The Holly chieftain., 1922-12-21

Then what are you gong 10 do:
In Milton yesterday" she said, Il
saw an advertisement in the hotel
they wanted chambermaid."
"Oh. Miss Bett, ~ he cried. At that
name she flushed. why" said Cor
nish, "you must have been coming
from Milton yesterday when saw
you. noticed Miss Di had her bag
=" He stopped, stared. "You
brought her back - he deduced every
thing.
"oh." said Lulu. "Oh. no--I mean
II heard about the elOping again this
morning" he said. That's just what
you dld-you brought her back"
"You mustn't tell that! You won't?
You won't!"
you tell me this: Do they know? l
mean about your going after herr"
mo"
You never told!"
'rhey don't know she went"
THAT'S funny thing" he blurted
put, lOE Nou HoI " ttii ilti
mean, right Off Before last night. :"
You don't know them. Dwight'd
never let up on that-he'd joke her
about 1t after Il while"
But 1t seems"
"Ina'd talk about disgracing her.
There's no sense In telling them. They
aren't mother and father" Lulu
said.
Cornish was not accustomed to deal
with so much reality. But Lulu's
reality he could grasp.
you're trump anyhow" he af-
firmed
"Oh, no." suid Lulu modestly.
Yes, she was. He insisted upon it..
you've been jewel in their home
all right" said Cornish. 81 bet they'll
miss you If you do CO."
They'll miss my cooking" Lulu said
without bitterness.
'"rhey'll miss more than that. !
know. I've often watched you
there
"You havef' 1t was not so much
pleasure as passionate gratitude which
lighted her eyes.
you made the whole place." said
Cornish.
"You don't mean just the cooking?'
mo, no. l mean-well, that first
night when you played croquet. ! felt
at home when you came out"
>,.I,
was no less than look of loveliness,
came now to Lulu's fuce. After a
pause she said: "Well. / must be 60
ing now. l wanted to say good-by TO
you--and there's one or two other
places
81 hate to have you co." said Cor
nish, and tried TO add something. 81
hate to have you go" was all that he
could find to add.
Lulu rose. "Oh. we'll" was all that
she could find.
They shook hands, Lulu laughing n
little. Cornish followed her. to the
door. He had begun on Look here.
wish :" when Lulu said
"good-by," md paused, wishing in
tensely to know what he would have
said But all that he said was
"Good-by. I wish you weren't going"
$50 do l." said Lulu, and went, still
laughing.
Cornish saw her red dress vanish
from his door, flash by his window.
her head averted. And there settled
u,,op hin, n ,onraccIn1 nut nf oil pro
portion to the slow depression of his
days This was more--it assailcd him,
absorbed him.
He came back to his table, and sat
down before his lawbook. But he sat,
chin on chest, regarding 1t. No
no escape that way.
A step at the door and he sprang
up. 1t was Lulu, coming toward him,
her face unsmiling but somehow quite
lighted. In her hand was letter.
"See," she said. "At the office was
| this.
She thrust In his hand the single
sheet. He read:
just wanted you to know
you're actually rid of me. I've heard
from her, in Brazil. She ran out of
money and thought of me, and her
lawyer wrote to me. I've new
er been any good-Dwight would tell
you that If his pride would let him tell
the truth once In a while. But there
amt anything in my life makes me
feel as bad as this. l s'pose
you couldn't understand and I don't
myself -. Only the sixteen years
keeping still made me think she was
gone sure but you were so
downright good. that's what was the
worst -. do you see what want
Cornish read 1t all and looked at
Lulu. She was grave and In her eyes
there was n look of dignity such as he
had never seen them wear, incredible
dignity.