The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-05-26
When A Girl
 Marries
By ANN LISLE.
CHAPTER "xxXy


 Voice, and Tom Mason came to a full stop at the table where out party of four had just finished dining "Pm meeting Pat whenever the old chap decides to arrive. Now if you were to ask me to draw up a chair and consume breaker of foaming ginger portunry to tell Miss Phoebe how we'll she's looking"
 Jim flashed a quick keen glance from Phoebe to Neal and back again before he replied to Evelyn Mason's cousin. In the tiny interval before Jim spoke, Tom leaned down and murnnured eT his usual pseudo-devot- ed manner:
 And to tell Donna Anna that she's lovelier than ever"
 Then Jin's voive overrode Toms whisper with a cordial:
 Draw up and sit down, Tommie, my 1ad-''
 Tom assented readily and made a great point of offering his good diality and cetrain easy ignoring of the past All this displayed the yer satility of good breeding and made me realize again tha. family does count These Masons and Harrisons weren't bit better than simple folk like Carl and Daisy and me-but tra- dition and training have given them as 2 heritage what we have to dig out for ourselves And I. for one, don't always know where to dig.
 We were all on excellent terms by the tune Tat eG--Saflu Ilen took turn for the even more cham- my and cheerful. The three men like each other, and my younger brother unreservedly and sincerely that made for cordiality. They knew each other wen-fhat made for an easy flow of good-natured banter. But handsome, silver-haired Pat, of the daredevil eyes and bitter mouth, turn grave whenever he spoke to Phoebe. She adored his manner. And it made Neal very proud. So we were all in a mood to just love" each oth- CT and to feel ready to tell whomso- ever it might concern that all was right with the world.
 Into our gayety there came a sud den noticeable hush-the air grew still and heavy and a great ziSzag of lightning followed a clap of thunder. and was followed in turn by a sudden polka -dottinE of rain.
 Pat flung back his gray head and ran his hand across his forehead in the welI-remembered gesture.
 ''Scurry for shelter. girls! Wen join you in minute"
 Phoebe and l obeyed. The men followed in a moment
 'who says we aren't good com pany for each other?" Pat asked Here we are on the empty hurri- cane deck. whence all but we have fed What do you folks say to chartering a seagoing hack and fln- ishing our love fest at my dig
 T say great.- said Jim, emphatical- ly. If my little girl isn't tired or too painfully aware of a certain ankle!''
 I hesitated moment: It, seemed to me a. particularly tactless thing for us of the clan of Harrison to go to Pat DaIton's home Surely, this would offend Virginia beyond endur- ance But while I hesitated the adage fulfilled itself and I was lost, for Phoebe cried eagerly:
 "Oh. I couldn't bear to have this nice. nice party break up yet And I'd love to come to your home, Pat! We won't Eet Anne walk a step: and I can see by her pinky-pink cheeks that she hasn't a hurt in the world Have you. dear?"
 doesn't coincide wish the plans of our .bunch'' I said, determined net to be a. spoil-sport or a prophet of evil
 That settled things; We found a taxi big enough to hold our party. and swept gavly down the slippery, black network of rain-drenched streets.
 Pats apartment. at which we ar rived in the course of ten or fifteen minutes proved to be an odd little place of many small rooms. I would have chosen wide spaces long vistas and Gothic arches for Pat. so that the little rooms with their gay chintzes puzzled me. It was very attractive little place but not at all like Pat. Phoebe stumbled on the cue: - ..eh. Neal, we ought to have a place just like this" she cried. "So if you have to work nights or take trips I won't he gloomy and frightened. A little place like this won't let you be lonely or cold.
 Pat smiled wistfuI1y. And T felt that in common decency I ought to look the other way I was delighted when Jim's voice rang out briskly:
 What have we here?7
 He was standing at an odd sort of deSk-an o1d-fashioned secretaire, all cI1bhv holes and shelves. He picked LID some object and held it behind him. Like a flash Pat was at his side. His eyes darted to a particular spot and then the look of concern that had narrowed them faded and a look of great relief came over his face.
 What did you discover Jim? If it's any little thing you've taken fancy to just 'he1lup' yourslf."
 "Good," said Jim. tensely. He held up a little ivory cylinder of quaint wood carvings, then tapped it so the dice fell out. "I won't refuse the boodle-but in the meantime, who's for game?
 "TH play you,'' replied Pat in col orless contrast to his manner when he had gone to see what it was Jim had discovered.
 As he crossed to the table where Jim was now sitting, he swept some thing from the desk and into his pocket No one else noticed. Phoebe and Neal were absorbed in an inspec- tion of the apartment Jim was sitting with his shoulders hunched down and his hands gripped into tallons as he Shook the dice out of the box and studied their combinations and per mutations tntently. The old fear swept over me as I perceived how completely the fever for gambling possessed Jim again.
 For the moment I forgot Pat and the mysterious something he had swept so stealthily from his desk.
 Gro Be Continued.)
 A HEALTH TALK