New Britain herald., 1919-11-28
What Mrs. Durlxee Accused Lillian
 Underwood.

For the first three or four days Of enforced inaction on account ot # fractured rib Dicky was the most #oted of attendants upon my sick |Sn,
 e went about the task of keeping entertained and comfortable ex- Y as if l were a new commission an illustration. His enthusiasm in Eising schemes to please me and 70 use me appeared unbounded, and W that he must have neglected his work shamefully, for he did not to his studio at all for fully threo $ after my injury.
 rom Major Grantland there came sign, not oven an inquiry at the b, although l guessed from little Durlkee's mysteriously important AS she daily made the most minute liries as to my condition that the Ter was ascertaininS the degrees oi Improvement from her. Sensitive ond all reason, with a Puritanlcnl se of honor, l knew that ho would Sb Nhl1 oitPShA AooaiSpiS him to be the means of exciting xy's jealousy by oven d trivial act. hat little Mrs Durkee had seen 1l1 &ell hiqu concerning the episode ot flowers no mortal man or woman d tom or guess. And heterogeneous confidential intimacy between Iluffiness and Major Grantland ht be, | knew enough of his story of his loneliness to be sure that feather headed, arm-hearled, herly little woman was just the to appeal to his mother-hunSry rt. I had no doubt that If he cher Id d romantic secret of any sort it already in the possession of my neighbor, whether wittingly con 53i or unwittingly betrayed to her feminine instinct.
 Is Dicky Wcaricd?
 icky's observance of my every q. his careful attention to every a. left me no moments for con- plative analysis. But when the in- Able day came, the day--Which l, wing Dicky so well, placidly antic- ed--that my husband grew rest at the prison like atmosphere Of sick room, and suddenly discover that his orders were tremendously kg up, fitted back to his studio osphere, I found myself Wth notE- better to do than to speculate idly ,err1ing the romantic mysterious onality whom I knew as Major ntland.
 is dramatic reappearance on my stage, his restored sight, start enough in itself to be the subject nv ones curiosity, the whole odd onaIity of the man began to oc
 a greater portion of my thoughts I myself realized in the days fol- * ng Dicky's return to the studio.
 tile Mrs DurlSee consciously or onsciously fixed my attention moro. aiteIy upon the officer upon her the day after Dicky had returned is work.
 Where's the Dicl<y- -bird?" she ped as she fitted into the room. $ he flown the coop? I thought would before this. He's lasted a deal longer than I thought he Id He never was cut out for q se."
 Ic makes wonderfully goo1 '' I returned Loyalty.
 of course" she said. He does lining we'll that he sets out to do." imagined that her tone conveyed subtle intimation that the care of was disagreeable task which xy with set teeth had sworn to orm or die in the attempt.
 What Lillian Neglected.
 You people haven't taken any care III of the poor majors roses," the woman next exclaimed, pouting lantly, and making the leap from Subject to another with the -ming inconsequentiality so char ristic Of her. See. they are all bping, and they were so lovely, Roses are perishable things,' Lil- declared sententiously from the Window seat where she was bend over d drawing board. In order to yiate my loneliness, Lillian, the ming of Dicky's first departure the studio had brought her work was doing an important commits between her self-appointcd task urse. But at my little neighbors $ ment upon the roses she put her K rather abruptly away and rising to one of the vases of roses and ed at the blossoms critically.
 They really ought all to be thrown y,' she announced. "I should have nded to it before this"
 I'll bet you haven't given them a k once,' Mrs. Durkee pouted.
 You win" Lillian answered evenly tic attends to the flowers
 ph, katie!' The tone consign AG little maid to the lowest depths ol iciency. "Well, I'm glad my nic> pr cant sec how little you appre- his flowers. I've the biggest n-eighths Of 8 notion to tell hin end the next batch to me-
 think that would be a highly de,