New Britain herald., 1917-04-07
ths transformation in Lillian mus mean to Harry Underwood.

mean to Harry Underwood.
 "Rougla on Harry.'' He it was who had always insisted that she follow the example of the gay Bohemian crowd of which he was
 leader. and disguise her f1eeting youth with dye and rouge. It was to please him, or, as she once expressed it to me, ito play the game fairly with Harry" that she outraged her own in- sttncts, her. sense of what was decent and becoming. and constantly made up her face into mask like that of a woman of the half-world. No one could deny that it disguised her real
 age, but her, best friends. including
 Dicky and myself, had always felt that the real mature beauty of the woman was being hidden.
 S"Of course, this is terribly rough. on
 Harry" Lillian said at last, raising
 her head from my shoulder, and
 speaking in as ordinary and unruffled a tone as if she had not just gone through what in any other woman
 would have been a hysterical burst of tears. ''It really isn't fair to him, and
 under any other conditions in the world I would not do it. He's pretty well cut up about it, so much so that he cannot always control his annoy ance when he is speaking about 1t. But I know you will overlook any little outbreaks of his, won't you? He wanted to come down here with me, you know he's always anxious to see you, or would have run away by myself"
 Her tone was anxious, wistful, and my heart ached for her. could guess that when Harry Underwood could not " control his annoyance he could be very horrid indeed. But winced at her casual remark that her husband was always anxious to see me- Harry Underwood held in re- straint by his very real admiration for his brilliant wife had been annoying enough to me. did not care to think what he might be when enraged at her, as I knew he must be now.
 Nothing of my feeling. however, must I betray to the friend who had come to me for help and comfort. I drew closer the arms that had not yet released her.
 katie's Piercing Vail.
 "Dear girl" I said softly, don't worry any more about your husband or anything else, just consider that you've come home to your sister. I'm going to keep you awhile now I've got you, and we'll straighten everything out. Don't even bother to tell me anything about it until you are fully rested. I can see you've been under some great strain."
 ''No one can ever realize how great" she returned. You sec
 What revelation she meant to make to me I did not then learn, for just at that moment knock sounded on the l door, and in answer to my ''come in,' Katie appeared.
 Mister Ora ham, he say to tell you 1 Missis Durkee Is here," she began, and 1 then with one wild. searching look at 1 Lillian she threw her apron, over her ] head with a piercing wail
 Used as I was to Katie's vagaries. ! stood helpness before this display of 1 But Lillian, who had l known Katie in the old days when she did the housework in the studio apart ment which Dicky shared with three l other artists as irresponsible as him. self, threw me 8 reassuring glance.
 Just a manifestation of that queer of hers,'' she said, and going over to the girl took down the apron from her face and seized her hands firmly.
 %'.what is all this noise about, Katie?' she demanded sternly.
 'Oh, Misses Underwood, does got you, changed you into old Katie walled, and noticed that she kept her eyes care fully averted from Lillian's as if she were in actual terror of the older woman.
 saw Lillian vince, but she did not remove her clasp of the girls hands, and her voice was even and controlled.
 Katie. sometimes wou are so silly I wonder the fool-killerS doesn't catch vou,'' she said, and I saw with a breath of relief that with unerring in- stinct she had struck the right note with the girl. "I have not been we'll, and I am not going to fix my hair any more I would rather have it gray. So run along now and stop being so foolish"
 BRYAN A VOLUNTEER.