News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-05-04
CHAPTER FIVE.
IN Which J. Patterson Bing Buys A
Necklace of Pearls.

'NNSN'0SS ~ va 'S'
Meanwhile, the Bings had been hav-
ing a busy winter il New York. J. Pat
terson Bing had been elected to the
board of large bank in Wall street.
His fortune had more than doubled in
the last two years and he was now
considerable factor in finance.
Mrs: Bing had been studying current
events and French and the English
accent and other social graces every
morning, with the best tutors, as she
reclined comfortably in her bed
chamber while Phyllis went to sundry
shops. Mrs. Crooker had once said,
Mamie Bing has a passion for self
Improvement" 1t was mainly if not
quite true.
Phyllis had been beating the bush"
with her mother at teas and dinners
and dances and theaters and country
house parties in and about the city.
The speedometer on the limousine had
doubled it's mileage Sl e they came
to town. They Were, il would seem,
a tireless pair of hunters. Phyllis
portrait had appeared in the Sunday
papers. 1t showed face and form
of unusual beauty. The supple grace
and classic outlines of the latter were
touchingly displayed at the dances
in many a handsome ballroom. At last,
they had found a promising and most
eligible candidate in Roger Delane-
handsome, stalwart youth, year out
of college. His father was a we'll
known and highly successful mer-
chant of an old family which, for gen.
erations, had 'belonged"-tha is to
say, it had been a part of the aristoc-
racy Of Fifth avenue.
There could be no doubt of this
great good luck of theirs-better, in
deed, than Mrs. Bing had dared to
hope fOr-the young man having seri-
ously confded his intentions to ].
Patterson. But there was one shadow
on the glowing prospect; Phyllis had
suddenly taken bad turn. She
moped, as her mother put it, She
was liStleSS and unhappy. She had
lost her interest in the chase, so to
speak. She had little heart for the
teas and dances and dinner parties.
One day her mother returned from a
luncheon and found her weeping. Mrs.
Bing went at once to the telephone
and called for the stomach specialist.
He came and made brief eXamina-
ton and said that it was all due to
rich food and late hours. He left some
medicine, advised a day or two of rest
in bed, charged hundred dollars and
went away. They tried the remedies,
but Phyllis showed no improvement.
The young man sent American Beauty
roses and a graceful note of regret to
her room.
You ought to be very happy" said
her mother "He is a dear"
81 know it," Phyllis answered. Hes
just the most adorable creature 1 ever
saw in my life"
"I'or goodness sakei What is the
matter with your Why don't you brace
up?" Mrs. Bing asked with a note of
Impotence in her tone. You act
like dead fish"
Phyllis, who had been lying on the
couch, rose to a sitting posture and
flung one of the cushions at her
mother.
"HOw can 1 brace up?" she asked
with indignation in her eyes. Don't
you dare to scold me-"
There was a breath of silerNe in
which the two looked into each others
eyes. Many thoughts came flashing
into the mind of Mrs. Bing. Why had
the girl spoken the word you" so bit
1erly? Little echoes of old history be-