Show t A if j 0 0 0 MERELY 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 A LOVE Is 1 STORY 0 0 0 by MARTHA WILLIAMS 0 ft iu 1924 Newia per louds lowered but spring was in ille die air amy felt it inarticulately baij bij hut t iler her housemates house mates lateS the Dr Bra uleys adleys vere so 80 literal minded they resented us as ailigh fu lutin open cognizance of bilings h therefore sho she was cud to bo be walking alone through mik disk ed d wot woodland dinna with five hundred a yer secured her for ife the brad ins Ili thought ought 11 her er enviable among diina women they oy begged her to ati with the them as aa one of the family but sll ili had been too wise to agree sho she paid them very very in curreia currency cy of the corn com much more morein in kindly ke ice and but scantily in gratitude would mould bo be no wrench if she ivare lucky enough to bring it to pass attle carey carcy alie local great lady HI for ten months of tile the lir in was uia now home tor for her annual vi all it annd had let it be known that she canted a capable younger woman to gi go luck with her to the city under a ling agreement if each other might come pt of it if if i ii no ni special pedal harm would have been tone silo would pay expenses any liin more was for later consideration llie ilie curey carey place was so big and amy thought upon coming to it lint a shame it stood deserted nil iauch of the time ilme even with inamae inal me in residence it held to its air it if desolation amy came to it by the link way ay through orchards hardd rather njg ed and weedy that ran on to a of turf hardly less ragged bilili gave finally upon a rose gar ID still ungainly in winter three minutes later she was standing ilis disconsolate consolate before an impromptu tutler who ho had just said madame was cwi iwi iiii five in tile the afternoon he ais vaa sure he held the door halt half shut u v tall nil man stood within it asking civilly hlll will you leave a cisne nis sage ne with me young lady ill de liver alser it straight thank you but it would only trouble you ou for nothing amy au 11 sv evered ered with a sudden vivid consciousness that the tall man had been in the rote rose garden while she passed ile he insist have followed her inside by another entrance she wondered why the wonder dee deepened penea as aa lie he said per Il better letter let me judge of that madame Is my stepmother and we are commonly of one mind about things lings ti cy by telling me what Is on your wind I 1 can at least settle how far you ou two are likely to agree more words went back and forth with ith the upshot of them a conference in the library before a delightful fire of hickory togs logs it lasted till the impromptu butler blurted out sticking his head bead inside luncheons on the table mr carey then sighting amy plenty for two shall I 1 put another plate arny amy rose protesting again she found herself overborne thus thug she ate from carey china with carey silver old and beautifully kept her eyes the ole while further enchanted by the fine lofty old room many with pictures in all the spaces between iler her host noted the gazing presently itly lie asked tentatively you like it here like Is no word for it amy answered but the iiii pity of it so much grace and beauty shut in darkness most of the time That notion cliff carey returned but there seems no help for it madame has nobody but me to cherish lier her she hates the place for reasons of course but will not part with it she wants to pass it down to me inc so we go along each halt half a heartbreak heart break to the other by the way I 1 believe this now new plan of hers Is 15 meant in a way to greater freedom said amy do you want it lie ile smiled A year of it after that 1 I wont let myself think further alin running ning loose might make a different man of me amy insisted upon going the way she had come cliff carey went with her to the very verge of the rose garden As they passed the rebel stem lie he smiled whimsically saying im sure it will remember when it blooms somehow you seem not easily forgotten ile he was th the same amy de decided elded though she saw no more of him for months lie was never long out of her mind madame carey had bad been a little doubtful at first but after a coriz tort night hid had insisted upon clinching the bargain amy to ata stay ya a year with her BS as daughter of the house honse ito see and i hear bear and ro rejoice joice in proper for that personage cliff the while sailing all round thi the big world dawdling where it pleased him making airplane flights when tile itch tor for speed laid hold upon him amy had come to a tragic understanding et of pite ont case cas sale hale and stately as she seemed life for or her hung by a thread thus she lared ared not travel neither to stay far rom zier specialist lie ire might not be ceded once a yr year but when the need anze ane he meant life or death dear son to me that cliff has baa alays kev been madame told amy 1 I felt ills its indifference I 1 arence to things I 1 cared for lie endured them ilion gallantly fa for r my sake lie loves me ine as I 1 lovo love liliu ns as I 1 have since lie was born ills mother my dearest friend gave lilia him to me when site she died lie he was barely a week old 1 you loved ills father amy sald said not in question but ns as speaking truth and madorno smiled answering thero there was never another anlin in all the world for me ine ills wife knowing knowin in it begged me to take her place 11 happiness Is tonic madame was waa bettor better stronger dioro alive than for years then camo came tho the cablegram cilot badly hurt in danger of death half a world away ills ilia mother read it with set whito lips then said to amy how quickly can we go to hinal amy answered at and sst set about making that possible so by help of gold steel steam and science they camo came within little beyond a fortnight to ills his bedside madame had been wonderful shrinking frow from nothing steadfast la in courage in on endurance in hope all tho the long way amy marveled and rejoiced at the worst they would reach him in time at the best they might help him win back to living coming upon hipa still in the borderland between life and death they knelt either side of hini him heads bowed upon hla his nerveless hands bands silent but sending through him vitalizing currents of love and gladness after long minutes ho he stirred faintly saying in a weak whisper 1 I must be dead and in heaven mother any anly amy are arc there strength failed him ali there ere madame lifted her head kissed him three times then walked away saying in her heart she will make ills his heaven when I 1 am gone next day almost forcibly she elio had them married afterward she bho went outside and there under flitt littering flattering ering palm shadows they found her dead with the happiness of heaven itself frozen upon lier her face |