Middletown transcript., 1907-05-25
rcOSrrSuED FROM LAST WEEK.

and then forgot the Vanderveck
bankruptcy. Even the real
friends forgot.
Thinking the story over as ne
dined, Dudley Broughton reallz-
ed that he too, had practically for
gotten, though he had been sad
" shaken up and hurt when ne
found that the one woman he ad-
Observation-Disclosures dropped
out OF his life and made no sign
to him. He had never realized
that she had not understood
that she had not believed he
would care.
Now she was in New York.
He would see her-and something
stirred in him that surprised him
mildly.
He ate his dinner in perfume,
tory fashion, roamed into the
smoking-room, ensconced him
self in a big chair, lighted q good
cigar and sat staring at the cell
ing. Only once during the even,
ing did he speak. A friend slap
ped him on the shoulder.
"My boys half-back on the
Yale team, Broughton," he said
proudly.
Broughton lowered his gaze
from the ceiling.
"Eh. what? Oh, yes. Nice
boy ?"
"Well, rather. I'm going down
to the station to meet him now.
Chow many children have you,
Courtney ?"
-Four, and they're the finest
ever. My small, girl makes her
debut this winter. and she's a
winner. Why the deuce don't you
marry, old MANI"
He walked away.
Broughton relapsed into 81
lence. After a time he put on his
coat and hat and went to the the
atre., For the first time the club
seemed big and cheerless.
When Elizabeth Vanderveck
opened her door in the dusk of
Christmas Day suggestion of fes-
tivity smote her nostrils. The
scent Of American Beauty roses
mingled with an oder of highly
seasoned cookery. Violets and
lilies-of- the.valley defed the
kitchen to do its worst.
A moment the mistress of the
place looked puzzled. Then she
remembered Evidently FRANCHISE
and her Watkins had taken pos
session while she had her long
walk. Her lamps were lighted.
Her little front room was full of
flowers. Surely Francoise could
not have remem bered her prefer
ence for valley lilies, yet there
were masses of them on the little
tea.table.
The'curtains between the tiny
parlor and the timer dining-room
were drawn, and Miss Wander
week smiled at the mystery
!n which this odd Christmas
celebration of hers was shrouded.
Still smiling she sank wesrily in
to a low chair, and, closing her
eyes, sat quietly with the per-
fume of the lilies caressingrherI
senses and old Christmas times
drifting. through her thoughts,
until a subdued clatter of China
and glass behind the curtains
reused her.
She must dress for her dinner.
Depression and untidy hair
would be- poor return for the
friendliness of Francoise and
Watkins. The occasion was fes-
tive; well, festive it should be,
If she could make it so.
She went down the hall and
into her bedroom, put away her
coat and hat and turned to her
mirror. The woman she saw
there did not suggest gayety.
Her face rose pale and weary
above the sombre black of her
gown, and her brown hair was
brushed smoothly back from her
brow. A sprinkling of gray
showed in the brown and Miss
Vanderveck eyed it with gloomy
disapproval. The disaproval ex-
tended itself to include the black
gown. What place had black at
a Christmas dinner3
A CLEAN of inspiration drawn. I,
ed in Miss .Vanderveck's eyes, L
and with a certain shamefaced
determinationshe opened a trunk
that stood in one corner of the
room and recklessly tossed its
contents on the floor. Down at
the bottom she found the thing
which she had been in search H
and as she shook it out the gas /
.z.N. - 4 II