Show r F LADY BLANCHE LANCHE FA FAA FARM A Romance of the Commonplace By FRANCES PARKINSON KEYES Copyright by Frances Fr ne Parkinson f Keyes Kc Ben g Ie CHAPTER XII Continued XII Continued 12 12 Philip bent over her There was something In her manner that had ball never been lIeen th there re before Was she sh too feeling the he mystery and power of the nl night ht Had these last weeks of oC separation been teaching her too teaching her the lessons that for a time tone it seemed as If he for all hl his love love had failed to male make clear to her Was leas the dread which had been slowly Iy growing through the spring and summer that his white star was to prove only n a will wisp the the o-the the o to be he taken taL-cn from him after all Yes sweetheart beautiful he answered But I want you to know n a story that was In one or of those books you burned burnell Just the same If you ou dont don't already I 1 ought to have spoken of It to you ou be- be before be before fore fore- fore ore As As quietly as he hp could he told her first of his reading of the lee leg Ig legend end and then of his talk tan with Mary Iary about it afterwards 1 cant can't pretend to explain It it nut But it seems to me the first didn't want to hurt an any person that especIally especially that It Isn't a curse In that sense but sense but to teach her descendants If she could what a terrible thing It Is to be selfish Most of all the selfishness that calls its Itself If love Occasionally moth mothers ers feel that kind of love for their sons sons or children for their parents or husbands for their wives wl wives You Yon mean that Is the kind that Colonel Moses felt for the count countess es ess said Blanche slowly and and and Its It's been so straight through the family That's the lie way mother cares for Paul That's the way way- way that that's the way I cared carell for you you- you once But oh I dont don't any more I That isn't the way Ive I've cared for you rou said Philip Im not tery very v stron strong and Im I'm not very hood good I dont don't think that for a n minute nut But ButI ButI I do love you with all my heart and soul That That-that That makes more difference than thun anything else I be- be believe be believe lieve Tint curse li 19 never going beyond this tills generation and you must tell me tonight that youre you're oure glad I I ought to have gone to war when I first knew It was the right thing for me to dp We cant can't help now But youve you've got to sa say soure goure glad Im I'm going now now- now Ills nis arms tightened around her his lips meeting hers lay for a alon along along lon long time against them If only we had hall a son son- son Whenever er I think of Lady Blanche farm he went on after a along along along long silence I think of you and the Its brook brook freshness and aD fragrance fra fragrance grance and purity Its It's shallow v In places It rushes Into little falls but where I found you It widens to a deep pool clear dear as crystal a haven of refreshment and nd delight and holiness holiness That's what you seem to me do tonight tonight do you yon under understand stand Oh my darling CHAPTER XIII AND A A ND so the first winter of the war came to tead The mall that brought letters from Jaqueline nursing In a comales convalescents convalescents cents home In Brittany from David operating In a n Held field hospital dIrectly behind the firing lines from Austin driving his ambulance over shot shell roads from Pa ul somewhere In Franco France from Jack Jacl and Thomas and Philip at Camp all Devens-all all as yet unharmed and well HII Then suddenly the first blow fell A telegram came for Blanche manche And Sol Daniels Dattels Instead of tele tele- telephoning tele- tele telephoning telephoning phoning it up to the house as ns he bad telephoned so BO many times wrote It down O slowly with his stub stub- stubby stubby b by pencil and locking locking up the sta station Lion tion walked down O the road through the deep snow with It In his pocket blowing his nose hard hardon hardon hardon on his Ills red rd bandana handkerchief as he went along To his Intense relief It was Mary Iary who was gas with her cousin a n good gool deal In 10 those da days s 's who answered the knocker at Carte Blanche Blonche Sol handed banded the grimy paper to her without a word as she op opened ned the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and clea cleared rell his throat For Tor or Blanche asked Mary In n a startled voice Yes Its Yes Its It's a doggone shame You better open It first and then tell teU her ber what's In it No I No 1 want It myself please Mary Iary and Sol turned Blanche was as standing on the tin tiny winding staircase staircase holding out her hand She too had hall heard the knocker Ive lIe been been-been been been n-been expecting It ever eer since PhIlIp was seas home for his ItI I furlough Take Talc Sol In where Its It's warm Mary Iary and give he him sonic some coffee It was awfully kind of you Sol to bring It yourself Id rather a been licked than to It Il I please know know please Ile he open opened ell It slowly almost carefully it was from one of the doctor and It was rather lon long had been stricken very sud- sud sud den denly I with pneumonia The entire Illness had been a matter of ot only thirty six y s hours hours- The doctor