Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 312, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1917 — CURING SILVIA [ARTICLE]

CURING SILVIA

By ELIZABETH SHIELDS.

“Well,’ 1 " I murmured, “I’m alwaysi glad the men at the club like me well; enough to come to our house. Sylvia "enjoys them sr> much,” Sylvia was just then climbing into A low racing car with Robert Hewes, who had called to see me, gripping the wheel. “My dear,” exclaimed my mother,, “do stop criticizing your sister. You must realize they are so much younger than you. Naturally Sylvia and LuciTle are companionable OU motor tHpS and at dances.” “I don’t mirid ifi the least,” I turned serenely. But I did not feel serene. RobertTiad come to the house for me, and he er Jed,-as did all my men friends who came, by taking one of the younger girls out.fgOh, I didn’t care usually, but Robert Hewes was—well, he was different. And I did care. • When his siren horn sounded I took down my sweater and hat, threw. go up to Slayback’s woods before the trees were stark and bare. Sylvia, however, was downstairs before me, and an hour later she left the house for a ride with him. “My dear,” from mother again, “please don’t flatten your nose against the window pane in that undignified way. Sylvia is very pretty and amuSr ing. They’ll have a perfectly lovely time together” Mother was fairly, raging. That I, Betty, with twenty-five years on my shoulders, had no more maidenly modesty than to cling desperately for one look from Robert Hewes, or any man! I’m perfectly willing to accept the position of oldest, to take all the drudgery, the bitterness and thanklessness from the heedless younger members, but I want some of the sweetness, too. c ' Lucille, fresh and well groomed and just twenty, rushed, into the room with an explosive shriek. “Did you see Sylvia? Who was the man?” I felt like ri screen heroine and that the only proper thing for ine to do was to prostrate myself in utter abandon and shriek back, “Mine!” “Betty met him at the Friday night da nee, ” said mother and went into--d- f " tails. “He’s evidently much taken with Sylvia.” “Oh!” cried Lucille sympathetically as she and mother exchanged glances. Later in the kitchen I worked stead-ily-preparing -supper-for Rober t -and— Sylvia. In the kitchen, at least, I could be alone. Mother hated the place, and so did the girls. Never In my life have I spent such a miserable hour as I did when I baked the hot bfecuits, brojled ham and made the coffee for their supper. I watched through the window for a sight of the long, gray car. For a moment I could not see Clearly through the window for a mist had dimmed my eyes. It was all so hopelessly muddled and tiresome, this Channing, do-nothing family ,of ours. The next moment I broke panic-stricken for the door. - Robert Hewes had swung his car out of the valley road, and, taking the turn at 50 miles an hour, the car smashed into, a monster tree, skidded across to the sandbanked roadside. As I looked Sylvia and Robert shot into; sir. In a moment we were bending over them both. Sylvia sat up stunned but unhurt arid blinking bewildered. Robert lay crushed and broken in the roadway. / * With assistance Sylvia got to her feet and staggered to the house. I sat in the roadway and held Robert’s head in my lap. file had fainted. When his eyes opened he looked Into mine with utter amazement He smiled wanly as he assured me he wasn’t hurt, amt his lean, brown hand caught compellingly at mine, as if he would never let me go. Mother and girls stood In the hall awed and weeping as we carried him in.

Next day when it was all over, Robert bandaged and his broken ribs set. I sat beside him. I tried to forget' that through the delirium of the night ;he had continuously called my name. There was great excitement in the family circle, no one hrftl slept. They had crouched about listening as my name fell from his lips. But as Sylvia said, of course he was delirious. In his delirium he thought I was sifting next him when the crash came. When the pain stirred him from his semlstupor, he murmured broken words and phrases and before he opened his eyes in consciousness, the entire family was in possession of his heart secret. During the lon'g night he struggled to keep me pear him. Ceaselessly he cried out against letting Sylvia run the car She confessed shamefacedly that she had teased him into permitting her to take the wheel, just before they turned. When Robert awakened “he made an effort to lift himself. “No one else was hurt, really?” he questioned. “Thank God for that,” he said as he sank back on the pillows. Then I heard his voice, a mere whisper, as his eyes sought rrfine. “Will you ever forgive me,” he said, “for running away from you yesterday?” “Don’t talk,” I begged. “You did not seem anxious to go,” he explalned, “I must. seeined.<ft<i brute.” His hand closed cfcer mine. Waveringly I- forced my ’eyes to meet his. And then we knew. (Copyright, l»li, by the McClure NewspaSyndicate.)