, 1922-02-09
Loves Old
Dream
By MARTHA MACWILLIAMS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

SiDits Mis- bttlit LtW1S Lawrence
achieved that impossibility. Certainly
she awoke feeling horribly embar-
raised, full of hot shame and self
disgust. But as she sat up rubbing
an eye, glancing about her fine, or
derby room, her o changed utterly
she fell back upon the pillow with
n gurgling laugh as she realized that
her troubling was a Accommodating
more.
n lived alone and self-sufficient-
had done II all the thirty years since
her young husband had died when they
were hardly past the honeymoon. No
recluse; rather a Lady Benefcent,
helping here, there, everywhere, in
sickness or health, at funerals or fes-
rivals. The neighborhood, whole and
several, swore by her. Some units
Of it swore at her-deep down.
On the surface 1t would have been
dangerous even for n man who had
wooed and wooed, only to be laughed
away, not with scorn, but in the kind
Hest fashion. Nobody had ever been
rejected outright-Mrs. Betty was too
wise, exc too kind, for that. She gave
hearty approval to second marriages
for other people.
Yet she did not plead devotion TO a
memory-rather a personal shrinking
from any renewal of the double es-
tate. From the height of a serene
maturity she saw clearly such changes
in herself, as might have made exist
ence with poor, dead Dudley not n
way of roses. But never by any chance
did h name such things outside. In
deed, they remained inarticulate even
to her inner consciousness.
And h had walked from a dream
wholly incredible-that PRESLEY Dan
bridge, whom she barely knew, had
driven to her doorstep, asked her out
of hand to marry him-that she had
consented on the spot, filed with a
sudden curious heart-warming toward
him-that when she had gone for her
hat so as to drive away with him to
a minister, she had come back to n
space empty of all but a small, grin
ming black lad, who had plped cheer
lily: dat ar gentemun he told me
ter take an tell you he aint never
comm back, no mo-"
Matter enough for bushes, even by
a widow of fifty, you will admit. Mrs.
Betty's sense of humor was of the
liveliest-as the situation cleared she
laughed on till she was weak.
The joke was too good to keep all
to herself. AS soon as she had her
bath she called up her nearest neigh
Dor and dear gossip. Nanny Stowe,
and told her all about IL. As she talked
she heard gurgles and explosions of
laughter over the wire-then, stoppage
as of a hand over the transmitter
which made her certain Nanny was
retelling h story.
But she did not mind until as sound
murmurs began again she caught
among them a word or two in the
growing bass that could belong to
nobody but Nanny's Uncle Jimmy.
That wouldn't nave mattered in the
least except for the fact that Uncle
Jimmy and PRESLEY cambridge were
sworn comrades. Also, hat men were
notorious gossips; hence Mr.. Dan
bridge, a widower just feeling his free
dom, would be sure to neal the whole
mess-thus Mrs. Betty mentally char
acterized IL. But she called shrilly,
please, please, Uncle Jim, shake your
niece Nanny good and hard Tor betray-
ing my confidence. and then give your
whole mind TO forgetting you heard
what she said"
agreed, provided you won't forget
what you dreamed Uncle Jim said
with "A huge, signing chucklc. Lord
To think of your wasting that on a
dream m~an-'speclally such as Old
Press. More'n a dozen of us old bald
coots. sighin' widderers and moss
backed bachelors. matches to me,
have been ready and anxious to have
you even look at us, ever since you took
of black. Why, any of us'd give his
best smile, and his hopes OF heaven
for even half a chance ter spark you.
| call IL right down un-Chrlstian, this
dreamin' STUNT
"Wait till | see you. Wire won't
carry what you deserve" Mrs. Betty
flung back, slamming the receiver on
the hook. Uncle Jim shook his head.
really achieving a creditable sigh.
"Betty's the best of all women he
said judiclally to Niece Nanny, moving
ponderously In her wake to the wait
ing breakfast table.
He looked over 1t with approval-it
was so neat, so pretty, the smell of
everything enough to drive Il hungry
man crazy. And he might have It all
the time instead of only when he
stayed all night somewhere, IL only he
hnd 4 wife-the right sort.
Betty was the right sort-no better
h%ousekeeper In the county-ensy to
look at, MS the boys said, trim and
light on her feet, even II she was close
-. are. nf ,n,,ren uhaf1 ua.sar raatf.