Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-16
THE GIRL WHO
SMILED THROUGH
BY Marion Rubineam.
CopyrixLt. ocorsc Matthew Adams
THE OPTlNiIST.
Chapter LIN.
Alice. then, was really engaged.

Alice, then, was really engaged.
She had not felt 40 before, not even
when she wore Lawrence's diamond on
her finger. She had promised to marry
him. She had. OF course, intended 70
marry HIM. She had believed, as he said,
tha. '1ove would come'-thc age-old
plea Of the hopeful lover.
And now she had confessed she loved
him. Now she was sure-weii, almost
rire-she loved hlm.
She tried 10 make her thoughts clearer
bv talking il over with her mother.
'"l think, she said, 1T 5 because can
quite get out OF my head the idea that l
stil love David. II seems To me should
lnve David. did, so very much. J feel
iickle, unfaithful, to say l don love hlni
now-in spite of everything.
This was quite too subtle for Mrs.
Fairbanks. She began picking UP berenlccs
tovS mechanically, trying to comprehend
this most extraordinary speech from her
daughter. When she spoke. It showed
,hst she haA been thinking OF something
mo, ouite connected with the subject.
YOU talk awfully well, Alice, she
remarked "You talk like all the college
educated people ever met: It grand to
he able 20 saw things SO well.
ibce threw back her head with
lsugh OF pure Joy. a,
How lovely Of YOU 20 say that,
r,o,ber she cried. "Do YOU know, that's
tbe first evidence, real evidence, We had
that an INV studies have benefited 'Ine!
I .uppose the idea Is that YOU tiil your
hysrn full OF new thoughts, aud IT'S like
putting oil on a machine, II works better
afterwards for IL
,e still smiled as she sat there; Then,
utter time, she went on
"The beauty of IL Is that ! can 90 ON
studving II want TO, and learning how 70
,all< well and to act well, and not be awk-
ward and tongue-tied. You SIMPLY can
not be anything il all you ever dare think
about IL bow 20 nay the rent ana where
the money - coming from Tor next
week marketing.
We've drawn ahead on our money. 50
I could stay home and study, and in
tended 10 work TO make u up. But now
TN be a rich mans wife, and YOU shall
have a NICE little homo near whore VIC 1--we,
and III huv YOU a new silk dress every
other day.
Gracious" MIR. Fairbanks Smilcd.
Whatever would do With them
And Bern,cc shall have little white
socks with blue bands IN them, and heauti-
f,,l hand-.mbroldered dresses with large
asshes
s'sashcs. echoed tho baby vaguely
.'BliIe sasbcs," Alice went on. "and a
nursery with all the lovely toys can fund.
Mother. isn't n dear that Lawrence IS so
willing for me to keep Berenice after we
marry? He is dear IN lots Of ways, isn't
he2"
Yes. indeed" Mrs. Fairbanks agreed
"He's helped me study--and learn
thines,'' Alice went ON. IL was almost as
though she were enumeratlng bis virtues
70 bolster up weak opinion
David gave me the books. but Law
renee did help me q lot with some oil the
hard parts I wishI could have gone TO
college. thought But It's no use worrying
about that, is it2 ] know we are going to
he happy ;,
She picked up the baby as she spoke and
swung hcr high up IN the air, feat that
always brought out laugh OF delight
Berenice WAS more than year old now,
And was showing signs of being really
pretty as she matured
Several weeks passed by in this way
Alice was happy. and so was Lawrence
Every. day he seemed to find, something
ahout the rirl that pleased him more and
more. The warm weather was beginning,
and Alice was btisier than she had been
during the winter She did not however, |
AXE up the settlement work again.
.swrence begged her not to, as she had |
besn exhausting herself with II. She |
trained another woman 10 supervise the |
garclens in Shanty-town, though she work |
"a daily in her own small match, and daily
mutilsted her hands by digging and
planting.
But every time Lawrence protested at
her work she laughed.
1T docs me good after a stufiy winter
indoors she said. Besides, Bcrenicc
Ioves IL. and it's healthy for her TO be out
with me. know Ill rum my complexion,
snd I've already ruined my hands, but u
take week of before we marry and have
myself sll fixed up.
When are you going 70 marry me,
them" Lawrence asked it for the hun
dredth time.
But Alice never could he persuaded TO
name date. She was really happy, per
fectly happy, she thought.
But she could not, yet, name the day
she would really marry Lawrence.
Tomorrow Cannot Do II