Show 1 Blanche BlancLe Tf Farm Lady ady a e l. l j A Romance of 0 the tho Commonplace By Frances i Parkinson t Hf w Ber lr f a 1 II by France Ie j 1 i y iY Y r t I SYNOPSIS i c Motoring through Vermont Philip j I Starr young r I architect moots moats oct Manning with whom he ho Is la l It l being A long Ion to tn destination Ilium tin th the village villaR of or l not nol a i hotel that he hemmo for fur the night a KU nt of her tier Mary Manning VIry tary receives Philip with true Vermont Vermont Ver er mont hospitality un and ami he h. makre the acquaintance of her rOIl recognized roc roc- ni a. her fiance dance Starr finds ante Mary Maryle If le Acquainted l with dale bale noted architect In lu whose office In fe lie Informs Inform her of hla hie doIre do- do I sire air Ire to win for tile tila wife l She he tell 1011 him of an old family concerning the of the tho Manning Mannine Man Man- nine ning family Paul Manning Is Ii Inclined to be not realizing realising Maryn Marye true worth Mary Mary's reproaches for his hie undue conviviality are badly lly received I Ib b by laul and the girl begin to have has misgivings as ae to the wisdom of the alliance Oale Inn long a suitor for tor or Mary's Marys hand viette but make makes no t a In his hla lovemaking poring over records of the Manning Manning Man Man- ning family learns learn the sorrowful story lory ator of the Countess CounteRs French wife of ot a hero Moses Mose Manning and of ot the tho peculiar curRe curee she Rhe has haN transmitted to her descendants de de- de- de and the women of The evening of Philip marriage to Paul laul under the tha Influence of liquor bitterly affronts Mary when she sha reproaches him for his hla condition and tells her their engagement Is t. ended CHAPTER VII 7 7 The lot In life of ot the girl who hns line been Jilted Is 19 probably not nut nutt t very ry pleasant pleasant pleas pleas- ant anywhere but there them Is no place on earth where It Is la quite ns liS hard hardas a oa as In ha a small s country V village gl Hut Mary Mory went about her usual occupations lions titter after wedding and the storm that followed tollo It with tier her head I. I held high and her back strain straighter than ever over got of ot course no credit for tor this Ills It was set down against her that she sho tied hall never ne really cared for tor after all oil or she he would feel It more Almost In ha the same breath she else was accused by hy some one else or else or even cven by the name annie person person person-ot of t having worn her heart upon her sleeve for tor all to f set see l' l If It village gossip wo was hard to bear I however the family faintly attitude was C worse Cousin Grusin JoM Jand had hall a goo good 11 deal dealto r rr to say nay about the tho Inevitable Irle fate tate of ot girls who lio ran ron after men who didn't want them Instead of at attending their P plain Christian duty C Seth Ith said I see ery y little but hut his silent dejected attitude made his daughter feel more morl than any unkind words could have hn done that he felt she alto had disgraced him almost beyond beyond be be- be- be yond II utterance As for tor Violet she alto became so violently nervous OUS about the whole affair that Mary dreaded to see nee her more than thull nil all the others put Iut ut together She never ne guessed that 11 WU was also suffering from his mothers mother's nerves ner If It you ou had the slightest tion for me you never ne would hn have e let It happen she lamented over o lord over again to her tier son My Iy life lire Is so run lull of or gner ant and trial that it takes lakes a e good deal of ot fortitude to bear benr It Here lIre l Is married married- Voc Yoe were ere tickled to death over o that th muttered 1 Taul Paull slow How cun can you jou ou be bo so vulgar I II I J tried to be cheerful of ot course rill Hut no so one knows know how I miss mills nil s her hr And Marys Mary's money would have come In very handy tun too I didn't know v Mary had any ony money stoney She will hll have 1 as ns soon Boon as ns altos she's twenty one and that's very soon now Laura had hall a little property of ot her own and she left It all to Mary Mury I 1 dont don't know as RI Mary knows It herself but of ot course Seth will tell her soon SOOIl now Hut But this title was not the way Violet talked to Alar Mary She dwelt on the tho fact tact that the girl had not made herself attractive e enough to Paul luul that she was always 11 n neglecting to change chane her dress and ud tidy her hair that she didn't Join with him In those little pleasures that all young joung men amen like to share with their fiancees Hut But tut Paul didn't expect to share them with me mel I flared Mur Mary Mury stung beyond be- be yond jond ond endurance lie He didn't even want to I And Aull I guess If It t you jou oU did dill all the cooking and cleaning and washing end and Ironing for tor four tour people and took care are of ot two children Into the bar bargain you ou vot always alwa's look us liS nice mlee as RS you jou OU do da I Dont Don't you jou ou suppose Ive I've longed to be comfortable and and re rested and pretty prelly whenever Paul saw me mime I 1 Iguess guess Im I'm Just us liS human ns IlS nil any other outer girl und and I 1 guess gues I 1 know the wa way to todo t. t i