South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-10
WHY LILLIAN ASKED MADGE.TO
"PLAY AROUND" WITH HARRY
UNDERWOOD

When Lillian Underwood shud-
deringly dropped the gorgeous
chrysanthemums which Mr.. Gordon
had brought me and went out Of
the room / did not have 10 speculate
upon the reason for her action.
For 7 had seen the diabOlically
cruel thing her husband had done
With an evident wholesome fear
of my mother-in-law. who but a few
moments before had sternly rebuked
him for his discOurteOus comments
upon Lillian's altered appearance,
he had uttered no word that might
wound Lillian. But no insult shout
ed from the house-tops could have
been more scathingly cruel than the
manner in which he first swept me
with an admiring glance as 1 stood
with my arms full Of chrysanthe-
NUNS. and then, turning to his wife
as she held up the rare wine-and-
gold blossoms, looked her over.
critically, cuttingly. disparagingly. fl
nally turning away with an almost
imperceptible gesture of disgust.
Now I know from my study Of Lii
liam and from which Dicky has told
me Of her that she must have been a
rarely beautiful woman in her
youth, and that beside her I would
have made a very humble appear
ance indeed. But ] am years younger
than she, and in a flmy. summer
gown donned 10 do honor to my
guests I knew that I was looking
my best While Lillian, who for
some reason I could not fathom, had
discarded the rouge. powder and
dyeing of her hair. which she had
always used, appeared years older
than she really was, and almost
ugly or account of her hair. which
the dye had left a horrid. streaked.
drab color
I think 7 "saw red" for a moment.
If ever through the dislike and fear
7 had always felt for Harry Under
wood there had crept an indefnable
response to the Undeniable fascina-
ton he can exert over anyone when
he chooses, il died when l saw his
mockery of Lillian.
OF course. for Lillians sake I
Knew AAlaA must AAON AAONANt NAAN -
cident in any way. But / think Mr..
Underwood must have read the con-
tempt for him that blazed in my
ewes. because when Lillian and
Dicky came up 10 US again he saun-
tered over to Alfred Durkee and en-
gagged him In conversation. appar-
emily taking no interest in the a.
rangement Of the flowers which she
was experimenting.
"Therel those are perfect" Lii
liam said at last stepping back from
the last brown Jar she had retrieved
from Katie's kitchen, the only
things in the house deep enough TO
hold the royal -stemmed blooms.
Magnificent" Dicky said. and II
his tone was constrained. only Lii
Ian and I guessed it. This is awful
IL good Of you. Mr.. Gordon, TO dress
up our old shack in this way"
How Lillian settled Dicky.
1T is YOU who are good to let me
ioin your gathering" Mr.. Gordon
returned. and I saw that for the
moment the danger Of a breach be-
tween the two men which I had
feared was over.
However did YOU manage
Dickv2" 7 whispered 20 Lillian
moment later under protest Of put
ting away some magazines displaced
by one OF the flower Jars.
Read him the riot act in whis-
per" she returned coOlly. But he's
only Quoted temporarily. I know
the ways OF the Dicky- bird He's all
keyed up for one Of those temper
amental storms OF his on account Of
those flowers from Gordon The
young idiot, I should think he could
see with half an eye"
She stopped abruptly and I
caught the annoyed. half-dismayed
glance she shot al me I realized
that she had NOT meant 70 urrer har