Show fil 49 r i I 1 wim Q aw iha MAEL w EBY luX IMAL W Q Q ca by the ferrul co W service LJ 1 CHAPTER XI continued 9 Ge geoffr offs a dear said ilass nona complacently ni confess to you sou Hur eunice hurilee ilce I 1 hoped at ar first he and ayn athla would fall in love loe with each 0 kotlier the r bu cut t th they ey got off on the wrong oot coot somehow and its been all I 1 cou could id do to keep the peace between them sometimes her friend gave her a sharp glance she knew that her sons heart was given to tills this small blue eyed girl who treated him with A casual sort of friendliness she discovered within herself nn an unsuspected jealousy of cynthia absorbed in her husband as slie she had fiat been there was always the consciousness of the boys adoration of its his mother unknown to herself the oie had valued that adoration counted on it now that the book was done the last service she could reader her husband was waa completed she find intended to open tier her heart to tier her only son and now it was too late intel I 1 geoff lind only the remnants of his solicitude its big attention to give to ills his mother where once she hat had had the full measure it if cynthia said something to him film in a little confidential aside at breakfast geoff went off whistling it if she was preoccupied and silent he departed for the laboratories as gloomily as though he be had lust just heard beard of the lie death of his best friend A salutary lesson to mothers who put their children second in their hearts mrs ensloe told herself cocking her eyebrows ebrown eb rows in the whimsical nay miss nona remembered she atho lie will not when slie she may when she will she shall have nay and that ap applies to mothers as well as to sweethearts apparently she let the subject drop for the time being but cynthia Cynt lila soon discovered that gehrts mother was conducting ap an active no less active because it moved so BO quietly that none but those two knew of it campaign in gehrts behalf the girl early learned that she had a skilled opponent mrs airs Ens loes quiet comments which stabbed ayn thias complacency the wordless all but effective manner she had bad of indicating the difficult position which had been geoffr in this household above all and harder to bear than anything else her air of pity for her goddaughter because of her blindness toward teal character kept cynthia Cynt lila awald for or many hours aroused in her n lively if antagonistic interest in the young oung man which his mother viewed with silent satisfaction over tier her own tactics CHAPTER XII changes one morning the captain failed to appear at breakfast and miss nona going anxiously to its ills room to ascertain the reason came down with a troubled face lie he says hes not III just tired 11 she reported 1 I think ill call doctor III tilgham ham just to be on the safe side call me after lies hes been here anti ami tell me what lie he says cynthia ask it was sirs mrs ensloe who gave the requested report im afraid your grandfather lg Is pretty ill cynthia Cynt lila she said its hla his heart the doctor says seriously ill mrs ensloe im afraid so my dear doctor bigham wants r P nurse oh lie he must he be ill I 1 Is he in pain no nut but the doctor seems to think theres n condition she could hear Cynt hias gasp at the other end of the line theres no immediate danger no need for you to come home kut but cynthia did come home at once she knew how much miss nona would need support at this time tile nurse hid arrived by the time cynthia camp came save for lier her presence in the house it did not seem like an illness 3 the captain tain lay serenely on ills his high pillows maled at his daughter daug liter had a jolting joking war word for geoff and cynthia As on a previous occasion doctor higham drew geoff aside look beret the old mans mana going what paid geoff astounded ys yes no possible doubt of it itell hell slip away in his sleep I 1 hope its the rest 0 VIA family im worried about miss bliss nona Is going to take anlie it awfully hard and Cynt lilak and cynthia of course but ut after nil all its was bliss nona who will feel fee it most ill be here as much as I 1 cun can but ive my practice to think of it if the captain should go in the night 1 want you to call me immediately day after lay day went by and there was no change in the patient miss bliss nona find and mrs ensloe cared for him in the daytime the nurse nt at night cynthia came and went wi usual the shop cary came in each to sit with its his grandfather and flo ale proved to he of unc parted value in n helping with the nurs ing abey were all at dinner one evening flo and cary too suddenly thu irre voice dice was heard calling train from it mrs Ayles buryl mr En Ens loel they raced up the stairs cary with his arm about his bis mother mot lier geoff stretching out his hand to cynthia the captain was gone lie ile lay serenely on his pillows so little changed by death that his daughter could not belleve believe he be had spoken to her for the last time miss nona drooped sadly madly after the funeral at last doctor bigham called sirs mrs ensloe aside for a talk at the conclusion of which she announced briskly that she was returning to nw new york and taking her friend with her youve been promising nie me a visit for twenty five years