do things things' Just as w well ll as os you jou OU do 10 I Well I should manage wattage to do them then and to look well nt at the same Hotel time I retorted Violet Iolet e every ery woman's womans duty to herself herselt What hat about her duty to her family If U the two conflict Mercy AI Mary a r what a temper you jou ou 1 I save el me No wonder Paul aul couldn't stand It I Im I'm do dut tam fam family sure 1 I my duty to my antBy ant ant- ily By If any ny woman ever lr did lIllI but 1 I keep klell myself up too If Ir you jou OU had more ays- ays tern tem about your housework you jou OU could as- as get It done dOlle all ull right Its It's Its It's all In III the way you do It Violet felt that she had come out ahead In this tills tilt Nevertheless Ne It used her up to have e Mary so shock shock- shockingly I lady impertinent to her us as she t said to Jane In tn telling ner nor about It afterwards afterwards after after- wards and she ale did not attack attak her inthis In Inthis Inthis a this same way again Instead sit she e brought bt letters letter and read l them to her And listening to these thelle accounts account of ot happiness wa was to Mary like having salt nIt rubbed In araw a ara arow row raw wound was blissful Philip was perfect they were divinely dl happy no two had e eser er loved lovd each ench other r so 50 much before And no so on Places Daces and pastimes that had hall always been mere names conjuring up visions of ot delight to bo be Je sure hut hilt never ne within the tile touch reach of anyone we know were a matter of ot cour course to Not that I Mary Mory begrudged 1 her that that site flip had from the beginning 1 rejoiced whole whole- wholeheartedly heartedly In III her IlIr cousins cousin's happiness Hut but dl didn't she deserve a little ness lIess too Vary Mary was lIS thorn l thoroughly human hu ho- man luau and she Rhe wits very ery Intelligent She gull would Id IIII hove have known how to squeeze not only enjoyment but hut education out of ot every enry drop drill ot of pleasure that she could have hate 1111 hud had 1 But Hut this was wa not lIot the worst of ot It The Thu moan man whom Blanche loved lo wanted to lavish la nil all these good things on her while wille the man titan whom she Mary loved 10 had hud neglected and und h Ignored her and finally Insulted her herand herand and cast rast her from him Mary listened to Blanches Blanche's letters In silence or sa said III merely Im glad glud she's having such a good time lime In III a low voice but when Violet left her alone again she a always al ways sat sut for a time lime clenching and unc un un- c her hands dry little sobs of agony In her throat I Hut But hardest of ot nil mill mill- harder than thun facing fac tac ing the village gossip harder than thun facing Violets Violet's complacence was was facing fac tic lug ing her own o bruised pride her own accusing licensing conscience lon Long ng ngo she ago she knew It only too she well well she should have ha told that unless he mended his ways WO'S their engagement must end enl She Site had evaded e an nn Issue which she should hn have havo 1 met She hail been a II coward use she feared losing Paul f she he had compromised w with right and now she hind hall lost him after aner all nil o 1 y u w r e Sylvia 1 I Youre You're Youre You're-You're Youre You're Not a Bit Well Are You She felt that she site deserved her tier unhappiness and this was ns more bitter hitter than an anything thing else Ilse the In lu except way which she had hall lost him hits The thought of ot the words Paul had spoken to her In the hall that night after Blanches Blanche's wedding wedding wed well ding the memory of ot his hea heavy heay y breath and violent kisses branded her with aflame Mie ne ne was degraded In her own eyes ejes that any man matt should have h da dared dired to behave e so to her and that was Infinitely worse than being cheapened and d degraded In the eyes ejes of her family Had lih she after nil all deserved deserved de lIe- ser el served that too In n nil all those dreadful weeks Mary found only two t sources of ot comfort besides the tho w walks she took up lip Countess hill hili to gain solitude and the thra prayers she managed with shaken faith to say suy The rhe first of ot these sources ts was Sylvia Gray Oray She was extremely fund fond of ot Mar Mary and usually saw a good deal dal dalot of ot her but she was ns not well ell enough h to do that lint now The neIgh neighborly burly visiting visiting visit visit- ing In back and ond forth hind had been heln to a cr certain tale tain degree Interrupted lint Hut one afternoon Sylvia phoned that she was having hn a n pretty good day duy and that she wished Mary would bring her f sewIng sew sew- ew- ew lug lag and come over o to supper It was as usual hard for tor Mary to break away awny from rota her family but she site spread out nn nil appetizing cold rold supper on the table covered red It carefully left the kettle boiling for tor Seth's evening cup of ot tell tea ca and took the two little boys bos to the barn for tor their lr father to watch n while bile he was milking Seth did not altogether approve e of this arrangement arrange meet ment but as usual he sold said little and she promised r to be buck back early She he stopped a minute at the