| Show I Ii PARA PARADE Of II I I II Bv- Bv I By s j I Evelyn Campbell Ico S Copyright by Evel Evelyn Eveln n Campbell i GUM EUL Ml S THE STORY Linda n well do father dies when she Is seventeen seventeen seventeen seven seven- teen leaving her little beyond some somo worthless stock certificates These she takes to her ber fathers father's friend Sena Senator tor Converse to dispose dispose dispose dis dis- pose of oC After a whirlwind courtship Linda marries Courtney Courtney Courtney Court Court- ney Roth Too la late te she d discovers ers he Is a R penniless adventurer living by his wits Roth dies dice in Switzerland Linda continues to live like a woman of or wealth The senator benator her with money keeping keeping up up the fiction that her stock is yielding It On Ona a trip she meets Brian CHAPTER III III-Continued III Continued 6 6 They talked about eve everything but the weather which proved at once that they were unusual people Linda discovered nt at once that her companion was from tram Oregon that he be was going to Washington and would be there for forn fora or orn n a month or two She discovered other things things charming charming s things about him hint That he liked dogs better than automobiles automobiles automobiles auto auto- mobiles and and the morning before beCore seven o'clock that he preferred simple flow fow fowers flowers ers and the mountains to the sea It began to grow cold In the coach Outside was a dense will wall o of whiteness whiteness whiteness white white- ness and by straining necks dim glimpses of shapeless things might he had had n a house burled buried under snow or orthe orthe orthe the twisted form of a n tree grotesquely burgeoning Passengers hud huddled In wraps and rugs and their grumbles grew louder as the air became staler Would Woud you yon like to walk a n little littler Brian asked and Linda assented eagerly But as they were starting he ho ma made her return to her section You cant can't go Into luto snow dressed like that He Be was looking so sternly at ather ather ather her slim suede clad feet that Linda broke Into gay laughter Be He laughed with her and this put them on an informal informal in in- formal basis He turned to his own section and unbuckled a bag returning return I ing ng presently with lith a pair of dark red morocco slippers and a couple of Linda put out her little feet un and allowed him to fasten the moccasins moccasins moccasins moc moc- upon them with a few efficient swirls of the scarves You Yon tie beautiful knots she said but It is a shame to spoil spall your nice scarf that scarf that blue one especially She was surprised at her own oun docil docIl- ity A cup of hot tea and two or three pillows would have been more to her taste but there she was stun bUng bling along through the snow with her feet done up like bundles If we keep to the beaten path It will be easier easler I think he sal said 1 and she followed half laughing half halt annoyed annoyed an no noyed ed at nt her own clum clumsy clumpy progress The prospect outside was not very good People were ere running about help helplessly helplessly helplessly lessly giving advice that nobody heard but hut the train crew was taking It very ery easily they knew that human power could do little against the tremendous force of at nature that opposed them The snow banked higher than the ensine en en- sine pine resisted every effort to penetrate pene pene- penetrate It There was something aloofly contemptuous about that Imp Impassivity The great arent black bulk of machinery so devastating in its flights stood ap ap- palled like a n shiny beetle drawing In InUs its Us laws claws Brian Anstey talked to the train men They answered courteously n not t Ignoring him as they had some of the oth Linda heard all that was said The train could not move until the sno snow snowplows snowplows plows came and that might not be I until the following day for tor the storm had bad been worse farther along the line and there were other tie Lindas Linda's teeth were already chatterIng chatterIng chatterIng chatter- chatter Ing and the terrible cold found and anti seized upon her body beneath her furs At that moment her spirit was low Indeed The delay would disarrange her plans hopelessly The chances chanles of 01 ofa ofa a month at Miami dell delightfully cared for by the was gone glim mering She tried to adjust her mind to this misfortune but her thoughts refused to coagulate Physical discomfort discomfort discomfort dis dis- dis- dis comfort dwarfed all nil her ber mental proc proc- esses asses How stupid 1 am urn she thought angrily Ive been in worse predicaments predicaments ments than this Some way will he found But still sun she felt like a desolated desolated deso deso- child The strange young man maD with the kind e eyes es was speaking to her Ive secured a 3 place for Cor you on the tile sledge he said We must go back buck and get your hand hund luggage He spoke In the tame same quiet sure way that had accomplished accorn pushed th the morocco slippers and again she