nonn nona 11 she sald now youre going to pity it but cynthia miss nona asked it was plain that the plan lured hired tier her slie she needed a change and she had always loved being with eunice what could I 1 do with cynthia and tenny they cant stay liere here alone with geoff unless they have n chap achaa eron cron for a time it lemed as though that obstacle could not be overcome it was doctor bluham who found the solution look here he said one evening w when hen he find dropped in for a friendly call why on earth do you folks keep this big house I 1 happen to know that in an apartment house company would le be glad to buy it house garden and all let cynthia and tenny take an apartment for themselves tor for tie me rest of the winter cury cary seized on the idea hiyi avid avld ity cynthia could pay oft off all those 0 old id bills that have been worrying tier her and miss nona would have a tidy r sum left the doctors scheme sounds like good sense to me miss nonal it needed a great deal of persuasion to convince the legal owner of the alie house hose of the wisdom of such a course she tin had been born here she had it been bee n married here both of her children had opened their eyes in tier her bedroom upstairs her husband her mother and her father hail had died in this house she wanted only to be allowed to spend her ber few remaining days few nothing was garys carys derisive comment when you sou get to new york and spruce up with a lot of new clothes look like a sixteen year old besides think of cynthia 1 put her squarely on her feet for the first time since the she left college cynthia herself opposed the plan violently she honestly bell believed eved that her mothers health never robust would be seriously affected if site she left the old house that she herself would want benefit by the sale only strengthened her opposition at the same time she had a feeling of balloons tugging at tier her heart to be free of those harassing debts I 1 geoit could move into that nice quiet hotel near the laboratory mrs mr emslie said brightly its only f four our months till hell be leaving denver anyway she slid old her glance toward Cynt hias face ns as she spoke and was wag cheered to see fit the startled expression which fawned dawned on it flossie too pushed the sale she felt that when the lit li t link was cut cl it between cary and his home she would he surer of him film our first wife save gave signs of being in earnest about her present flirtation youre all against me miss bliss nona said mournfully theres only one thing I 1 ask let me get away with eunice before a book Is packed or a room disturbed I 1 want to remember my home ns 09 it was not all torn up tip and 11 so cynthia and geoff with cary saw the two women off to new york where are you deninn demanded fled one afternoon coming home early that he might help with the work A faint from the attle attic informed him of Cynt hias whereabouts ile he found tier her sitting on it three legged stool before on an open trunk poring over a gray leaved kodak book my iry father gave it to me on my eighth birthday slip she said look here lie Is I 1 I 1 used a whole roll of nt films alms on him before I 1 learned to focus and heres miss nona and heros heres cary in his first long trousers and heres here s the captain ile he took it from tier her and turned its pages with eager interest here were dozens doyens of cynthia in pleated skirt and white sweater lend lead ing an english bulldog on a cynthia in riding costume rosti imo astride a pony cynthia with cary his arm thrown protectively about her choul ders acra cynthia in her graduating frock all frills and with nn an of roses cynthia cynthia Cynt cynthia lila repeated over a range of an entire decade if I 1 only knew what to to do with all these things she mourned heres here A n trunk full of the captains wedding clothes striped trousers huge satin tie high silk hat flat and nil all these plies piles of lesliea Le Les lles weekly go back to the spanish american war I 1 hate bate to burn them or sell bill them to the ras ra man heros heres the saddle I 1 had for my shetland Sli etland pony lils his name was carna t m n perfume because I 1 thought that was the hie only name nice enough for him cary called him that box over to ire I re cc Is full of things dad and miss noia broucht from the worlds fair nt at chicago spun glass and shells from bermuda and a blown ostrich egg all sorts of trash that have hae memories attached to them what does nty geoff asked sensibly if I 1 were you id pack one ona box with useless souvenirs and throw the rest away tile the work proceeded slowly despite the number of willing hands bands tenny was in her glory drugging dragging out old silk dresses with bustles bustled and ruffled trains rescuing Cynt hias biggest doll from garys carys devastating hand scattering the books cynthia had sorted generally behaving behal ng as geoff told her good natu af though sho she were six pairs of twins and a single 0 it was their lost night in the old gary cary house the rooms were stripped and bare only enough furniture remained tor for their actual needs geolla belongings had already been sent to the hotel where tie was to stay during the rem remainder of 0 his time in denver cynthia had found and furnished from their own beautiful