New Britain herald., 1922-06-09
The Reason Lillian and Allen Drake
 "RecGed ParlOn."


 At my hystercal little appeal to my father both Allen Drake and Lil- Han Underwood moved toward me swiftly.
 Lillian bent over me reassuringly and put her hand caressinsly upon my face.
 Allen Drake did not touch me, but when under Lilian's caress, and the mute tenderness of my fathers arms, I regained my composure and chanced to glance at him, I found him re- garding me with compassionate. tense ly tender gaze. so unlike his usual expression of cynical, -patronizing amusement, that for the second I forgot the importance of the revela- tion I had just heard in the surprise his look gave me.
 Daughter Daughter :" my father was murm uring in shocked surprise. If l had dreamed you would feel this way about tt, would have told you at once that"
 Please ,'' Lillian interrupted ruth lessly, while l saw flash as of re- lief cross her composed face. Write what you are going to say. I have a fancy that Allen and I will be mighty glad to read it too Time enough for talking a few minutes later"
 There was a meaning in her tone hidden from me, but which I saw both Allen Drake and my father un- derstood Tn the eyes of the brillia nt government agent there was the same oddly-relieved expression which Iil- Hans had mirrored But my fathers eyes held or so I fancied. a reproach- ful surprise as he gazed steadily at Lillian
 50 you thought" he began. then he checked himself abruptly, drew small pad of paper and 8 pencil from his pocket wrote rapidly upon it. tore off the sheet and passed it to me when he had finished. I read 1t with a sudden bound of my spirits and passed it on to Lillian and Allen Drake. But it's words were indelibly fixed in my memory
 Don't Rub It In"
 ''No harm has been done. Katie has the memorandum no doubt, but 1t is worthless I placed it in the book purposely, because I was very sure that attempts would be made to get it My real secret is safeguard ed almost beyond human power to reach it. But it suits me that the people searching for it should ina zine for a while that they have succeeded For that reason I wish Katie to be aided to deliver to them the mem or andurn she has stolen. But she must be thoroughly frightened first so that she will know no other will but ours. Personally, do not believe she acted from any other motive than in tense fear of the person who had played upon her separations"
 Lillian looked up from the read ing and walked toward the fireplace with the paper
 May 2" she asked.
 My father bowed his acknowledg- ment, and she put the paper in the blaze and watched carefully until it was certain that no telltale scrap re- maired Then she walked back to my father and held out her hand
 Will you forgive me for clutter ing up the earth ," she asked con- tritely 1T might have known
 Allen Drake was beside her, look ing at my father with very much the expression of a shamefaced schoolboy caught in discredtahle act
 If you'd find amy satNfact.o in booting me around the premises. Chief" he said go to it. I'd lie out of it and swear on a stack of Bibles I never thought anything. but there's no use trying to fool you
 My father smiled.
 T can't blame either of you for your thought" he said. a bit sadly. T am getting old, you know"
 Yes, the past few minutes prove that indisputaby," Lillian drawled.
 Don't rub it in, Chief" Allen Drake said ruefully.
 A dangling of Bells.
 Very well, we'll proceed with our little drama my father returned in a low voice, then in a louder tone he began to give us an ingeniously con structed variation of the revelation he had just made us, one couched in the sim plest terms, which 8 mov1e tained soul like katle's could. com prehend but one in which there lay no grain of truth or information of any value to any one. -.