South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-27

7 began nay descent OF the stairs
after The ring which announced ALE
len brakes arrival with bat one
thought n my mind and that vain
and unworthy
Would 7 read On his eyes the as
surance thar my morbid reaction 90
Dlcky's absence and care.essness had
made me crsve-the assurance that
my appearance was unchanged
I had reached only the upper
landing and had caught b8t o.
glimpse OF ar brakes tail figure
bending in coUrly fashion over Liz
lan's hand. when the sight Of an-
other hEure-orce as erect and
shapeiy az Allen Drake. now slightly
bent. and bearing the unuis-ak a5le
marks 0f age and care upon the still
handsome face-seu- every emotion
but remorseful tenderness from me
and hurried me down the remaining
stairs and into my fathers arms
To think that even for the few
seconds which had witnessed my in
Prospective study of myself ga the
mirror 7 had forgotten that my
father was with Allen Drake az the
door, I scored myself numerically
FOR nay folly. and with a fierce little
desire for atOneme 1t-as we'll as q
self-consci0us reluctance % look a..
our hrillian. guest remained iu
my fathers arms, giving him The
rapturous welcome be loved and do
served. until he himself released me
and said with perfunctory reproach
although 7 knew he was secretly
most gratlhed al my absorption In
him
''My dear. do you not see Mr..
Drake?"
II do not see anyone when you've
Just come home after so long" re-
turned emphaticaily. But I'm very
glad 10 welcome you, Mr.. Drake, %
our home. nevertheIess
7 turned held out my hand and
compelled my eyes TO meet the we'll
remembered eyes OF the man whose
hand. slender. shapely as a woman's.
yet with a tense grip that told of
steel-like muscles, had enveloped
mine.
You cannot know how glad 7 am
TO be welcomed" he said impressive
~. gazing down az me with the bril-
liant ewes so oddly Swallowed by the
long womanish lashes which dis
tinguished him
I could not detect any wavering
OF his eyes from their direct look
into mine. and yet I had the eerie
little feeling that he had swept every
detail OF my appearance with those
INDECENT eyes. and that somewhere
back OF them his fastdiOus brain
was sitting in appraisal upon me.
Lillian Helps Madge.
Then. with swift. graceful move
ment. he had stopped and had re-
covered the scattered blossoms Of
my corsage bouquet which my faith
er's embrace had IoOsened.
"Oh. Daughter, Your flowers
my father cried remOrsefully. Are
they crushed p"
mo. indeed" I returned. although
the nasturtium blossoms were some
what dilapidatCd But I would not
have hurt my fathers feelings for a
hundred bouquets. and I took them
from Allen brakes hands, arranged
them hastily and fastened them TO
my gown again with fingers tremu-
lous with embarrassment.
For I was conscious, painfully SO.
that Allen brakes eyes, half-cIosed,
inscrutable beneath their womanish
lashes. were watching every slight
est movement that my fingers made.
Ny fathers attention had been
distracted by my mother-in-law, who
had advanced to greet him. and by
Marion. who was cHnsing raptur-
ously 20 his arm. Lillian. making
one OF their group, was standing SO
that she effectually shielded me from
my mother-in-law' critical eyes. had
that captious lady CHANGED 10 look
at me. so Allen Drake and I were
left for the second IN comparative
isolation. and ne bent toward me
significantly as I finished arranging
the flowers.
Lucky Blossoms"
Lucky bI0ssomst" he said softly.
But cannot your eyes leave them
soon / really would Ike TO have
YOU look 40 me again"
His low. rich voice. with its sus-
picion Of an indolent drawl had an
unexpected effect upon me. I had