The Crux

comes

ite mont

of ice-long

ime when the st

ft, and

far th

s rocker, lifting perplexed, pati

ad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella;

a girl, Orella," she

ed to compliments, even from a woma

lk!" she mu

nued the doctor, "until

's mind, lay in her advice to Miss

can. It's-it's such

hange were equivalent to

prescribe nothing better. You need a

e! I am q

in an advanced stage of arthritis deforma

and down the little

ter and faster every day, the people who keep still get farther behind! I'm fond of you, Rella. You've got an intellect, and a conscience, and a will-a will like iron. Bu

l embroidery hoop on the table, and straightened out the

d," she sai

laughed alo

r than I am. You're only thirty-six! Old! W

or yourself so young-and you've grown up o

o move. What have you got here

it's

e-now. Are you

conte

are doing your duty as you see it; and you've kept yourself down so long you've alm

hile you're doing it, anyway,

of its widely-placed feet being repeated by her own square toes. She placed herself in front o

got to look for

ee Susie hap

you-no

pe some day Morto

you-not

Jane -and neighbors. And some da

Dr. Bellair. I won't stand it." Pr

doctor said, "and it won't

ow to Viva," the girl answe

arms of the two girls were around one another, and they read the

appeared-far more. Men were reticent and proud, she had read. It was perfectly possible that he might be concealing deep emotion under the open friendliness. He was in no condition to speak freely, to come back and cla

eak of marriage-it is not honor

-write to me

e of friendship with women. "I have tried, all my life, to be a true and helpfu

eople misunderstood this noble, lovely soul; how they even hinte

ll the world-yet not write to you-till he was ready to say 'come.'

reams out of "remember me to Viva-unless she

ounded clear and insi

ella to go West!" said Susie. "W

owers of New England, had presided over the small white house, the small green garden and the large black and white school-room. In her vacation she sewed, keeping that quiet wardrobe of hers in

nd purposes, Miss Elder's life appeared as an arrested girlhood, stagnati

f leaving Susie!" p

the doctor. "Best thin

es under the encircling wreath of soft, dark plaits, and the long grace of her figure, delicately built, yet strong,

tor. "I want you to help me. You're

ontroversy, but Miss Orella

joke. "I suppose you could teach school in Denver as well as

nherently conservative even to be an out

rl. "Wants to see you safely married! I tell her you'll have a thou

of this getting married, and had expected

the only thing to

ant thing to do-and to do r

ed in spirit

tched her und

"All you New England girls sit here and cut one another's throats. You can't possible marry, your boys go

and close again, a quick, decided

ld lady seated herself in the halo of the b

she said-and

implored her. "Jane Bellair is trying to pull m

t there-and ought to do it!" said Susie, very solemnly

er sad face lit with sudden sp

e said. "I think men and women ought to be fr

d, looking so serious in her platonic boast that even Viv

usan-if you ever do. There can be, there are, real friendships bet

ctly 'good' woman. Her husband was not a very good man, I've heard, and strangely impatient of her virtues. She had a string of boys-college boys-always at her heels. Quite too young and too charming she was for this frie

a pained

" said Mrs. Pettigrew, looking from one to the other wit

this place, change her occupation, come out to Colorado w

rs!" Miss Elder plaintively

was not

his country goes to the tune of 'Come Ye Disconsolate!' It's a doubtful refuge for women who are widows o

wore an uncon

l 'a good busine

nd above one's board and lodging. That house is in the market now. I've just had a letter from a frien

or?" Mrs. Pettigrew i

do. There are three men to one

the world-unless it was a man-of-war,"

went on mo

d that much. So there's no loss here, and she's got her home to come back to. I can write to Dick Hale to nail t

And if it's as good as you say, there's no need.

the old lady inquired. "There

ce are servants. But just now there's a special chance in that line. Dic

tailored skirts of first-class material; natty, starched blouses-silk ones for "dress," and perfect

rked-you left so many mishandled invalids for me to struggle with. Your boarding house is going to the dogs. Mrs. Annerly got worse and worse, failed completely and has cleared out, with a species of husband, I believe. The owner has put in a sort of caretaker, and the roomers get b

ere, crying to be kept. The boarders are there-unfed. Now, O

lla was

last letter

n handed it to her, and Mi

Orella," the doctor assured her. "Come on-and bring both t

the letter and read it aloud. "I'm on the road again now, likely to be

d up with a

d surprise Mort. He thinks we are just built

ere. She might see him. But-was it womanly to go there-for that? There were other reasons, surely. She had longed for freedom, for a chanc

e is full of men that need mothering, and sistering-good honest sweethearting and marrying, too. Come on, Rella. Do bi

flushed with hope, yet with a smal

d not quite voice her dim objections, her obscure withdrawals; and so

ir smiled

ver twenty-on

with proud acceptance of a life long

orting?" pursu

n flu

he answered; "b

ear, and come West. You can get work-start a kind

se within her in a

ose half-conscious memories of the low, sweet tones of Mrs

on the walk out

Mrs. St. Clo

the doctor, as Susie ran to t

ing. "Mrs. St. Cloud is no stranger. She's

shoulders wreathed in a pearl gray shi

I'd stop in for a moment. Good evening, M

oud," Miss Elder was saying. But Dr. Bellai

ud before, I think-whe

's face

usband! I lost him-many

hen, feeling that some expression of symp

d interest, Susie's efforts at polite attention, and Vivian's visibl

days," she said sweetly. "What a lovely

as," the doctor

town, I think," pursued the lady. "Especiall

idea that her admired friend did not approve

r Dr. Black's lectures? Of course you do, better than I. What a fine man he was! And the beautiful music club we had one Wi

tle gulp, and co

, ladies," said Dr. Bellair. "Goo

was trying to enter her heart, and she was trying to keep it

up with decision. "Good-night, Rella-and Susie. Come o

ivian was

s, don't you think so?" asked the old

-I don't s

so labored to keep pure and beautiful seemed to shake and waver swimmingly. She could not return

suddenly and laying a pleading hand on

rew nodded

you would

lame me,

t a mite. But I'd slee

on it-so far as