Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-01
SOME BINDINGS

S4I4t III on
Alice had not thought how she
would tell Lawrence. She dreaded
seeing him. She knew what she had
to say would hurt him. and she
shrank from hat.
Once when Alice was quite young.
when h Fairbanks had lived on a
small farm, way back in the country,
she had seen her fathers hired man
slaughter a cow. He did it by the
o~ld-fashioned method of hitting it
between the ayes with a large sledge
hammer. and Alice happened to be
playing in SOME bushes near the
barnyard and saw the whole per-
Torrance.
She remembered the dazed. hurt
look in the animals BROW eyes. h
remembered ii went to its knees at
the second blow. that the third killed
1t. Her father had been a poor
farmer with few cattle. Alice knew
and loved them all and this was like
seeing a dear friend murdered. h
could not eat meat for years after
wards.
This scene came back to her vivid
1y when she thought of Lawrence. To
tell him she could not marry him
would bring hat same dazed, hurt
look to his eyes, she knew-and his
had such a-patient, wistful look IN
them sometimes! .
But it had to be done and. she
thought wisely, the best thing was to
get it through as 500 as possible.
But instead of telephoning him, she
wrote him a note. He would get it
the following morning.
Next day, about 10 O'Clock, a boy
came to the house. Alice knew him
as office boy In Mr.. MarloWe's Office.
He gave her a note.
BE up the first minute l can get
away" it said, without even a pre-
liminary greeting. Probably early
afternoon. Lawrence"
SO Alice slipped out of her house.
dress right after the midday dinner
and into the pretty black satin Law
rence's mother had given her.
IT think" Mrs. Fairbanks remark
ed placidly. that Alice "a so anx-
ious to see Lawrence h had to come
home. But you must go back to
school, dear. 1 don't want you to
miss such a chance to learn-not
even to have you marry Lawrence"
Alice said nothing. A little spasn
of pain went through her. She had
not, as yet, told why she had come
back. And she had never, in her let
tiers home, mentioned meeting David.
AT 2 o'clock Lawrence's handsome
car drew up, and Alice came out to
meet him. already in her hat and
coat. Clara and her mother had OBJ
viously left her alone in the living
room to greet Lawrence, but she
could not see him alone, as yet. SO
she waited, dressed to go out, and
left the house when the car came In
sight.
he said, his eyes smiling with appre-
citation as he looked at her. Want
to start off right away?"
YES" Alice answered, getting In.
aI sunDose the family is in the liV-
ing room" he said regretfully. I'D
like to be alone with you just long
enough to kiss you once at least"
Alice did not answer, but pretend
ed to fasten her veil. She did not
want to confess that the family" had
gone off on the excuse of a visit and
left her alone.
Lets drive some place where we
can talk" she suggested.
II know the very place. Lawrence
answered.
Once out on the country road. he
slowed down and turned to look at
her.
Good work. Alice" he commend
ed her. you have certainly done
wonders"
How ?" Alice turned to him eager
.'Ey~erything," he answered. You
stand better, / noticed 1t before you
got In the car: you walk n sit bet
ter-it's a trick of the shoulders l
think. You never a it before. o
look awfully Gifted"
"Your mothers coat" Alice said.
mo. it's not clothes, though l sup
pose that has a lot to do with 1t. It's