Fassifern School - Sapphire Yearbook (Hendersonville, NC)

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I The Hermit Q QQ ARV', old fellow, sit was mighty nice of you to bring me 'round, and for Jove's sake x D5 don't tell the boys where l am. Remember that l am celebrating Christmas my own no Q0 way and l'd rather not be botheredg mail will go to my box at the club and l'm QF Q not going to even open it. Good-bye! '-J 'YQ As he stood on the steps of an apartment, one of a great many exactly alike, all fronting the street and all having a small flight of steps leading to a heavy oaken door, he watched a tall fellow disappear around the corner. Then he turned to the door behind him. Opening the door of the living room he saw his man Morris arranging the big chair in a comfortable way before the tire. 'ilt's home now, Morris, we'll just live here until we get tired of' it, it and being hermits. lt's a nice place, I'll say. Who are our neighbors? The Colburns on the right, sir, and a lady named Chatham on the left. Old maid, eh ? No, sir, not to say an old maid. She is very pretty and considerable young. Young and pretty, you say? That is just what l am trying to run away from, well, she-'ll never see me, anyway! She is very sociable, sir. Says she is coming to call. The devil she is! Tell her l am crazy, blind or something, anything to keep her away, do you hear, Morris? called Adams from the next room. So the housekeeping began. Richard Adams, aged twenty-seven, heir to several millions, and leader of society, had grown tired of festivity and run away for the holidays. Only his chum, Harvey Milton, knew of his whereabouts, and Morris had arranged the apartment. The next morning when Adams awoke he heard Morris' voice on the steps. He is not up yet, Miss. Not up yet? Gracious, he is lazy! That voice! It was deep, not low, but a delightful contralto with a note of happiness in it. Morris, may I call today? Ah-no, Miss Chatham, he has given orders that he will see no oneg he is not well, ma'am. Oh, l am very sorry that he is not well, Christmas is coming, too. Get him well by Christmas, Morris! Dick laughed. Good old Morris! but that girl's voice! That must be Miss Chatham on the right. These persistent old gossips! She wanted to see him so she could gossip about him. But he could not imagine that voice gossiping about anyone. Well, he must forget neighbors, this was his vacation. The papers had come and he spent the morning reading them. Claire Pellers was giving a ball, his name was among those invited, most likely his invitation was in his box. Masters was staging' a pageant, a note about that was in his box also, and perhaps a bid to Carrollton's stag dinner. Dick smiled, no evening clothes for a month, no flowers to send, no silly girls' talk to listen to-peace for a month! The door-bell rang. Silently Morris opened the door. Adams caught a glimpse of a red tam, a wisp of brown hair, and the voice said: Hang this up, Morris, Christmas is coming and your windows look like it was November! When Morris showed him the wreath he frowned. Yes, hang it up, but l was trying to forget Christmas ! U When Morris left for the market his reading was continuously interrupted by zealous salesmen of holly, mistletoe, and cedar, until finally he stopped answering the door at all. Page forty-seven

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:E:i:E: s:s:s:f ::-:..-.. Eiii '55553555:51::aEE555t52i?EEEE5. ' . ff X - ,, , . t c c- , ctccccccrii l..unch passed tranquilly, and about three o'clock Mrs. Colburn called. Morris answered her firmly. No, madam, the master is not well and he refuses to see anyone. Yes, maclam, l will tell him that you calledf, After dinner the phone rang and, Morris being busy in the kitchen, Adams answered it himself. The Voice spoke. Morris, l called you up to tell you that your basement light is burning, sorry to have troubled you. This is Adams speaking. l will notify Morris. Thank you, Miss Chatham. Would people never stop bothering him? Peace indeed! He rose and went to the front winclow. The light from the house on the left looked very pretty and through the Colburns' windows he could see them, on very intimate terms. Heavens! Why didn't people pull their shades down! Then in Miss Chatham's front room he could see her. She was standing with her back to him, a slender figure in red. and before her stood a mang she was speaking to him, she held out her hands and he took them. Adams jerked his shade down. The following morning, needing a breath of fresh air, Adams went for a stroll around the block, choosing an early hour, scarcely thinking any of his neighbors would be out by seven-thirty on a Decem- ber morning. But he had barely taken twenty steps before he saw Miss Chatham fhe supposed it was she as she wore a red tam, approaching him. Uh, Mr. Adams, for aren't you he? l am so glad to see you are out! H Yes, Miss Chatham, l am glad to be out also. There he was already, speaking in platitudes again, and one really shouldnit to this girl, she looked so fresh and happy. May l join you in your walk? This is my regular hour for a walkg l love early winter mornings, don't you? Adams did, but he sincerely wished that this girl clidn't. She was so radiant with cheerfulness that it was catching, and Adams didn't wish to catch any cheerfulness. l-le strode along without saying a worcl until his companion stopped her merry talk and was silent also. Suddenly she turned and faced him. Mr. Adams, l'cl like to ask you something. Perhaps you will think it too impertinent and won't answer it, and then again you might not let me even ask it, which will it be ? Certainly ask it, Miss Chatham, ancl since you are so frank l will be frank alsog l may not answer it. Thank you. Well, it is just this: l want to know why you won't see anyone, why you won't be at all sociable, why you left all the gaiety of the winter season. Because, you see, l know you are THE Mr. Adamsg of course l know that in all probabilities you wont answer me. V Adams was silent, then he spoke: That was a bit impertinent for but really l believe that l will tell you all you want to know if you it to a soul. There was a twinkle in Dicks eye, but the girl did not that she would not him. You see, it got tirecl of all the apartment. As for Oh, l thought breathe it to a soul. Dick walkecl slowly on and was because l-you promise you will never tell? Winter gaiety you speak of and l ran away to the so short an acquaintance as ours, promise faithfully not to breathe see it and she answered solemnly then he turned to the girl beside Well, you see it was because I peace and solitude of an obsolete my unsociableness, why l didn't know what pleasant neighbors-I had! that you had committed murder, robbed the Trust Company, or something equally serious! l am so relieved! u as And how did you know that l was THE. Mr. Adams, as you so kindly said? l have heard mother speak of-oh, mercy, l have let the cat out the bag, haven't I? Are you Mrs. Arthur Chatham's daughter? Are you Nancy Chatham? No, you are not Nancy's age, .. she is only a little girlg can you by any chance be her sister? Now that you have let me speak for myself l can tell you that l am Nancy Chatham herself! u Why, it seems only yesterday that l was at your house and you were about fifteen, merely a flapper, how can you be the same? That was five years ago and l was only a flapper then. l remember that timeg you were taking Page forty-eight