New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1922-06-01
What Madee Finds She Must Discover
In Allen brakes Eyes.

At my request that she bring me
some flowers, Marion darted towar
me to give me an ecstatic little hug
then stopped short with a thought,
fitness far beyond her years.
Il almost crushed your dress" she
cried remorsefully, but, oh, .Auntie
Madge. you're Just like a picture in
Snat gown, And those scarlet and
orange nas:urtiums, they're exactly
the eolors n set YOU off I'll hurry
like everything and get them. One OF
each from Grandpa Spencer's room.
you said
She danced off, repeating my last
Injunction, and | turned 10 my mir
ror again with eager questioning.
Was it trpe what the child had
said, or was the compliment simply
the tribute of her childish imagina-
ton? | remem bered that Dicky had
said laughingly when he had de-
signed the gown for me that it
brought out the red hair OF me. re-
ferring to the auburn tint which my
hair holds in some lights But Dicky
had expressed no unusual admiration
when | first had donned the dress for
his inspection. Indeed, had felt with
q trife of pique that he was more
concerned with the success of his own
handiwork than with my appearance
In the gown.
! scanned myself relentlessly in the
mirror for the little lines which
should tell me that my youth was fit
ting away from me. But excitement
had given me the fllip | needed, and
with little gratiied thrill ] acknowl-
edged not the truth of Marion's words
Il wasn't so vain as that-but the
undeniable fact that l never had
looked better than / did in this gown
NIadge is Triumphant.
possess very few jewels. all of
them presents from Dicky and my
father. and I opened my case with a
distinct idea of the thing which
should select. My father had once
given me a necklace of quantity
carved Oriental beads in odd shapes,
strung irregularly upon slender
silver chain This l fastened around
my neck, and when Marion, breath
less and triumphant, returned with
the flowers. | fastened them in my
corsage. Then l bent to kiss the
child whose eyes. wide and lustrous,
remained fastened on me in the en-
thusiastic admiration which only
childhood can give-the most genuine
feeling in the world
Run and tell Mother I'm ready,
sweetheart" l said, and when the
child had departed obediently,
IN NTH
most unholy little feeling of triump phi.
I'm old enough to know better,
am u" I Knocked aloud. well. per-
haps I am, but I'm still young enough
not to sit down tamely in drab
dress and knit by the fireplace while
my husband disports himself a lux
urious Adirondack camp"
Not until then had ! realized fully
how deep my mother-in-law's stric-
lures had cut She had taken the
position that ! was past the age for
youthful gowns. that ! had no bust
ness making myself attractive. In
deed, so caustic had been her words
that I had wondered if We're not
losing my youth, and the first fresh
ness of what Dicky in his atrocious
slang called the map and mop
which first attracted him.
A Sure Test.
Dicky's fitting to the city, his ref
erence to Edith Fairfax. this trip to
the Adirondacks-al had intensified
my fear that / was losing my lure for
my husband.
The particular little devil which al
ways comes to me when I arm troubled
whispered in my ear:
why don't you find out?"
Find out what.?" answered,
startled into speaking aloud.
You know" The answer came al
most as distinctly as if it were a
spoken one and started, shaken. I
knew that I did recognize the mean
ing of the question
If I were really losing my youth
and attractiveness, I knew with a
certainty which told me how surely /
had read the man, l would read 1t in
Allen brakes eyes. Fastidious to a
fault, selfish and spoiled, his regard
for any woman, ! knew would be but
admiration which would autom atica lily
cease when her attractions lessened
in any degree.
For a. moment, my conscience lifted
its head and tried to speak to me, but
another glance at Dicky's telegram