South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-13


dear girl said Larry Lamar as he
/ paced the room. complacently finger
| ing the bit Of blond down that had /
but lately made its appearance on
his short upper lip TO further en-
nance the charms OF his comely per- /
son. Il am old enough to establish 4
a home and do the honors Of the
family you know. Dad expects IL. !
You are the only girl in our crowd ,
that I would really like 10 marry" !
That was the nearest approach 10 !
love making that the favored son OF
fortune had attempted. Judith !
smiled whimsically. OF course it
was absurd TO cling 10 old illusions .
OF romance when one was
poverty she still moved /
stricken-and twenty-five. In the
smart set in which she still moved .
although long lean years had taught
her the folly of trying 10 keep up
appearances on practically nothing.
she often lsughingly called herself
"threadbare Judith" She looked .
up at the well grOOmed figure Of the
man before her. Then she glanced .
through smoky windows 10 a hand
some limousine drawn up to the
1 curbstone. giving an air of prosperi- (
/ " 10 the shabby street where her
boarding house among many others
/ Haunted a printed sign. Rooms To
! Rent"
Just why Larry" she asked I
honor TO me? We have always been /
/ friends but there has never been a /
/ hint Of sentimentality until today. ,
! It's rather-anaZing"
Larry flung his monogramed cigar
| cite into the little coal CRATE and
| pulled a worn chair up beside her. I
/ i've made up my mind TO marry and I
1 I like you better than any girl 1 |
/ know"
But why carry out your intention
/ so precipitately
You're too analytical, Judith The
/ facts of the case are-I want 10
marry you. / want to take care Of I
J YOU. make life easy for you; more
! than that. 1 want 10 make life beau /
tiful for you"
/ Are you-sorry for me Larry?"
Larry was beginning to feel a lit /
|
disconcerting gray eyes. They seem
ed TO read a fellows thoughts Just
now she was looking down at the
worn toes Of the boots that her Aunt
| Esther had given her months before. |
| II was a shame, considered Larry, I
! for a girl like that 10 have TO live on
| the bounty OF chance gifts from rich !
| relatives He could lavish money on
/ her. make her a queen
Hang it all, it's like this, Judith.
/ Here you are in a shabby place, /
! probably living on less than 1 spend
for tobacco and / have plenty and l
want to marry you. Frankly. ] don't
want a girl who has everything
heart desires She would be selfish;
satiated with pleasures" Larry
laughed in self conscious fashion
Il guess l want to play fairy god
parent 10 a girl-take care of her
/ make her happier than she has ever
| been"
That is very laudable purpose, "
interrupted Judith. and ! hope that
you will be ARE TO find a girl like
that who will be willing to accept
! matrimony on such terms"
A maid with frOusy hair came to
the door Mr. Brockton's here
whatll 1 tell i'm? You've got a
! date"
Bring him in" said Judith with
the quiet charm that had always
attracted Larry How pretty she
was, thought the man. how digniied
She could cope with all sorts OF un-
pleasant circumstances and yet
maintain that royal air of good
breeding that was unmistakable
Mr.. Brockton has come for the
keys to his mothers home" she ex-
planned. Il earn a small incomeI
by taking care of the place, having
it cleaned and repaired when neces-
sary. Mrs. BrocktOn stays away most
of the time, you know. l have never
met her son. He was in Paris when
the war broke out. He Joined the
Legion Of Honor and served until a
bad wound incapacitated him Mrs
Brockton wrote me the details"
Brockton. wearing the picturesque
gray uniform OF a French soldier,
came to the door. Larry: watching
intently. felt something OF vital i'm
port. something electric, pass be-
tween the two people before him,
the pretty shabby girl and the de-
bonair smiling soldier who had
braved death for the honor Of all
women. Judith went toward him,
both hands out in a charming ges-
ture of welcome
II would have had your house
opened and made warm and COM
Portable for YOU" she began eagerly
when she had made the men ac-
quainted. but your mother did not.
let me know that you were coming
until today and then she wired that
your man would arrange every
thing and that you did not want 70
! meet strangers"
Yes. but ] did not know what a
delightful person one Of those
strangers would prove 10 be" His
brown eyes were merry but the hor-
rors OF war had left "A white print
5n his temples and had cut lines in
TO a curiously aged young face I'm
I 4 %