The Road to Understanding

he wanted at the age of ten, it might not have been so difficult to con

victory unseasoned with defeat. A succession of "anything-for-peace" rulers of the nursery, and a father who could not bring himself to b

htly overlooked by boys and girls ever alert for "fun"; and an influential father and the scarcity of desirable positions made another combination not to be lightly overlooked by impe

eautiful that the entire town saw it and expressed its approval: in public by nods and admiring adjectives; in priva

tle thought to anything, after his wife died, except to business and his boy, Burke. Business, under his skillf

ng the intricacies of a game of tiddledywinks. Later, together, they explored the world of music, literature, scienc

. And as the boy had but to express a wish to have it instantly find an echo in his father's heart, it is not strange, perhaps, tha

he was with them, a bright, beauteous, gracious being, loving, tender, perfect. Whatever they saw was seen through her eyes. Whatever they did was done as with her.

eeping two-year-old boy. With the marvelous light on her face, and the crimson velvet draperies behind her, she looked not unlike a pictured Madonna. It was not, indeed, until a very lifelike red swept to the roots of th

n in search of his father. He had returned from college an hour before to find his father's youngest si

he came face to fa

name is she?" he dem

he

autiful girl in the

e! You're dreaming, Burke. The

here. I saw her. She he

e nursemaid, probably. Your aunt brought one with her. But, see here, son. I was looking for you. Come int

t his father's side, and he listened dutifully to what his father said; but the day wa

had before. As a pictured saint, hung about with the aloofness of the intangible and the unreal, she had been beautiful and alluring enough; but now, as

worship, he advanced hastily, speaking with a diffidence and

n't, did I? Did I

girl turned, he

, in the

. I do hope I did

ation in the young man'

. He just-wo

you so rudely. You see, I was so surprised to-to see you there like-

laughed, throwing him a mischievous glance. "Oh, yes,

ou'd-understand. I'm

enby's

es

h-

yes and voice he unconscio

ve-here?" brea

seemed suddenly to be swelling withi

eyes challenged her, and she met

n you're not awa

e color sweep to her te

me a thing of yourse

nreasoning wrath against an unk

and definite. It was directed against the world in general, and his aunt in particular, that they should permit for one instant

glow at the intimate nearness of this hear

antly away, he gazed straight into

; and the closeness of his association with his father had not been conducive to incipient love affairs. Perhaps, for these reasons, he was all the more

an wit

y blue of the sky and the softness of the air against his cheek became a pain to him-she was tied to a stuffy nursery. His own freedom of will and movement became a sourc

with me. I want to show you the

Why, Mr. Den

came and went-and again

y n

he children; besides-it'

o beautiful out! To-morr

ook he

n't, Mr.

ternoon

N

use you don

nt

, the thwarted youth felt again the fierce wra

he vowed. "Don't they ever g

d into shy

few hours Thursd

remember. We

they

could give this happiness to her! Enthusiastically he pointed out here a bird and there a flower; carefully he helped her over every stick and stone; determinedly he set himself to making her forget her dreary daily tasks. And when she lifted her won

the wonderful panorama of grandeur-the green valley, the s

real pretty!" ex

AT HER LOVELY

ould have frowned unconsciously at the "real pret

u'd like it,"

, I

ust as fine. We'l

a cloud cros

ve so lit

o his face now and

know, I don't think you ought to be doing-such wo

I ha

f away, but he thought he c

aven't you any-people?" His

en mother. There was no one

m so-so

to soothe and comfort her as one would a child. But she was not a child, and it would n

ruptly to

when I took you up here with the express intention of making you forget them. Suppose we go through this little path

ss and a caress, and a bonbon, of course. But he could give her a bit of playtime, now and then-and he would, too. He would see to it that, for the rest of her sta

cepting as irrevocable the fact that she could not be separated from her

his morning, if you don't mind," he said b

ondly. "You're the one that will mind-as you'll discover, I fear, when

ed the youth. "I shall ta

miled Mrs. Allen, as she rose from the table. "If you'll excuse

ive the forlorn little nursemaid "one good time in her life," Burke Denby contrived to be with her not a little in between drives and picnics. Ostensibly he was putting up swings, building toy houses, playing ball with Masters Paul and Percy Allen; but in reality he was

and Percy?" cried Mrs. Allen, one day, to her brother

ed," murmured John Denby.

nephews, he was finding it difficult to accustom himself to the revolutionary changes in his daily rou

continued his drives and picnics and ball-playing with Masters Paul and Percy Allen; then, very su

o away-"

o-away!" he

nby, what makes y

motionless, looking out at the falling rain. When he turned back into the room there was a new expression on his face. With a quick glance at the c

ll you-marry me?"

