Quill's Window

where he was removing his raincoat he had a fair view through an open door of the north end of the long living-room. Logs were blazing merrily in the fireplace. Alix was standing before the fire,

red in from the grey, leaden day outside, he could detect the heightened colour in her cheeks, and as h

ndicate that he noticed anything unusual. He greeted her cheerfully and t

ur heart,-although it isn't my heart that needs warming. Moreover, I don't know what cockles are. I must look 'em up in the dictionary. Come here, Se

rgeant,-if you're going to be impolite you must leave the ro

owed her slowly, relu

d her going u

e some day," he muttered under his breath. "Fat ch

pstairs door. His thoughts w

l visible evidence of agitation. He found himself wondering what it was that caused this exhibition of temper. A letter? Of course,-a letter. A letter that contained something she resented, something that infuriated her. A personal ma

cago, one New York; on the others the postmarks were indistinct. The handwriting was feminine on most of them. A narrow, folded slip of paper lay a little detached from the letters. He picked it up and

his position before the fire. Quite a different Alix entered the room a few seconds later.

t IS raw and nasty today, isn't it? I think the Mall

s," he drawled. "

Don't you know t

hers. Her reply afforded him a

ace to live in," he said, and there was a trace of real feeling in h

. He said 'In the fall an old man's fancy slightly turns to thoughts of comfort.' I sha'n't d

ep breath of smoke, settled himself comfortably

n. I happen to be a rather young on

ways tell

less always," was his

obe

eleven months

ve-month. I don't slight a single month. By the by, I hope I didn't pop in too far ahead of time thi

he faint shadow of a cloud as it flitted across her eyes. "They

ck and thrust it into the pocket of her sport skirt. Then she returned to the fireplace. The cloud was on her brow again as she stared darkly into the crackling flames. He knew now that it was

R A

mplished by early spring. You may thank the flu for my present prosperity. It has been pretty bad here in the East again, although not so virulent as be

rely

VI

g into the fire before resuming her seat. He realized that

esently, "that you have

sound of his voice. As she t

nts and all that sort of thing,-but it's rather jolly if there's a nice, cosy fire like this,-

l that a pipe might be a pal, a good old stand-by, or even a relative,-something to depend upon in all sorts of weather, fair and foul. I've noticed th

cigarettes, and took up the pipe of peace

d, smiling. "I can't ima

d to be flatteri

s an impressio

ose good old freshman days. Pipe smoke,-you may even say tobacco smoke, for heaven only knows what these cigarettes are made of,-pipe smoke is too strong. My throat is so confounded sensitive I-well, I'd probably cough my head off. That beastly gas made a coward of me, I fear. You've no idea w

moodiness, their unwillingness to speak of what they had been through. The other men, the ones who had lost legs or arms or even their eyes,-were as a rule cheerful and as chatty as could be,-oh, how my heart used to ache for them,-but the shell-shock men and the men who had been gassed, why, it wa

of those chaps,-the majority of them, in fact,-worked that dodge for all it was worth. It was a deliberate p

h whom I came in contact certainly were not trying to deceive anybody.

ere shamming,-but I am convinced

ort that the she

yards away and-zip! they'd send you back for repairs. As for myself, the only reason I didn't like to talk about my condition at first was because it hurt my throat and lungs. It wasn't because

who took it as you did. I wis

ore speaking again. Then

Strong, have to say about th

not seen Dr. Strong

rised. "Hasn't he bee

. I was away

was he i

fall of 1917, and remained till the end of th

thing,-lucky dog." She remained sile

d, lifting her

it, I almost find myself hating chaps like Strong, chaps who lived in the country and had regular pals, and girl sweethearts, and went fishing and hunting, and played hookey as it ought to be played, and gre

fault there, Mr. Thane," she said, smiling on

nd he played all sorts

n rather stiffly. "His games were with the boys of the town,-and they w

wonderful boy and girl games,-such as 'playing house,' 'ge

d we quarrelled like real married people, and I used to cry and take my playthings home, and he used to stand outs

I suppose he grew up and went off

married,

forward, his eyes fixed intently on hers. She did not flinc

e. Did I tell you that an old Ambulance man is coming down for a day or two nest week? A Harvard man who lives in Chicago. His siste

there in the Ambulance, but I don't remember whether I ran across him anywhere or not. He may hav

in. I've known Mary Blythe for years, but I know him very

tion was

ths. You were there too at one time, I remember. I've heard him spe

that case. My section was sent up to Bar le

ection was transferred from Pont-a-Mousson at an hour's no

the Ambulance just before the Verdun scrap. They slapped me into another section, of course. I used to see fellows from my own section occasionally, but I don't recall any one named Blythe. He probab

r way to attend a wedding in Louisville. You

s a fellow named Bright up there at one time,-at least I got the name as Brigh

Mary Blythe. Sh

rown, but I am not inconstant

d with herself

" she said, arising. "I think I hear a car coming up th

he window, looking out, when he straightened himself and gingerly brushed the wood dust from his hands. Instead of joining her, he remained with his back to the fire, his feet spread apart, his hands in his coat pockets, comforting himself with the

at she did say after a

been the wind

kely," h

indow. He held his po

himself, "I'd rush over there and spoil everything. I

and into her skirt pocket and, clutching the bit of paper in her fingers, crumpled it into a

oned," she said, glancing up at the old French ormula clock on the mantelpi

! She would not stoop to anything like that. The litt

e, perhaps,"

head, was never in better form, never more entertaining, never so well provided with polite cynicisms. Later

t you, Mr. Thane. You were splendid. I was i

observing I am. I could have sworn yo

e said stubbornly. "

he inquired anxiously. His voice was husky and a trifl

interrupted nervously. "I

again?" he asked, afte

come to

she said, sha

, gusty rain, so elated that he forgot to use his cane,-and he had limped quite painfully earlier in the afternoon, complai

ght. Bless her heart! I'll bet my head she doesn't sleep a wink. And tomorrow? Tomorrow I shall see her. But not a word, not a sign out of me. Not tomorrow or next