Show it was the regulation suburban ve randa broad cool immaculate be fore it was the regulation plot of I 1 freshly clipped lawn bisected by a path the edges of which were geo A few rods up the street far enough away to be junob yet near enough to furnish just the tight amount of light was the regulation street lamp even the suburban mosquitoes hummed noisily about and were duly cursed and sla hadwick ha dwick stretched comfortably in a chair blew smoke rings thoughtfully in the still air vanetia seated near by in a low rocker idly traced the shadow of the vine with the toe of a little shoe Is it very awful down there she ached charming country said he ear conically doni cally when it racked by earthquakes it s enjoying a tornado about the time you begin to take these little pranks of nature as a mat ter of course some peaceful old vol cano that scientists declare hag been extinct for innumerable centuries lets itself loose and changes the geography geo graph leal situation tor several square miles or yellow fever breaks out and gaab ers in everybody who sue combed to prior calamities and yet you are going bark there to morrow she said yes he returned bitterly and forget all about us up here after a week or so she said lightly forget so completely you won t even write us a line I 1 wish I 1 might forget he fervently she asked well said he tor one thing it simplifies matters down there when you think about people ou know it makes ou very unhappy you get to imag ning all sorts of things for she pro apted ac he paused let s make it personal he sug when I 1 think of you I 1 imagine you married to some nice respectable suburbanite who comes out every night on the 5 13 and finds you waiting tor him and a fire burn ing in the hall fireplace and dinner ready in the cozy dining room and the girl interrupted with a mock ing laugh the nice respectable suburbanite chasn t loomed on the horizon as yet she said nevertheless he will hardwick re arned that s the worst of that god forsaken country he ended lr re leant what s the worst of it she in quiren that it prohibits one from being a suburbanite of the aforementioned va biety van he said ris ng suddenly and standing by her biair I 1 never intended to tell iou but perhaps well both feel better it I 1 do I 1 went down there intending to make my pile and come back here to marry you the pile is still to be made and it looks as if I 1 were doomed to stay there forever but don t think it waa because I 1 dian didn t love iou enough or because I 1 haven t done my best the girl looked up at his earnest face and something in it filled her with pity she had intended to reply f s I 1 never intended to tell you lightly instead her eyes tell and she was silent you understand don t youa he said after a pause no I 1 don t understand she bairt sharply she was aware he stepped back as if he had been struck I 1 don t understand how how you could misjudge me so she said misjudge you he yes she said that Is just what ou have done do you think all my hopes are bounded by a house in a conventional suburb with a conven lawn and all the rest of ita she turned her head and looked across ane well kept lawn when she spoke her oice had softened teddy she said have you ever heard of the country called any k I 1 m afraid I 1 don t follow you hi said stiffly listen she said and tell yo about it it Is a very delightful coun try teddy no matter what its denvir hot or cold peopled or des ert fruitful or barren it Is always charming to the girl who really cares because it is his country and he is there it is lovable because ot him she stopped halt frightened by hei own words he stood quite still for a moment then suddenly bent avei her and took both her hands in his own dear little girl he said dear brave little girl you tempt me into the selfish cowardice of taking you there she felt his big hands tremble ahn he stood eeck but ou shall not make that flee he announced with alon he looked at him squarely and her gray eyes never faltered the land of anywhere is worth the sacrifice she said through the open windows across the way floated the tinkle of the pi ano and the snatches of song hard wick bent over the brown head that rested on his shoulder you and I 1 will find this land ot anywhere he whispered we haie found it dearest said the girl richard shelton in san francisco chronicle |