Old Gray Cray homestead where when Mrs was sitting sit ting hag on her back buck porch porth feeling In In- that this kindly ly woman hud hind spoken n of ot her less harshly than roust must of her and that she did not need to shun her th then n went down the shady road rond that led 1111 to the little brick cottage where 8 Sylvia hla and Austin U lived hived She found her lying In the k on her deep and sheltered piazza looking as al ol a always supremely lI 10 lovely but also very ery frail The expression cx ex n. pr on Sylvias Sylvia's face shook Mary Iary for tor the first time from the thought of ot other her own troubles Sylvia youre you're joure oure not a bit well wll are you Im Imn perfectly all right But Hut Im I'm afraid 1 I shall be tempted to pinch the twins very gently of course sometimes sometimes some times to make up for tor all nil the trouble they've e caused me toe Just think they'll be the first fint twins In f since the l Counters only lIly only mine are aru going to be tutu both girls Mary shivered a little Why do you keep keell talking about having twins twills she asked oskell have hav Just one in- in other boy You Ton wait walt and liNt reel e t I Hot Dot I t didn't send Bend for tor you to talk About bout twins twin FT rn got a new scheme and I want to see SN what you think of It Now that David and Jacqueline l have built that splendId splendid splendid did cottage hospital I 1 weve we've gone one a long step forward In Ia Hamstead nut Hut after lifter all that only looks out forthe for tor forthe the people when they're sick or con con- air I want to build something that will look hook out for tor them when they're well Mary dropped her sewing What do you jou ou mean menn she asked askell excitedly s 's the tho loveliest lo place In Inthe Inthe inthe the world to live In went on Sylvia without al apparent connection that that thatIs Is he I think so But Hut I 1 can cnn Imagine that I 1 wouldn't have l when I was younger especially If It Id I'd been a boy buy There Isn't much to do I see said Mary beginning o to think that she did And nd so as ns long as there Isn't tant most lIos lIo's try to find Ind something And what they find Isn't always III er very good for tor them How flow much this kind wise woman saw and understood and forgave No Nn o wonder Austin worshiped her heel I II I cant can't understand myself Sylvia went on Oil why more parents dont don't send their boys bos a away was to good really first first- class schools and colleges They dont don't seem leem to realize what a 8 difference It I would make Just at nt the age oge when Its It's perfectly natural and nud normal for tor a boy or girl to crave crne e excitement and pl pleasure pleas pleas- asure as ure and activity and change Im I'm a pretty good Episcopalian but 1 believe belle Just as many boys hos souls have been heen saved lIa by gymnasiums as by churches And I 1 want that lint nice new lIew cousin of or yours to start In on some plans torone for tor forone forone one as soon lIoon as he tie gets home from front his hili wedding trip I want It made suitable to use for tor dances and want a billiard room roost and a kitchen and a swimming pool In It to too I 1 want Oh Sylvia SI no one In the tho world I would have thought of ot this but you I t IDid Il l Did Id you ever eyer hear went on Sylvia ln again without apparent connection how wild willI Austin was when hen he was young I yes I es 1 yes I 1 have have han That was seas before I knew him Hut nul he was twenty seven when I came here If It Id I'd grown up with him ln 10 loving him all the time time time-os as of ot course I 1 should have for tor I 1 loved lo him as os much as I 1 possibly could from the time first moment I 1 ever f set Ct eyes ejes on him and never could help showing It It- It I suppose It would have hn hurt me dreadfully to to have hae him wild I mean 1 I suppose I 1 would have either cither mistaken Immaturity for tor vIciousness viciousness viciousness vicious vIcious- ness and condemned him when he had really done Ilone nothing to condemn or excused viciousness for tor Immaturity and forgiven him when he should some way have been punished herl Either would have ha been equally bad bid and equally likely ly to happen pen We dont don't Judge clearly when were we're unhappy Of course It tt hurts Austin and me n a little now to think that he ever slipped ever slipped up at all nil lie and I h have talked this plan over o a 0 good deal lie thinks It Il ought to help the fellows In Hamstead sonic some anyway 1 Do Ito 0 you remember that poem by Coventry entry that Hus Hus- kIn quotes Ah Alt wasteful woman ehe she who may mayUn mayOn mayOn On Un her own sweet self eels set the price Knowing man cannot choose hut but pay- pay How lIow she ehe has hu cheapened Paradise slow How given rIven for tor naught lh the priceless gift How lIow spoiled polled the bread and split the wine win Which spent with due respective thrift Had lied made brutes bruteR men and men that ss what lint were we're all ail tempted to do when we love lo a man to matt to walk straight Into his Ids arms without knowing know ing log whether his arms are ure ready for forus forus forus us Or worthy If It J they're rea really II ready they will be bl worth worthy That's Just the point I 1 f see ee suld |