The Washington herald., 1921-08-05
CHATTER CLxxIx-
A RELATED GIFT.

n nELAIEb 1AELs
Nancy collapsed In a little heap
on the library floor. the box bear
Ing the name "Fleurette ct Gle"
clasped close in her arms.
Anna looked down at her stoic-
ally.
Those people" again she spoke
her contempt of the Hardings.
never thought about anybody but
themselves. guess they put every
thing they didn't want to bother
with in closet. It's taken me more
than a week to clear out the kitchen
closets alone. only got started on
the rail- closet this morning"
Thank heaven you did, Anna!
Thank heaven you did" Nancy cried
hysterically, "oh. IL you'd only done
II before-No." she caught herself
up quickly. mo. I'm glad YOU didn't!
I hadn't learned my lesson then!"
'Ma'amT' -
Annals look of astonishment
brought Nancy to her senses.
THANK you, Anna, that will be
ALL"
She scrambled to her feet and
went into her dressing room. the
package still Rugged tightly in her
arms.
After all. the instantaneous con-
clusion which had come to her at
sight of the parcel might be wrong.
1t might be premature rejoicing.
But when she cut the string with
trembling hands, lifted the lid, and.
under layer after layer OF soft It's
sue paper came upon a tea gown of
such exquisite color and texture that
the feminine soul of her uttered
an Involuntary little cry OF admira-
] ton, she knew that she had not
been wrong.
As she shook out the folds of
a confection of lace and chiffon that
held all the tints of the rainbow
caught with tiny crystals as iri-
descent as the raindrops that linger
after a shower, j folded square of
paper fell at herifeet.
She swooped down upon IL and
opened upon Gerry's dear, familiar
scrawE
Sweetheart" it read, IT want you
to find this waiting for you when
you get back from Chicago, so that
you will give a tender thought to
Your lonely Gerry
Nancy turned to the paper which
had wrapped the parcel. The post
mark had not been obliterated-
1t bore the date OF the day she
had arrived in Chicago to bid fare
well to Gerry, and the hour of COL
lection was the Identical one at
which her train had pulled into
the station.
Gerry had purchased that gift for
her and 1t had been consigned TO
the mails before he came to the
train to meet her on that ill-fated
afternoon!
Nancy buried her head in the heap
of lace and chiffon and wept.
She cried partly because she was
so very happy: partly because her
heart was breaking at thought Of
Gerry.
She was so glad. so infinitely glad.
she told herself, that the matter. Of
Gerry's check found in Fleurette's
handbag had solved itself in that
manner.
Always she would have had doubt.
IL the explanation, unsubstantiated.
had come from Gerry. This de-
nouement was unquestionable irrev-
ocable-
But when she thought of Gerry
going away with doubt OF her in
his heart; when she remembered the
long months when she had not sent
him a line beyond that brief mes
sage from Comics suite at :he
Blackstone-a message which he
had had every right to ignore-she
cried with the pity of it.
The exquisite gown seemed to
burn her arms with the nery in
sistence Of its reproach.
She dropped II carelessly on the
floor, sped TO the library and seiZ-
ing a cable blank wrote:
rGerry. forgive me again. I've
only just found ont everything"