The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-11-07

For Better
or Worse
lCopyright.l
By HENRY KIRK

There were little round boxes, and
large square ones piled with glittering
things-in one rope Of pearls, in
another a collar Of diamonds.
/, The girl to whom these things be-
longed sat very still and stared at
them. There was no light of triumph
in her eyes, no joy Of possession that
one might think should be there. She
showed no satisfaction, no supreme
citation. She was almost thing Of
stone.
She looked over them all as If they
did not exist. as II they were not even
thought of, and the shining collar in
its velvet box threw no light into
her eyes.
A man who had been standing by
the window turned carelessly.
you'll have to send them back,
won't your" he said. The girl did not
look at him. miserable business, but
it's the thing to do. Wonder what
they'll say" He took up sapphire
brooch. "Mrs. DIN Winthrop! Mrs.
Olin will say, Thank heaven, can
use this again." The girl did not
move. For heavens sake, old girl,
why don't you look up!"
"My dear Fred, you will be good
enough to remember that this Is not
your wedding!"
"Nor yours, either" the man laughed.
"I don't see anything funny in
that!r 80
you know why you're going to do
it,"
Eyes, 1 know that"
'Well!"
"And I'm going to do I'll"
"What's all the fuss about, thenT
A man with iron gray hair and
gray eyes came into the room.
Father, l wish you would insist
upon Fred being little more decent ="
She got up and went to the window.
The young fellow started after her.
Marion, I'm not doing anything.
What's up? I think we're all con-
cerned in this little strategy upon an
equal footing"
"What is itT
Nothing, dad. I was only-trying
to-cheer Marion up little"
"You don't seem to have gone about
1t in the right way. Marion?"
"Yes?"
"Come here" The girl went to her
father.
"Bayliss is repeating his fathers
game. All day he has been at it
pushing me to the wall-and when he
has me there, making me go upon my
knees to him. Well, have you moth
Ing 10 say?"
The girl looked at her father with
cold eyes. "What may / say? l am
going to do this thing tomorrow.
am going to deny him at the altar in
the presence of my friends, and his
friends-of the whole world, as far
rs that goes!'
'It is your duty"
"Yes, father, and l shall not shirk
it. For you-but what will become of
me! What man would care to ask me
to marry him after I had done such a
thing!" s $50
81 say, Marion !"
swell, Fred Story, would you?
Would you go to girl who had re-
fused man at the altar, shamed him.
Inundated him in the most horrible
manner possible?"
"His father almost ruined your
father-nearly disgraced him! Is that
something to forget? And the hate Of
that man is In his son. l hate him
as much as he hated me. The whole
Bayliss tribe-for fifty years they have
been In my way, and this boy is doing
the same thing his father did-no,
only trying to do it, for / shall have
him where wish him!"
Don't get melodramatic, dad; you
know very well Billy Bayliss isn't that
bad, although it's crude enough as it
is. Marion will turn him down tomor-
row-then we will call 1t square. DO
you take this man?-Not on your life
Bling wedding ring thrown upon
foor-Exit naughty Marion Story
amid the applause of the gallery and
the Kisses Of the opposing faction?'
-Four girls came gully into the room.
Marion" said one of them. .I've
brought the girls to see the. things.
You've met my father; my brother
Fred? Aren't they simply glorious?
Just look at this collarw
Miss Story waited in her. fathers
drawing-room for the man she had
promised to marry.
He would come to her in n moment,
with violets or some other delicate
offering.
Her romance with Will Bayliss had
begun six years before, when they were
little more than children.
The opposition of their parents had
made little difference.
She had loved this man with all her
thought, but now 1t seemed to have
given way to quite another feeling.
Z was anything but the old tenderness.
Regret was there, and it was the re-
greet that woman might give to a