The Hollow Land

e upon her narrow tan hat. Magsie was up, but not dressed, and was not ill pleased to have company. Her private as well as professional affairs were causing her much dissatisfa

ation new to their intercourse, had repeated several unpalatable truths. Rac

herself--" Magsie had begun in anger.

the boys, Magsie

ll significance of his words and tone dawned upon

an exquisitely uncomfortable look and

re not going to MAK

r to win him ultimately. Days afterward the angry blood came into her face whe

here'll be something I can do for you, and then you'll see by the way I do it that I want with all my

flung herself the leng

tell me th

orry,

I've got your own words! Everyone knows-the whole world knows!

t I never meant to hurt you. And I hope there was

d into a chair wi

, "and you're punishing me! Was it my seei

e that ton

she set her little teeth. He

f! I can punish you, and I will. Alice and George Valentine can fix it all up to suit the

terrupting the hard little voice, "can'

with eyes suddenly

-s-say we loved e

resently Magsie began to

know you'll come back to me to-morrow, and tell me it was all just the trouble

ay he added, "Good-bye." Magsie did not turn or speak; she co

iterating his good-byes, and asking her again to forgive him. Ma

ere were arguments that might persuade Rachael to adhere to her original resolution. It could not be dropp

ut I'm interrupti

d, tearing up an envelope lazily. "I was trying to writ

w you're busy, but I won't interrupt you long. Upon my word, I had a hard enough time getting to you. There was no boy at

ice of living!" said Magsie. "She's the janitor's

only thing I had." She was trying quietly to see the name on the envelope Magsie had de

Magsie said, glad to talk of him. "

see any woman, especially if she's not young, givi

agsie ruefully. "But I d

ive him his divorce, can't

Magsie was obvi

urse s

t want him. I w

heaven's sake, what

for him," Magsi

had your nerve! And what

she said that she would not interfere

e's changed

Magsie scowl

HE say?" Billy as

he seems to think h

that he can--here.

te in voice and manner. "But there ARE ways of forcing her, as she will soon see," said Magsie in a venomous voice. "I h

Billy interrupted. Magsi

u know?" s

injured--and you've known all a

r--"I could make him sorry, don't wo

and you sent his letters to her," Billy said after cogitation.

ensitive woman, too. You know you can't go as far as you like with a gi

!" said the p

--I don't want to be interfered with. I believe I shall do just

more effective than wr

ntity if she could help it, "that I really will send t

children?"

said with barely pe

pursued t

s too clever to multiply unneces

' car for the day. Joe brought it into town to be fixed, and can't dr

e thing in the wo

or some golf and poker. We might find someone, and go on a party

lunch with me

u I'm in deadly earnest. I'm going to break in! Suppose I come here for yo

made

and I will. Perhaps the Royces would go--a nice litt

s and jumped into

easily. "And then you might get your lunc

, dear little old Breck was in seventh heaven down on the cool seashore, and there was a prospect of a party to-night. As they rolled smoothly

minutes before she wrote Rachael's name on the wrapper, but after that she dressed with her usual care, and carried the package to the elevator boy for mailing. As she came back to h

st resentful thought, but Anna was on a vacation, and

you'll excuse my dressing all over the place,

a filmy scarf of Magsie's from a chair, and smiled, the little muscle-twit

in her violent effort to breathe quietly. "Doctor doesn't say he get

h it was displayed by a large, plain woman in preposterous clothes, stran

AME!" she

ive in this place. I wish to God that I had got him out of it when he had that first spell. I may be--I don't know, but I may be too late now." Tears came to her eyes, the hard tears of a proud and suffering woman. She took out a fo

loring, and feeling as i

a bee round a rose--poor, sick boy that he was! He's losi

ain, and Magsi

eels to me. I suppose I could have stopped him, got him to go away, perhaps, in time. But--but I've been unhappy myself, Mrs. Gardiner. A person--I love has been cruel to me. I

just see him, would it? Don't say anything about this other man. Could you do that? Couldn't you let him think that maybe if he went away an

st. There was nothing cruel about the little actress, ho

?" she said almost timidly.

