Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-28
TODAY'S EVENING STORY
A BEAUTY SECRET
COPYRIGHT BY w. WERNER

had married a girl who was not
only apparently different from Lefty
but also different from herself. 1t
looked as if Elinor embodied for
him something that she and Lefty
had failed to typify.
Dutifully she wrote to Hugh and
Elinor letters that concealed every
thing but love and interest. In re-
turn Hugh's letters were full Of an
unbounded enthusiasm for all hlS
first romance. OnCe or twice Ellnor
appended a few, brief sweet lines.
They told nothing that Nancy
wished to know, and she went on
with the feeling that she had not
gained a daughter in her sons wife.
Then one day, unannounced and
unexpected Hugh came home. it
was a rainy afternoon and she was
! in the kitchen making Owens fav-
orte cake. The shock Of his appear.
ance turned her white apd trem-
bling, but she got control of herself
after one glad cry. ooh, Hugh! Ny
darling
She held his face between her
hands searching to see if there was
! any change in him. His look Of free
frank radiance hurt her curiously.
He was still in state of delusion.
1t came to her cruelty that his home
coming might have been so differ
ent if he had brought. say, Lefty
! Spicer with him
! "Well, mother" He kissed her rap
turously. His eyes glanced from her
face to the bowl. "Raisin cake? You
must see Elly's-"
Didn't she come with your
Nancy was almost afraid to ask the
| question.
"Sure. She's waiting out there on
the porch for us to kiss first. She's
naturally shy and l think she's a
little bit afraid Dearest" He STROBE
I to the door and brought her in, the
girl who should have been beautiful
Lefty Spicer.
Nancy found herself looking into a
pair of clear gray eyes that lit
! plain, flushed, excited face under
soft, bright hair. The hair was
crowned by a little black hat and
the other things the girl wore were
black, too, down to her low-heeled
shoes. The sight of her was so diff
ferent from the picture she had
made of her that for an instant
Nancy was shocked. Then she heard
what Hugh was saying:
"You see, Elinor's wearing black
for her mother. But 1 tell her she
will find another mother in you"
Then Nancy, unexpectedly to her.
self, opened her arms and took her
new daughter into them.
Hugh, meanwhile, had put a large
bandboX on the table and was tug
ging at the string. II made ELY
bring this to you, mother" he said.
"She didn't want to, really, but al
ready she is used to having me boss
her" He laughed softly as he
pulled the cover off the box. Within
was a frosted cake, regally en-
sconced in tissue paper. II packed
it myself" Hugh said proudly, "and
I've looked after it the whole way.
I wanted you to see what a great
cook I've got. mother"
ITS only raisin cake" said Elinor,
withdrawing from Nancy's embrace
and blushing.
Hugh put his arm about her ten
derby. "Only raisin cake" he said,
"but it proved beyond doubt to me
that she was just like you, mother.
And I've always vowed to myself
that I'd have a wife who was like
you-beautiful and good and accom-
plished. And there she ISL
Nancy and Elinor looked at each
other. 1t was Elinor who smiled
first.
"Beautifulw Nancy murmured
dazedly. She pushed the thin gray
hair back from her plain face. Tears
: came to her eyes.
And in that moment she and
Elinor became welded together by a
secret that Hugh was never to
know that they possessed, the secret
7 that beauty lies in the eyes Of the
, heart and that he who loves as he
| should discovers no flaw in the face
of his beloved, be she mother,
sweetheart or wife.
: Copyright, 1929