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plaintive burst from the older woman。
〃If only you'd marry Harvey；〃 she would say。 〃I don't know what's
come over you。 You used to like him well enough。〃
I still like him。〃
〃I've seen you jump when the telephone bell rang。 Your Uncle James
often spoke about it。 He noticed more than most people thought。〃 She
followed Sara Lee's eyes down the street to where Anna was wheeling her
baby slowly up and down。 Even from that distance Sara Lee could see the
bit of pink which was the bow on her afghan。 〃I believe you're afraid。〃
〃Afraid？〃
〃Of having children；〃 accused Aunt Harriet fretfully。
… Page 8…
THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
Sara Lee colored。
〃Perhaps I am；〃 she said； 〃but not the sort of thing you think。 I just
don't see the use of it； that's all。 Aunt Harriet； how long does it take to
become a hospital nurse？〃
〃Mabel Andrews was three years。 It spoiled her looks too。 She used to
be a right pretty girl。〃
〃Three years；〃 Sara Lee reflected。 〃By that time…〃
The house was very quiet and still those days。 There was an interlude
of emptiness and order； of long days during which Aunt Harriet alternately
grieved and planned； and Sara Lee thought of many things。 At the Red
Cross meetings all sorts of stories were circulated； the Belgian atrocity
tales had just reached the country； and were spreading like wildfire。 There
were arguments and disagreements。 A girl named Schmidt was militant
against them and soon found herself a small island of defiance entirely
surrounded by disapproval。 Mabel Andrews came once to a meeting and in
businesslike fashion explained the Red Cross dressings and gave a lesson
in bandaging。 Forerunner of the many first…aid classes to come was that
hour of Mabel's； and made memorable by one thing she said。
〃You might as well all get busy and learn to do such things；〃 she stated
in her brisk voice。 〃One of our internes is over there； and he says we'll be
in it before spring。〃
After the meeting Sara Lee went up to Mabel and put a hand on her
arm。
〃Are you going？〃 she asked。
〃Leaving day after to…morrow。 Why？〃 I … couldn't I be useful over
there？〃
Mabel smiled rather grimly。 〃What can you do？〃
〃I can cook。〃
〃Only men cooks； my dear。 What else？〃
〃I could clean up； couldn't I？ There must be something。 I'd do anything
I could。 Don't they have people to wash dishes and…all that？〃
Mabel was on doubtful ground there。 She knew of a woman who had
been permitted to take over her own automobile； paying all her expenses
… Page 9…
THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
and buying her own tires and gasoline。
She carries supplies to small hospitals in out…of…the…way places；〃 she
said。 〃But I don't suppose you can do that； Sara Lee； can you？〃
However； she gave Sara Lee a New York address； and Sara Lee wrote
and offered herself。 She said nothing to Aunt Harriet； who had by that time
elected to take Edgar's room at Cousin Jennie's and was putting Uncle
James' clothes in tearful order to send to Belgium。 After a time she
received a reply。 We have put your name on our list of volunteers；〃 said
the letter； but of course you understand that only trained workers are
needed now。 France and England are full of untrained women who are
eager to help。〃
It was that night that Sara Lee became engaged to Harvey。
Sara Lee's attitude toward Harvey was one that she never tried to
analyze。 When he was not with her she thought of him tenderly；
romantically。 This was perhaps due to the photograph of him on her
mantel。 There was a dash about the picture rather lacking in the original；
for it was a profile； and in it the young man's longish hair； worn
pompadour； the slight thrust forward of the head； the arch of the nostrils；…
gave him a sort of tense eagerness； a look of running against the wind。
From the photograph Harvey might have been a gladiator； as a matter of
fact he was a bond salesman。
So during the daytime Sarah Lee looked … at intervals … at the
photograph； and got that feel of drive and force。 And in the evenings
Harvey came； and she lost it。 For； outside of a frame； he became a rather
sturdy figure； of no romance； but of a comforting solidity。 A kindly young
man； with a rather wide face and hands disfigured as to fingers by much
early baseball。 He had heavy shoulders； the sort a girl might rely on to
carry many burdens。 A younger and tidier Uncle James； indeed … the same
cheery manner； the same robust integrity； and the same small ambition。
To earn enough to keep those dependent on him； and to do it fairly； to
tell the truth and wear clean linen and not run into debt； and to marry Sara
Lee and love and cherish her all his life … this was Harvey。 A plain and
likable man； a lover and husband to be sure of。 But …
… Page 10…
THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
He came that night to see Sarah Lee。 There was nothing unusual about
that。 He came every night。 But he came that night full of determination。
That was not unusual； either； but it had not carried him far。 He had no idea
that his picture was romantic。 He would have demanded it back had he so
much as suspected it。 He wore his hair in a pompadour because of the
prosaic fact that he had a cow…lick。 He was very humble about himself；
and Sara Lee was to him as wonderful as his picture was to her。
Sara Lee was in the parlor； waiting for him。 The one electric lamp was
lighted； so that the phonograph in one corner became only a bit of
reflected light。 There was a gas fire going； and in front of it was a white
fur rug。 In Aunt Harriet's circle there were few orientals。 The
Encyc1opaedia Britannica； not yet entirely paid for； stood against the wall；
and a leather chair； hollowed by Uncle James' solid body； was by the fire。
It was just such a tidy； rather vulgar and homelike room as no doubt
Harvey would picture for his own home。 He had of course never seen the
white simplicity of Sara Lee's bedroom。
Sara Lee； in a black dress； admitted him。 When he had taken off his
ulster and his overshoes … he had been raised by women … and came in； she
was stan