yielded to his suggestion But when she was settled In the I ungainly conveyance cOD with half a n dozen women all nil whimpering she found that Brian Anstey was going too He Be stood on the step and talked to the driver occasionally Jumping off to help shovel snow when th the horses borse floundered Into deeper drifts Linda found watching him Irresistible ible lie lle actually seemed to enjoy the effort of dragging the great horses about She had always hated snow It reminded her of at a n particularly disagreeable dill die agreeable period 01 her life liCe But nut this snow was different There was something some some- thin thing crude un and 1 pristine about It It Itus was us not a u snow where ont one may awry break ones one's neck on a n neatly constructed slide it was homelike making one think of warm fires tires and pipes and fleecy blankets Not that Linda knew un nay any of these things from personal experience but they had their nook In her Imagination with other fancies s As he helped her from her seat she asked ed him wh why he had harl come anti and his answer brought swift unexpected color to her face To uTo look after you of course tie Lie spoke so simply that she was ashamed of her subterfuge The hotel was as crude as the Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Ne Ne- braska snowfall You have ha e been so kind you kind you ou wIlldine will willdine dine cline with me she murmured 1 at the foot of the stairs He Be laughed Id rd love to only It will be supper In this place There Theio will be ham and eggs and four kinds of bread and I hope hOlle you ou wont won't be ill III from the experience She felt a little shock He Be was laughing at ot her I In a second she L u 6 hl hi realized now how sue she must 1006 to to u mm m- m exotic superfluous too fine tine for tor rude contacts She monn managed ed to make her mouth look tremulous and sweet n an ay she answered gaily Anything so so that It Is warm I IThe I IThe The other women did not like Linda They ey eyed d her fur coat and her tier ankles with equal disapproval and when she found that she was to share a n room with one of them she protested In such sucha a vay that the proprietor at once gave her another Naturally you'd want to be with your husband said the discarded roommate with embittered sweetness ants ami L Linda luda off guard blankI blank- blank I u My J husband The other simulated confusion contusion Oh isn't he be I thought thought thought-It As Linda sat beside Brian at their corner of the long table she said to tet him Indifferently The re gossiping already so you must not be so nice niceto to me if gossip annoys you The women crowded together at nt theother theother the other end of the table as If they feared contact with other diners were all of the kind that are to be seen In pullman cars and nowhere else Com Com- dressed but you ou wondered where they bought their clothes In n nevery every big hi department store In the country hundreds like them milled like cattle from nine to four every dad da the tile year around yet it was only at nt a n time like tike this that such faces stoop stood out such personalities became ous They were all nil terribly frightened at the publicity suddenly thrust upon them They objected while they secretly se se- secretly swelled with Importance But Bm they were determined to remain completely completely completely com com- virtuous an and 1 upright in the face of unconventionality Brian Brlan Anstey glanced at them and then smiled at Linda Its their chance to air their opInIons opinions opinions ions and be listened to he said an and 1 she added In a drawling cold voice that did not suit her glowing girlish face and their opportunity to make a show of their morality Dont be severe They are all home women bound to be a n little narrow nar nar- row In a simple life this must be an adventure close adventure close quarters with unknown unknown unknown un un- known neighbors That Is why you cannot really admire admire admire ad ad- mire simplicity or naturalness it I Is all so hateful just under the surface Do you think so he frowned He lie looked much older when he was serious serious serious seri seri- ous she decided She did not really care what these women thought she would never see one of them again but she meant to tease him a little littlemore more You must not confuse silly chattering women with simplicity and naturalness he said sternly and glanced again at the group who be became became became came conscious that they were under d i 1 d n d it d 1 uv Y U nn a nuu n were 0 C scan c a ze juu on u will find their sort everywhere But much worse In simple little towns I ul 1 will not admit that It Is because because because be be- cause cities are more Indifferent She shook her head You are wrong Cities ClUes are not Indifferent They judge with manners and morals but the city cares only for appear appear- ances It is much easier ensler to live up to You can enn always buy appearances and have hae them delivered to your door In a box TO BE HE CONTINUED |
