The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-03

Or nrm.
1t before Aunt Henry was on he,
fat feet.
well, well. so they're conins
home? she observed, smiling slyly
as she pulled her shawl around hel
shoulders and started for the front
door. And I must be goingl See
you all tomorrow. Good. night"
Tom watched her disappear with
twinkle in his .pice blue eyes.
Moving picture of Aunt Kenny
beating 1t to tell the street, he com
mented. Then be turned to Mrs.
Middleton.
Let me give the kids their wed,
ding breakfast" he said to her, and
as she started to shake her head
he went on:
Why not1 You know I'm going
to be. one of the family in a few
days don't you. Mary Rose is go
Ing to marry me next week.
CHAPTER LII
The first cheerful look that Mary
Rose had seen on her mothers face
since Flossie's marriage lighted 1t
up-now
1t cost her a pang to say the
words that she knew would drive
that look away. But she said them
as lightly as she could. "Of course.
Toms only kidding you, Mother! He
knows l wouldn't dream of marrying
him next week"
How about the week after. then?'
Tom asked. His blue eyes twinkled
with humor. but Mary Rose knew
that he was in deadly earnest never
theless.
She shook her head. I'm not go.
ing to marry you any week." she
answered.
well, ] wish you were going to-
Mrs. Middleton broke IN sharply. IT
woldn't be half so upset about F1os.
sic bringing this Sam into the family
If | thought l could have Tom for
my son, too"
You can as far as I'm con.
cerned." Tom answered, throwing
one of his arms around her small.
drooping shoulders. But Mary Rose
won't have me-"
She'll live to regret it. tool" her
mother said, picking up Flossie's let.
ter and smoothing it between her
fingers. "'I've told her time and time
again that she'll never meet any.
body she'll like better than she does
you, Tom. She's in love with YOU.
and she doesn't know it, That's all
that ails her"
But Mary Rose knew-and Tom
knew it, too--that she was not in
love with him.
why are you leaving the Dexter
Company" he asked when Mrs. Mid.
dleton had gone upstairs to bed and
left them alone in the back parlor.
thought you were SO crazy about
that guy, Manners, that nothing
would pry you loose from your lob
with him."
Mary Rose shrugged her shoulders
looking into the flames that tiickered
IN the -old-fashioned iron CRATE.
You always tell me that I'm in
love with him." she said in. a low
tone.
But Tom noticed that she did not
deny that she was.
one of the reasons I'm leaving
Dexter's is because there's a wild
story going around the office about
me and Hilary Dexter" she began
after a long silence that seemed TO
palpitate in the air of the little room
with its warm freight and late
chrysanthemums.
About you and Dexter?" Tom
asked, sitting bolt upright In his
chair. Why, how in the dickens
could there be a scandal about you
and Dexter? There couldn't be-"
There is. all the samey." Mary
Rose told him calmly. Floss left
her vanity case in Dexters car one
night and Mrs. Dexter found II She
came tearing down to the Office and
l happened to be taking his dicta.
ton that morning. So she jumped
TO the conclusion that it was I who'd
been out with Dexter-and I LET her
jump to it! You see, if Sam Jessup
had ever found OUT that Flossie'd
been running around with him. he
Just never would have married her,
AS it is, Sam thinks that I'm too
terrible for words. and that Flossie
is a gilded angel"
Tom scowled dark1y at the flames.
AND 1 suppose that's what your
irend, Manners, thinks about you.
too--and that's why you're leaving
him." he said grimly.
No. 1 don't believe he ever heard
about it until told him myself. -
the girl replied. "He didn't seem ia
think anything of the story. one
way or the other. I suppose he's
so busy thinking about Doris HING
that he doesn't waste much time or
thought on any one else"
A note of bitterness crent into ber