old pieces a five room apartment which was not too tar far from tennys school look here marguerite geoff had said that morning this Is my last day here and im going to run the housekeeping again at least as far as dinner Is concern concerned just disregard tiny any orders miss bliss cynthia may give you and you and ill plan a men meal that Is a meal so tonight to Cynt hias surprise they sat down to dellen delicately tely broiled ok rul v F there were too many girls who called messages to geoff over the shoulders of their partners chicken to artichokes and white cherries in aspic to pink rosebud ices fees and cake what on earth she demanded S so 9 that my last meal here might be as much like ray my first as possible he explained 1 I sure about the details but marguerite rehem bared that was the day hadji was killed cynthia recalled soberly that was the day you started hating me said geoff do you sou hute bate him cynthia oh why I 1 love leofel right tenny you keep on setting cynthia a good example and maybe shell follow it at least cynthia told him softly ive got past the hating point ill even admit tills this im going to ms miss you terribly after today gary cary I 1 sup post you and flossie were going to take some things over to our apartment gary cary interrupted importantly this girl of mine has set her heart on hoarding all sorts of my youthful possessions ill have to see the janitor about storing them flossie smiled our first wife had intimated in a telephone conversation with flossie that lay day that after next nest month no more alimony would be expected tenny was a long time getting to steep sleep tant night it was ans thrilling in the first place to go to bed in a room which contained fl A bed and nothing else not a rug nig not a chair not a picture on the wall over the next nett days move contributed to tn tier her wakefulness but finally the white lids drooped and tenny her blind tucked beneath her cheek check was wrapped tn in slumber geoff camp down from n final trip to the attle attic and found cynthia in the ohp old parlor she bad not turned on the lights but the were up ill and moonlight stream pl in from the win dows dons genar saw thit that she was wai crying ni As lie he crossed the room to tn her why cynthia why my dearl dear yes I 1 know she said brokenly nut but ita parting nr all I 1 know of permanency and se security and and homel home I 1 no other place will per ever bp be the same to me I 1 understand now how bow miss nona ailt adt cynthia geoff sald mid gently will you let mo me make you another home dp ear ir thera them was a startled silence end then she said are arc you asking me to marr marry y you geoff yes my iny darling darlin 1 I geoff im iro sorry 1 I 1 I cant you dont love me cynthia wo no she shook her head and the movement dislodged the bright drops which brimmed her eyes im fond of you truly I 1 am she laughed a little forlornly morer than I 1 ever thought id be able to may aay I 1 like you better than any man I 1 know geoff but it enough I 1 I 1 told you once P 1 I know he said eald but its a great deal that you feel that way about me thank you Cynt cynthia hial 1 lie ile bent his head to alss the hands lie he held and quite simply she offered him her lips instantly she was swept into his arms held in an embrace that smothered her she struggled to free herself realized the futility tilita and relaxed in his arms im sorry cynthia lie he said releasing tier her no im d d if I 1 am ami I 1 I 1 have that to remember any anyhow howl 1 im not angry geoff id give you more it if I 1 could she slipped quietly from the room and geoff feoff stood before the window for a long time sta staring ring out at the moonlit garden the next nex morning all was bustle and confusion cynthia found to her own annoyance that it was wa she instead of geoff who flushed and avert ed her eyes when they met at the breakfast table geoff was hi his 8 usual cheerful kindly self tile the scene in the parlor might never have occurred erred to judge from his matter of fact good morning I 1 somehow slie she resented his self con arol she became very businesslike see that the men ardea are careful reful with that book marked fragile caryl marguerite are you sure you have the kitchen things all in ofie one packing box geoff heres a book of yours I 1 found in miss bliss nonas room im coming comini around to take you two girls out to dinner tonight he be said easily geoff we cant possibly 1 I know it you cant possibly eat the right kind of meal in all that disorder why im calling for you at six sharp tenny will you see that cynthia has her hat on the movers were out of the house nothing remained but to lock the doors and go cynthia was startled to hear geoffr light steps running down the front stairs she had thought he had find driven away before the last wagon give me that lie he said holding out his hand for the key hop in my ear car its parked pretty far down the block on account of all the wagons anti and wait for me there no need for you to watch the curtain go down A girls perversity made her allude to the subject she had bad determined to avold avoid im so sorry about last night she said and then could have bitten tier her tongue with chagrin at her own tactlessness again geoff did the unexpected lie ile put his hands on her |