Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1920-07-30
THE GREAT
MOMENT
By A. MARIA CRAWFORD

and kissed her gently, as a brother
might have done. Mllly felt that she
was being cheated Of her birthright.
For 1t is the sum and substance of ev-
cry girls life to love and to be loved,
and Milly knew in%stinctively, as II is
always given to girls to know, that
while Dick Carter passively held her
there | n his arms he was thinking Of
Juanita Estes and of what a Joy he
would have experienced In possessing
her. But Juanita had wantonly lifted
him six months before.
Since the days when she was hailed
BY bolsterous schoolmates as "Freckle
Face" because Of the fine busting Of
brown fecks across the bridge Of her
pretty nose, Milly had loved Dick, and
because Of that love Of ten years
growth she had felt a comforting sense
Of possibility when she heard the well
come news Of his fitting by the proud,
cold beauty, Juanita. With no COM
junction Of conscience, Milly had set
herself the happy task Of comforting
him and now he had asked her to
marry him, but Milly did not feel the
wild citation Of heart and spirit that
abe had so hopefully anticipated. AZ
ter all, she reflected, as she stoOd
there, her cheek resting lightly against
bis regularly beating heart, she had
gambled with the odds against her
and she had wOn him. but she. had lost
the thrill Of that great moment In ev-
cry girls life when the heat of q mans
passion kindles the fire OF her own.
Suddenly she remembered old Grand
ma WinstOn's eagerly proffered ad-
Vice, 1.-TWO people never love each 9TH
er In the same degree. It's safer to
marry a man who loves you better
than you love him."
You r going to marry me, Milly,
dear, aren't you" questioned Dick In
that rich. throaty voice Of his to which
the cords Of her heart had always re-
sponded like the strings Of a musical
instrument to the hands Of q master.
"oh. yes, Dick, you know that I win.
I have always loved you" she answered
without a moments hesitation. Then
she was hurt, Inundated over her con-
t~ession, for Dick had not said that he
loved her. He had merely told her that
she was the very finest girl he knew
and that It would make him very hap
py indeed II she would marry him.
But he held her a little closer at that
and a flush crept over his face. II
don't deserve you, Milly." he said
thickly, "but I am going to try mighty
hard to make you happy"
And Milly, with age-old wisdom, out
Of the mother heart of every woman
who loves truly and is therefore forget
ful of self, slipped her arms around his
shoulders in utter abandonment of
pride TO help him through what she
felt vas a trying situation. He vas
giving her the best that he could offer.
Fate had cheated him Just as II was
cheating her. and more than anything
else In the world, she wanted her love
for him to help him, to comfort him. to
make him forget the girl who had held
the priceless boon of his love so light
ly.
what kind of a ring do you want,
dearf" he asked then. IT want you to
have 1t before the dance tomorrow
night, IT," he smiled down at her whim-
sically. 'Tf you will do me the honor to
wear It then"
TIL love to wear It, Dick. ! want a
solitaire. II that suits you. A gold
band, but the stone mounted IN plat
num-" she answered directly.
you're so sensible, Milly. You're
going to make me a wonderful wife"
She knew why he wanted her to
have the ring before the lex night.
Juanita would be there, home from a
six-mOnths' visit in New York, where
she had promptly taken herself after
fitting Dick.
Milly had always been much more
economical than she really needed to
be, and when her mother chided her
about her lack of interest In new
clothes, the girl had always told her
that she was going to be an old maid
and that her parents would have to
support her as long as she lived. It
was not like having a daughter who
would soon he married and OF their
hands for life, she said.
Her mother, of course. was thrilled
over her engagement. She was be-
ginning to fear that Milly would in
deed be an old maid, which state of af-
fairs Invariably seems to hurt the
mother more Than the daughter. II Is
a sort of shock to their Own pride 10
feel that they have produced some
thing which 10 man wants. Milly's
mother was delighted when. the next
morning al breakfast. the girl ex-
pressed q desire for a new evening
dress. Something really nice, moth
er. and a handsome wrap"
No homely girl can dress up and
suddenly appear to be a r%avishing
beauty. but fine feathers make 6ne
birds. and a masseuse. hairdresser and
really gifted buyer for a ready-to-wear
shop certainly did do wonders to Nil.
~ on that momentous day. Dick actu.
ally blinked his eyes a bit as he stood
at the foot Of the stairway and
watched her walk slowly down. She