Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-05-20
THE GREAT
MOMENT
By A. MARIA CRAWFORD

but even when he took her in his arm
and kissed her gently. as a brothe
might have done, Milly felt that sh,
was being cheated Of her birthright
For il is the sum and substance of ev
cry girls life 10 love and to be loved
and Milly knew instinctiyely as it is
always given to girls to know, that
while Dick Garter passively held hei
there in his arms he was thinking OF
Juanita Estes and of what a joy he
would have experienced in possessing
her. But Juanita had wantonly Tilted
him six months before.
Since the days when she was hailed
by boiSterOus schOolmates as "Freckle
! Face because of the fine busting of
brown tlecks across the bridge of her
! pretty nose, Milly had loved Dick, and
| because of that love of ten years
! growth she had felt comforting sense
| Of possibility when she heard the wei
come news of his jiltlng 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
she had so hopefully anticipated. At
ter ALL she reelected, as she stood
there, her cheek resting lightly against
his 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 mans
passion kindles the fire of her own.
Suddenly she remembered old Grand
ma Winston's eagerly proffered adj
vice, 1.-Two people never love each 9th
er in the same degree. It's safer to
marry man who loves you better
than you love him"
you are going to marry me, Milly,
dear, aren't your questioned Dick in
that rich, throaty voice of his to which
the cords of her heart had always re-
Sponded like the strings of musical
instrument to the hands of "a master.
"Oh, yes, Dick, you know that WILL
have always loved you" she answered
without a moments hesitation. Then
she was hurt, Inundated over her con-
fession, 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
by indeed if, she would marry him.
But he held her little closer at that
and flush crept over his face Il
don't deserve you, Milly," he said
thiclSly, 'but I am going to try mighty |
hard to make you happy
Aud lsilly, with age-old wisdom, out |
of the mother heart of every woman |
who loves truly and is therefore forget |
full of self, slipped her arms around his
shoulders in utter abandonment of |
pride to help him through what she
felt was a trying situation. He was
giving her the best that he. could offer.
Fate had cheated him just as it was
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 ring do you want,
1ear?" he asked then. 81 want you to
have it before the dance tomorrow
night, IT," he smiled down at her whim-
sicaIly, "if you will do me the honor to
wear it then"
"I'll love to wear It, Dick. want a
solitaire, If that suits you. A gold
,and, 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
rave the ring before the next night.
Tuanita would be there, home from a
iy-months' visit in New York, where
he had promptly taken herself after
lifting Dick.
Milly had always been much more
economical than she really needed to
'e, and when her mother chided her
her lack of interest in new
lothes, the girl had always told her
hat she Was going to be an old maid
nd that her parents would have to
Import her as long as she lived 1t
vas not like having daughter who
you'd soon he married and off their
ands for life, she said.
Her mother, of course, was thrilled
yer her engagement She was be-
inning to fear that Milly would in
eed be an old maid, which state of af-
ai@ invariably seems to hurt the
lother more than the daughter 1t is
sort of shock to their own pride TO
eel that they have produced some
hing which no man wants. Milly's
lother was delighted when, the next 4
forming at breakfast. the girl eX-
ressetG desire for a new evening
ress. ."Something really nice, moth
+. and handsome wrap"
No homely girl can dress up and
lddenly appear to be ravishing 7
pauty, but fine feathers make fine =
rds. and masseuse, hardrcsser and
ally gifted buyer for II ready-to-wear ?
lop certainly did do wonders to Nil u
a., 1ay nirly ant,t- | 4