Evening star., 1925-11-29

respectfully-on his knees as II were.
Even if you We're absolutely in the
| wrong"
Which" said Milly. in a queer,
| deep low voice, Il was"
II should have died rather than
admit it," said the old lady. That
| was our CODE She gave a proud
shake of the head.
X
THE girl was disappointed. All that
was free and modern, honest and
| unaffected in her. rebelled at such a
| barren sacrifice-like walling a nun
| up, she thought. or dueling. Aloud
| she said: That's an absurd code,
| granny. according to modern ideas"
| "All codes are absurd" said Mrs.
| Stormouth. That's what makes it
such an achievement to live by them
you sacrifice everything to an alb
surdty-what could be finer?"
| Milly was sorry she had spoken
| about the matter at all. She moved
across the room and rang for the
maid. DO you mean to say" she
| said, that In your day you would
have stuck out for your own dignity
| suppose, I mean, you began to
| think that you loved a man."
Il should not have permitted myself
| TO love man who had treated me
| with so much disrespect."
! Milly kicked off her slippers and
| thrust her feet with energy into the
| little pair OF dancing shoes that the
maid brought in. well. thank heaven.
! nowadays we're human beings, not
| walking codes" she said and fiinging
| her golden cloak about her once more
| she left the room and the house. Her
| grandmother heard the door of the
motor slam.
| More than an hour passed, when a
| faint shuffiing step was heard on the
| stair and Mrs. Osborn in dressing
| gown mad slippers came into the room
Really, mamma dear" she said
| with the suppressed irritation in her
tone that we all use 80 often to those
we truly love, 'it's after l o'clock
| You ought to be in bed
Charlotte" said her mother, 'I will
/ tell you something that ought TO be
/ a great comfort to you-there are
| simply wonderful moments In old age
| times when you see the whole pat
tern so clearly that you are compen-
sated for not being part Of it any
more"
II can't see why Milly hasn't come
| in said Mrs. Osborn exactly as If
| her mother had not spoken. IT feel
dreadfully worried after all Ned said
| about this psychic"
| "Oh, I understood you to say that
| M1lly had entirely relieved your mind
| when you permitted her to CO." said
the old lady; but as she was not really
| malicious at heart, she presently told
her daughter the whole story as 1t
| had fallen from Milly's own lips. She
| did not tell her anything which might
| have suggested that shea venerable
white-haired woman of II had had
| anything to do with the illicit ad-
| venture-partly because she wished
| the young man to have all the credit.
| partly because she fancied that Char
| lotte would identify herself entirely
| with her child and be angry.
But strange aspect Of the overin-
| dulgent parent now presented itself
| Mrs. Osborn. far from being angry,
was delighted; her face lit up. 1t was
| as If she saw some one doing some
| thing she had always longed to do or
| have done.
| I'm delighted" she said, IT admire
Ned for doing 1t. I suppose, mamma,
| it shocks you"
! Mrs. Stormouth looked at her daugh-
| ter. She was thinking that while
she knew all about the late Mr.. Os.
born's courtship Of Charlotte and a
| good deal about Ned's courtship of
! Milly, no one now living knew any
| thing about young Capt. Stormouth' s
| courtship Of her. 1.-THE best story
Of the three" she thought, slightly
nodding her head.
Her daughter was going on:
| These young people are 80 utterly
unromantic. 1 don't suppose it ap-
| peals to Milly as anything but an out
! rage, but-I've never told this to any,
one before-it was always my dream
! to have man run off with me, man.
ma, without giving me any choice,
you know"
| my dear" said her mother, a little
bored. as she sometimes was by her
| child, 'it's every woman's dream to
be run away with by the right man.
The trouble is that the people who are
driven to these tremendous actions are
| usually the wrong ones"
X *A*
REFORE very long a key grated in
the front door. and then the quiet
| black-coated figure of Marie slipped
discreetly past the drawfng-room door,
not supposing that any one would be
| up at such an hour-and then from
downstairs q low and extremely inter
mittent whispering began to come.
do you know what they're talk.
Ing about?" said Mrs. stormouth.
No, Charlotte, Of course you don't.
| - SSAA Soas hCy oiC uibCuSSlnS
whether they shall come up and tell
us, or keep 1t as delightful secret
for few days.
you mean she has decided to
marry him." said Mrs. Osborn, open
| ing her eyes.
What else did you think I had been
telling you all this time?''
You never mentioned tho word
marriage"
Neither have they. very likely"
said Mrs. Stormouth, but that's the
fact"
Her daughter looked at her with