was obliged gell in with the he deepest regret to Inform her It if she would tele- tele graph telegraph graph her wishes they would ot of course be Le complied with Insofar as The y yellow low sheet crackled In her hand For a u moment she site shut her eyes swaying and Mary started toward her but she put out her hand as if It to keep her back Not even Mary could help her through throng this moment she wanted to meet It alone Then she came slowly down the stairs stairs and going to the wIndow where the service service flag hung she took It down and stood for a Ion long time with it in her arms her lips quivering At last she gathered it up and crossing the room with It she hung It It as if It had been an emblem of victory victory over the portrait of the little I French rench countess Then she faced fared her lIer cousin and her old friend Ill have a n new one with a n gold star In the window she said qui etly quietly but that one belongs belons there Can you have bave the express stopped at flamstead for me Sol You'll Sol You'll go o with me Mary Iary of course Please tell mother and Cousin Jane Id I'd like to l he e alone a little while I think think- But nut Ill I'll be reah ready to start In an hour Violet when she had discarded her mourning for her tier husband had laid It away In her attic with her usual exquisite neatness and Mary Iary unlocking the trunk brought down the things that Blanche manche needed and helped her put them on just as she had helped her dress for her well ding a year and a half before If I had let him go when he wanted to this wouldn't have hap hap- happened happened happened That was the only complaint she shema ma made e the only grief which so far farshe she seemed able to voice oice But nut she said It over and over over- again after she and Mary were on the train and the door of the pullman drawing room bad had been closed leaving them hem Quiet and alone together Hush Bush dear lie Ile might have bave been killed in battle have hare been some meaning some some compensation a a glory of achievement in that This was just waste I Hundreds of boys are dying like when that that when It could perfectly well have been avoided n They'vE been almost freezing to death In the camps all over the country I know I see how bow you feel fel nut But ButI ButI I dont don't believe that anything Phil ever ever did was wasted just the same If It Paul dies at least It wont won't ont be this way No Oh Mary Jary how could you ou let him go the way you did Supposing he never comes back either either-do either do you ever think of that Did f she he ever think of It I Not long before Mrs Weston had hand hand- handed handed ed her a letter that had bad Just come from Rosalie King She had mar married Fled ried her floorwalker In a n hurry burry call and they bad had had three days together before he be went across And Ad that she had learned was to be beaU beall beall aU all the honeymoon she slie would ever have Mary Hary taking the letter from Mrs l Westons Weston's limp hand read It over ver twice twice- And she had refused a week at some quiet place by the sea and and denied Paul Paul the chance ot of looking forward to coming back to her that wa way Did she ever think of It 1 Yes I think of It it she said slow slow- slowly slowly I ly nut But But I 1 had hall to do 10 what I did Id I'd known j just st the same Even If It to be killed Paul Panl he was going didn't-didn't didn't lo love e me the way loved you IOu Mary what Mary what do you think It all I Ime me means ns Why do the pe people who all arent aren't rent needed who aren arent aren't t even en want wanted ed live lire and live lire and live lire While Philip-Do Philip you th think the h ones like for not or punishment t ort that h a t Its It's really selfishness not aI just m mine I ne but but but- This This whole war Is a punishment of selfishness selfishness and an torment atonement one Is-one 0 or f thou thou- for ft It PhIlIP san sands sands- But nut my part T That tat story coming certainty l we e b both 0 th I had 10 11 true And the that It was going to I that eIther of understand dont don't I that some of I Ithe course But nut I do know knothe the things weve we've always alvn spoken of ofas ofas seem s to occur supernatural as frequently since the much more are not so people else war or to k about ashamed or so sobe pet about they used to be be I believe as them are In some someI body and the I the closely Interwoven much more WilY That's one realized I than were we're try so hard to tomake why we must reason renson worthY o of the other the H One nc make known they were Ive always alwa'S Philip Oh closely InterWoven will twill t r rl will l In he be be coo Mary think changed ed do you looked indeed so He tie serene was so Se not M supremelY lIe happy him burst that I Blanche Blanche healing tears Into first the for who bad taken care the nur nurse e of ot him told her that he had hall suffered very nry little It was all so quick she said Ile simply wouldn't let us send for you and we really didn't think It was until necessary necessary until It was too toolate toolate toolate late Ue lie said you must be saved savell all the grief and care you could Uell Hed just had a n letter letter- letter lie Ire got It In time so that he could read In It asked Blanche manche with