they sent her off to school, and I gave her a diary--and now it's
showers--" He shook his great head, "Well, say--I'm getting on."

And while Mr. Brotherton mused the fire burned--the fire of youth that
glowed in the heart of Nathan Perry. When he wandered back from college
no one in particular had noticed him. But Anne Sands was no one in
particular. And as no one in particular was looking after Anne and her
affairs, as a girl in her teens she had focused her heart upon the
gangling youth, and there grew into life one of those matter-of-fact,
unromantic love affairs that encompass the whole heart. For they are as
commonplace as light and air and are equally vital. Because their course
is smooth, such affairs seem shallow. But let unhappy circumstance break
the even surface, and behold, from their depths comes all the beauty of
a great force diverted, all the anguish of a great passion curbed and
thwarted.

In this democratic age, when deep emotional experiences are not the
privilege of the few, but the lot of many, heart break is almost
commonplace. We do not notice it as it may have been noted in those
chivalric days when only the few had the finer sensibilities that may
make great mental suffering possible. So here in the commonplace town of
Harvey, in their commonplace homes, amid their commonplace friends and
relatives, two commonplace hearts were aching all unsuspected by a
commonplace world. And it happened thus:

Anne Sands had opinions about the renomination and reelection of Judge
Van Dorn. For Judge Van Dorn's divorce and remarriage had offended Anne
Sands.

On the other hand, to Nathan Perry the aspirations of Judge Van Dorn
meant nothing but the ambition of a politician in politics. So when Anne
and he had fallen into the inevitable discussion of the Van Dorn case,
as a part of an afternoon's talk, indignation flashed upon indifference
and the girl saw, or thought she saw such a defect in the character of
her lover that, being what she was, she had to protest, and he being
what he was--he was hurt to the heart. Both lovers spoke plainly. The
thing sounded like a quarrel--their first; and coming from the Sands
house into the summer afternoon, Nate Perry decided to go to
Brotherton's. He reflected as he walked that Mr. Brotherton's remarks on
"showers," which had come to Anne and Nate, might possibly be premature.
And the reflection was immensely disquieting.

A practical youth was Nathan Perry, with a m