The servant said: "Shall I take it to Mr. Palmer, ma'am?"
"No. That is all, thanks," replied she.
And she walked slowly across the room to the fire. She
shivered, adjusted one of the shoulder straps of her low-cut
pale green dress. She read the cablegram a third time, laid
it gently, thoughtfully, upon the mantel. "Brent died at half
past two this afternoon." Died. Yes, there was no mistaking
the meaning of those words. She knew that the message was
true. But she did not feel it. She was seeing Brent as he
had been when they said good-by. And it would take something
more than a mere message to make her feel that the Brent so
vividly alive, so redolent of life, of activity, of energy, of
plans and projects, the Brent of health and strength, had
ceased to be. "Brent died at half past two this afternoon."
Except in the great crises we all act with a certain
theatricalism, do the thing books and plays and the example of
others have taught us to do. But in the great crises we do as
we feel. Susan knew that Brent was dead. If he had meant
less to her, she would have shrieked or fainted or burst into
wild sobs. But not when he was her whole future. She _knew_
he was dead, but she did not _believe_ it. So she stood
staring at the flames, and wondering why, when she knew such
a frightful thing, she should remain calm. When she had heard
that he was injured, she had felt, now she did not feel at
all.
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