such a sudden leap of joy In her ber voice that Mary Iary wondered what bad been In that special letter Oh yes lIe He was awfully happy over o It that was plain to see sec and now v that Ive I've met you Mrs Starr I dont don't wonder wonder he wanted to save a lovely child chilli like you from all the anxiety he could He lie didn't suffer much honestly And Just before he but died died but I dont don't know as I ought to tell you you- you You You must must- must Something strange happened Yes said Blanche manche breathless breathless- breathlessly ly Iy ln looking from the nurse to Mary Iary lie Ill had hall been having some trou trou- trouble trouble ble with his breath He Ill was un- un unconscious un unconscious conscious for a little while I thou thought bt and delirious off ofT and on Suddenly he lie open opened ell his eyes and looked toward the foot of the be bet smiling as If It he saw sass there that hat pleased him Then t turned to me and said You did send for my wife after all nil didn't you I told toll him no that well wed done just as he wanted about everything tie lie Ie looked kind of puzzled puzzled and went on But nut she's stand stand- standing standing ing there with her tier arms stretched out dressed all In white She looks exactly as she slie did the last nIght we Ve hall had together the together the first night I 1 really found her Blanche manche laid her cheek check against the quiet hand lying on the spread Go on she said after a mo mo- moment ment meat I was stupid enough to look there myself for he kind of startled me But of course there was noth noth- nothIng nothing I ing So I shook my head and said not to worry that everything was all ail right The puzzled expression lion sion Ion faded gradually and he smiled again And then he spoke just as asIf asIf asIf If he was talking to some one What hat did dill he ho say So youve you've come little countess count count- countess countess ess But nut you mustn't ever come to anyone again This must be the thelast thelast thelast last time And Im I'm not sorry Its It's nil all been so perfect so perfect so perfect while It Do lasted lasted Do you know what lashed flashed Into my mind I dont don't know why There wasn't any real That connection connection That I-That 1 line about n a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice fice That was blessedly what hat It seemed seem ell to Blanche Even In her first grief she found after all nil the lie compensation the glory of achievement that sh she thought she had ball been dented denied She did dill not ask she did dill not need an any longer to understand She needed only to feel and as soon as her ber mental and physical exhaustion left her herto to work She Slie worked all the rest of the winter and the next summer and every woman woman In worked with her France with Its thou thou- thousands sands s of widows was three thou thou- thousand thousand sand miles away but Blanche manche was In their midst Through her they reached out and found those others others- When fall came she was not working any longer but the rest or of thinking of ot her worked harder than ever For she was lying very still and happy inthe In Inthe the bl big poster four bed hed In the soft soft- soft colored colored chamber of Carte Blanche with the golden Jolden downy head of Philip Starrs Starr's son against her breast CHAPTER XIV MOSES X TOSES and Algy Manning were coming home from Crom school to- to together to together gether They had ball In three years grown noticeably taller and thin thIn- thInner thinner thinner ner Their faces as usual would have been heen Improved by the minis minis- ministrations of a n handkerchief and a cloth awash wash cloth But Gale Hamlin who had been riding for some hours over roads that not Infrequently caused him to strike the top of the car or skid skill Into a ditch leaned out ot of the window and hailed them with delight as he caught sight of them Stop a minute Morrison Morrison- Hel lIel- Hello Hello lo 10 you kids kills I Climb In here Go Go- Going Going ing home from school Yes replied the two small boys lIos together accepting his Inn Inn- Invitation tation alacrity and sealing themselves es beside him without fur fur- further further further ther waste of words how lIow Is Mary Iary Gale asked Well Vell she the looks kinder peaked Was you of comin to say by good hy to her Something of that sort Why Because replied Moses I 1 wouldn't It If I 1 was you ou Thomas Thoma Cray tried It and he wasn't suited at all With Wilh the way she said Bald Id good goodby good good-by hy by I mean Moses and I were under the sofa playing lion only Mary lary and Thomas didn't know it said AI Algy r In an Illuminating aside She Slie shook hands nice and polite like she's taught us to do It con continued tinned Moses I dont don't know what more was wanted But nut there was something He lIe said so Twice volunteered Algy And then he be said Mary Iary Isn't there any cha chance for me n at t all alland and she sa said Ill No 10 Im I'm sorry but there Isn't And Thomas continued the faithful chorus said there ever er any chance for anyone except Paul and Mary stiffened up and said Paul threw his chance awa away What happened next 1 asked Gale feeling very much as If he had been ea eavesdropping himself Thomas spoke right up as If he was |