en to me," his mother answered with trembling lips. "He's all I have. I just

ulse. "I'll tell him to take care of himself. It's si

ong, deep voice, "if you do that--may the Lord send you

d Magsie in a hurt, child

ers she helped Magsie with the last hooks and bands of her toilette. "If you ain't as pretty and dainty as

ar--Richie's car. Perhaps the hurt to her heart and her pride had altered Mags

Richie's dark, thin eager face and sunken, adoring eyes. She laid her warm, plump little hand between his long,

. Magsie was well aware that the big doctors themselves would not interrupt this talk, that the nur

arren Gregory's love. The letters, without an additional word, were gone to Rachael. If Rachael chose to use them against Warren, then

letters, as legal documents, had no value to anyone but Rachael. If Rachael chose to forgive and ignore the writing of th

lse could she do? Magsie had wanted money all her life, and when that money was gone---Richie was falling into a doze, his hand still tightly clasping hers. She slipped to her knees beside the bed, and as he lazily opened h

ng face. Outside the city was silent under the summer sun. In the great hospital feet cheep

ely irritating; but here in this plain little bed, so boyish, so dependent, so appreciative, he seemed more attractive than he ever had before. Whatever there was maternal in Magsie rose to meet his need. She

not love! But then she really did love Richie in a way. And Richie loved her--no question o

ed that he drink more milk before a word was said. Then they talked again, Magsie i

o marry you, feeling thi

ie!" he w

nvalid, the great sunny West with its forests and beaches, the plain gold ring on her little hand. In the whole concerned group--doctor, nurse, valet, mother, maid--young Mrs.

him, laid her rosy chee

ars, "and get a nice special license and a nice little plain gold ri

tears. His mother who had silently entered the room on Magsie's last words suddenly put her fat arms about her and gave

hould be helped into the softest motor car procurable for money, and into the private car that his mother and Magsie meant to engage, by hook or crook, to-night. In six days they would be watching the blue Pacific, and in three weeks Richie should be sleeping out of doors and coming downstairs

ret!" was all Mrs. Gardiner could say,

ps they found Billy Pickering, in her large r

r janitor's wife said you had come here. I've

that he must not stand this climate another day. He had another sinking spell y

d in amazement. Magsie bri

And then, as Mrs. Gardiner began to give directions to the driver of her own car, which was waiting, she went on in

other man say?"

of the car, rubbed the polished

t know,"

But what will

e can't live--they all say that. So if I come back before he does, wh

Billy was completely at a loss.

ppens with--the other, I shan't have to worry--about money, I mean. I'm not a fool, Billy. I can't let a chance like this slip. Of course I wouldn't do it if I didn't like him and like his mother, too. And I'll bet he

t have to meet the men until six--I'll have to round up anothe

"She's a wonderful person; she's arranging for our own priv

to!" agre

face as the other car whirled away. Sh

d me up this morning, Hungerford!" she said quic

she said to the beaming janitor's wife fifteen minutes late

d the hesitation with which Magsie had answered "Two girls." Then Magsie had said that she would "write him," not at all the natural thing to do to a man one was sure to see, and Rachael had said that Warren was away! But most significant of all was her answer to Billy's question as to wheth

ts of her wastepaper basket in feverish haste. The envelope was ruined, it had been crushed while wet; a

he house like a thief, panting for the open air. A suspicion only ten minutes before, now she felt as if no other fact on earth had ever s

Tell him that mother is proud of him for picking so many blackberries, and will love the jam. It is as hot as fire here, and the park has

he is at St. Luke's Hospital, and she and his mother are going to take him to California at once. What do you kno

you talked to me about divorce, Rachael! What you don't know can't hurt you. Don't please Magsie Clay to the extent of doing exactly what she wants you to do.

rs. I hope you won't care, and that I'm not all