New Britain herald., 1927-12-08
Author of "Sally's Shoulders" Honey Lou"
 "The Hollywood Girl" Etc.

if the eggs are fresh or not,' he said. She always says she can tell 6 fresh egg by the look of the shell. l don't know whether she can or not, but she's q fine business Wo- man"
 Business woman? ." asked Lily. She did not look at all like Lilys notion of q business Woman--that quaint little woman with her gray hair drawn back in an old-fashionod knot and q tiny plaid shawl pinned around her shoulders.
 "Yeah," answered Pat. with his store. and she helps Dad to run il, besides taking care of the house and bringing up three children. That is, she did bring up three of us--my two sister and myself. We're all grown now, of course"
 The car had passed the grocery and the small white house. with it's neat brown shutters and it ecrani- ums. But Lily turned her lovely head and looked back at the two buildings.
 "Why. she must be marvellous. Pat, to keep up q house and help your father, tool" she cried her eyes meeting his in look of ad- hiring wonder My mother keeps two maids and a laundrcss and Il cleaning woman all the time"
 Besides me-" said Pat with an odd smile. i've promised to white wash the basement for her this week. She explained that she want cd the house all cleaned up because her daughter was getting married the tenth of June.
 Lily was silent. Somehow his words seemed 10 build up wall between them once more. . He was the man who drove her fath CTS car and took orders from her mother. The man who was to help clean the house for her Wcdding-- for her marriage to Staley Drum mond.
 Pat, let's not talk about my mother or your mother - or anyone but you and me-" she said with a kind of little wailins cry. Let's go and get married and think Of everybody else afterward. . Pat, do you like me, no foolin'? I've run after you so much, myself, that sometimes it seems to me that all the love is on my side"
 His big tanned hand, gripping hors 50 that she cried out with the sudden pain of il, answered that question for her.
 Well, then, why don't we get married-now-.Cd
 Pats fingers found the engage mcnt ring on her hand and turned it. That's why, for one reason. Be cause you're engaged 10 Drum mond," he said "Another reason is that I couldn't afford 10 have a wife like you, Lily. You'd go downtown and buy hat and q manicure, and my salary for q week would be shot. Sec"
 Lily looked at her manicured fin gers. their nails like bits of almond shaped coral their skin like white velvet. Lovely soft hands that were almost as useless as the hands of q doll Hands that never had held anything heavier than q golf stick, or done any work more tiring 1 than shufflinr a deck of cards. You'd hc the most unhappy girl l in the world-marricd to me-" Pat I was saying now. "You wouldn't understand my way of living and my kind of folks any more than ] can understand your kind. You wouldn't like my friends"
 I'd love them." Lily broke in, paesionatc1y. "Td love them because they were your friends,'
 They were going down another lilUa side street, and all at once Tat turned thc car into q driveway and stopped before a rcd brick building with big white letters paint ca across the front; "JETTERSON'S i AUTO LTNERY.'
 "This' said Pat waving his hand ! toward inc building and grnning, lis the home of the Mercury Cab Company. and the place where yours truly is putting together the nca;cst little piston ring that was ever perfected" He honkcd the horn and after a minute the doors of the ,.. ,., cra u1i1 hack
 Tine car rolled into the gasoline
 scented dimness. and Pat jumped
 out and vanished into an office al
 the right of the doorway.
 In a minute or two he appeared anI with him was a short blonde man with a nice good-naiured face who smiled broadly at Lily. He did not take off his checked cap nor remove an mIightcd cigar from his
 mouth when he shook hands witt her.
 Miss Lexington. ! want you tc meet the best friend I have in the World-ROv Jefferson" said Pat