New Britain herald., 1917-04-30
Why Lillian Said "I Am Vindtcated
 at Last"

!
 "The parting of the ways!'' gasped. Harry and your"
 Lillian Underwood nodded as calm ly as if she had simply Announced
 decision to alter gown or hat, instead of referring to a separation l from her husband.
 i "It will have to come to that, I am afraid" she said, and looking more
 closely at her saw that her calm ness was only assumed, that humilia- | ton and sadness had her in their grip. 'I have always feared that when the time came for me to be my honest self instead of a 'made-up daisy she smiled wearily as she quoted the childish rhyme-''Harry would not be big enough to take it we'll. Of course could and would stand all his un- pleasantness concerning my altered appearance, but the root of his actions goes deeper than that. I am afraid. He dislikes children ,and I fear that he will object to my having my little girl with me. And if he does-'' Her tone spelled f1nality but I had no time to bestow upon the probable fate of Harry Underwood. With 8 glad little cry, I drew Lillian down to my bedside and kissed her.
 "Oh! Lillian!' I exclaimed, 'are you really going to have your baby girl after all?'' E.
 She nodded. and held her close with a little prayer of thanksgiving that fate had finally relented and had given to this woman the desire of her heart, so long kept from her.
 saw now, and wondered why I had not realized before the reason for Lillian's sudden abandonment of the rouge and powder and dyed hair which she had used SO long. Once she had said to me, When my baby comes home, she shall have a mother with a clean face and pepper-and-salt hair, but until that time, I shall play the game with Harry
 And so for Harry's sake, for the man who was not worthy to tie her shoes, she had continued to cruelty her real instincts in an effort to hide the worst feminine crime in her hus- bands calendar-advancing age.
 When will she come to you?" I asked, and then with a sudden re- of the only conditions under which Lillian's little daughter could be restored to her. added: Then her father is -"
 ''Not dead, but dying" Lillian re- turned gravely, but oh, my dear. he sent for me two weeks ago and ac- the terrible wrong he did me- I am vindicated at last, Madge- at last..'
 Mine. All. lune:"
 Her voice broke, and as she laid her check against my hand, felt the happy tears which she muSt have kept back all through the excitement of my accident. How like her to put by her own greatest experiences as of no con- sequence when weighed against an- others trouble!
 My thoughts went back to the time when Lillian, to save me from suffer- ing because of my misunderstanding of her friendship with Dicky, had told me of the terrible ordeal to which Will Morton, her first husband, had subjected her, His own escapades a by-word, he had cunningly plotted to make her perfectly innocent friend ship with Dicky appear a disgraceful thing. He had sued her for divorce, and then with diabolical cunning had bargained with her, he to take their only child, the baby girl Lillian ddolixed, in return for keeping Dicky's name out of the suit. Lillian's high sense of honor would not allow her to sacrifice Diclxy, then . mere boy. and she agreed to give up the child.
 kissed her happily. Do you feel that you can tell me about it?" I asked.
 : "You and Dicky are the two people