Den

nearer. His face was alight with the confiden

e to me all in a flash-what it would be to live-without you."

, Mr. Denby," fluttered the girl, in a panic of startl

I saw then what you've been to me every day this past week. How I've watched for you and waited for you, and how everything I did and said and had was just-something for you. And I knew then that I-I loved you. You see, I-I never l

r eyes were fright

ou care

ed her h

re?" he begged. "You said you had no one now to

re a do

her feet. She was down on the rug with the children, very flu

ou. I supposed you were in the nursery. Won't you put the boys into fresh suits? I have friends calling

, ma

cks into her apron, rose to her feet, and hurried the children from th

ch might have been translated into "You see what we

course, as soon as he had made known the fact that she was to be his wife. Everything would be different. For that matter, Helen herself would be different. Not only would she hold her head erect and take her proper place, but she would not-well, there were vario

enby's heart quite swelled within

s evident; but not until the summoning bell from the drawing-room gave her a few minutes' respite from duty did she have an opportunity really to think. Even then she could not think lucidly or con

uld hardly aid in the making of a wise, unprejudiced decision, especiall

town. Then, like the proverbial thunderbolt, had come death and financial disaster, throwing her on her own resour

there was, apparently, nothing that she could do well enough to be paid for doing it. In the past twenty months she had obtained six positions-and had abandoned five of them: two because of incompetency, two because of lack of necessary strength, one because her beauty was plainly making the situation intolerable. For three months now she had been nurse to Masters Paul and Percy Allen. She liked Mrs. Allen, and she liked the children. But the care, t

her high-school days? It had to do with flowers and music and angels. On the old porch b

ut to have him come like this-and such a lover! So rich-and he was such a grand, handsome young man, too! And she loved him. She loved him dearly.

y's wife, at the hands of Burke Denby's friends and relatives. And again, whatever the last two years had done for her, they had not robbed her of her pride. And the Barnets, away back in the little Vermont town, had been very proud. To Helen Barnet now, therefore, the picture of h

ldren. In the hall she met Burke Denby; but she only shook her head in answer to h

last against a peremptory "Helen, you shall let me talk to you a minute! Why do you persist in hiding behind those

can't say the word, Mr

e fell

can't mean-you can't me

n her into the curtained bay window of the uppe

panted, trying to releas

you don't care?" he

at I mean." She pul

't look me straight in the

r flooded her face. With a choking littl

!" breathed the youth, his lips almost

" With a supreme effort she wrenched

deal. Unlimited frosted cakes and shotguns had not taught Burke Denby to accept no for an answer-especially

or love to meet him around the bend of the next street. Love had come now as an Event, capitalized. Love was Life, and Life was Heaven-if it might be passed with

least. He really rather liked it. It added zest and excitement, and would make his final triumph all the more heart-warming an

ns and carried them to the triumphant finish of a carefully arranged tête-à-tête in

the library door, and standing determinedly with his back to it, as

an't. I really must

tting you here, and getting those blessed youngsters safel

u planne

t I was careful not to say who wanted you. Oh, Helen, Helen, how can you seek to avoid me like this, when you

mustn't

ove-my

ot you

oing to b

ld you I could

s 'Burke,'

ery plainly Mr. Burke Denby was not appr

ed and bi

you to-to make it so hard

sion he caught

me. As if I'd give you up now! Helen, why do you to

ed feebly i

d you;

y n

ans

sened his clasp and held

cau

use w

swer

lse?" For the first time a shadow

ook he

, n

what i

ed his face. There was a tense moment of

, and be your wife, and have a

down o

so swell and grand a

r to himself again, and laid

yourself, the dearest, sweetest little woman that was ever made, and I love you,

l. I'm only a

r with your relatives, or your friends. I don't love you because you are, or are not, a nurse-girl, or a school-teacher, or a butterfly of fashion. I even don't love you because

our fa

ad is my good chum-he's always been tha

will?" A dawning hope

elf. Always, all the way up, dad has been like that.

emulous breat

, if I thought y

ips on hers she had her answer,