that the horizontal emphasis at
get enough you can make an entire
dress, or spring coat, out of it and be
the last word In Parisian smartness
Schiaparelll- uses ReguIae wrapping
cord to create a very lacy looking
costume,
interesting designs in a
thing so that it has a certain amount
of body and doesn't Just wilt when
you put It on
And the scraps from all your slothes,
too—don’t think of
any of them, because
must, absolutely must,
match each and every outfit, from
your wool ensemble to your printed
georgette or crepe de chine evening
gown, Gloves are now made of silk,
lace, chiffon, wool, taf
feta with ‘organdie gauntlet gloves and
in leather touched off with any of the
above materials,
sour gloves
be made to
Real Flowers Come Back
Into Fashion Picture
Nuture once again imitates art, as
real flowers come back into vogue for
wear with daytime and afternoon
clothes. They're real, but he object
of the game Is to make (hsm look
as artificial as possible. For they arc
being “styled” to look like the artificial
blossuine which we have been in the
habit of using as decorations for our
more dressed-up costumes,
For Instance, with a trallisz gown
of gray chiffon with a manve cast, »
smart woman recently appeared with
A lei wreath of real violets, caught
at the side with a single huge orchid.
Another wore a black frock, with
wide square neckline, finished at el
ther side with white orchids held in
place with clips, Gardenius and flat
white camelling are used in a tana
manner, in pairs,
Day Dreams Must
Not Become Habit
Always Danger They May Re-
sult in Shutting Out
Reality.
Many persons do not clearly see
the means by which they can make
their dreams come true,
Day dreams first appear when a
person cannot actually get what he
wants, or when he gets what he does
not want, Day dreams are then used
as compensation for actual lacks in
real life. It is noteworthy that the
dreamer occupies the central, the ex.
nlted position
Play of the daydreaming type may
go to such an extent that the indi-
vidual tends to shut reality and
to take the dream tor actnality, One
boy wed so much and often
that he was a g nvenior that he
actually cane to believe
out
had drean
that he was
a mechanical genius,
He eanme to college her
such. The professor of phn
very soon that he did not
first thing about the elem
physics. And what was
r wonld not apply himself tn
learn them, He had no knowledge of
alded as
sies found
know the
ntary con.
cepis
Worse,
atience than
day
been unwisely en
with
dreams insten { aving been stim
ulated ransiat reams
filities
Day dreams ily a
influence | he efforts of the
drea
COUrng sanlisfied mere
io re
Decessar
individua
of life,
great
ters when one
to adjust to the
They may be the
achievement.
realities
basis for
The danger en
is satisfied with the
shadow in the dream and makes no
attempt to ze the dream
tent. —Dir, Fleming
Relentifie
actual
Edwin G.
Monthly
COn-
in the
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