New Britain herald., 1927-06-10

the drive from my window this
morning, and I watched you and
heard you until you were out OF
sight and heard you calling on all
your friends to join you in signing
up for the war.
"Wynne. you never thrilled mo as
you did at that moment-the mo-
ment when was bidding you good
bye.
What a glorious wind-up 1t was
to glorious experience. That
memory ! hope to keep forever.
even If all the others fade.
Last night after I returned home
from that ride knew that the play
was over-I knew that we must
part-I knew that las / really did
not love you, I must not let my
vanity take you any further on to
where we would both be disgraced
for disgrace was inevitable when
people knew.
| Il have too much to lose and you
must not have any more to forget.
This is why 1 am bidding you good
bye in this fashion. You may think
it is cruel but, dear boy. I am really
being kind to you. l have to thank
you for the most wonderful few
weeks of my life, and you must re-
member You gave them to ME when
l thought good times of that kind
were over. That was not the least
of their thrill.
you are going France, dear
boy, and when you are there you
will have no time to think of me.
Fate also has been merciful to you.
This greater thing which will wipe
everything else out of your life for
a while has come just at the right
moment.
Good bye. Wynns, and better
luck next time.-Lyra."
Phillip Wynne Tracy " read
that unfeeling letter over once
again, and then he slowly tore it
into tiny bits and heaping them up
on large ash tray which stood be-
side his bed. he touched a match to
them. Quietly. with set face. he
watched them burn.
During that time he also burned
his faith and trust In women. He
would have no more to do with any
of them, he said. forgetting his
mother and Natlee. All the time
Lyra had been playing with him.
She took him on because she knew
that he was easiest of all the boys
that were his friends. She fattered
him by telling him he was a man.
She made him minister to her vanity
in every possible MAXWELL he
would show her he was a man. He
would not let his love for a false
woman in any way hurt him. Now,
without a qualm, she had killed his
pride. and with it she had killed his
reverence for all women.
Damn her." he said, "she won't
get away with 1t in this fashion. I'll
make her say that she was lying
both in words and actions all the
time. III make her own up that if
it hadn't been me 1t would have
been someone else"
The flaming paper became a little
heap of gray ash. He abruptly sat
down on his bed and flung his arms
across the table standing by 1t. As
he did so he Jared the little tray to
the floor. scattering the ashes all
over the room. His first love affair
was dissipated forever.
MY God. Lyra-do you know
what you have done?" he asked, as
though she could hear. His face
I dropped on his outstretched arms
and he burst into sobs.
In a little while 1t was another
Phillip Wynne Tracy that stood be-
fore his mirror than the one who
stood before it on the day he started
out to meet Lyra Hilliard.
The eyes had narrowed-they
never again would be the round eyes
of inqulring youth. The mouth had
Strengthened and thinned-even the
complexion had lost it's youthful
glow and In its place there was q
sallow tint that spoke as eloquently
as did the faint lines from the
nose to the corners of the mouth of
experience and mental pain.
Quite sedately and firmly Phillip
walked to Lyra's door and knocked.
He was beyond caring for conven-
ton now.
There was no answer He opened
the door and found the room In the
disorder OF hurried packing and
departure.
This gave Phillip another shock.
He wondered what Lyra had said to
his mother as an excuse for such a
| hurried return to her home.
He looked around the room. Be-
side the dressing table a glove was
lying on the floor. AS his eyes rested
upon 1t he laughed. 1t was a laugh
not good to hear. especially from
one so young. 1t spoke only of
cynlcism and disbelief.
Slowly. so slowly that to an OBJ
server he would have seemed to be
propelled against his WILL he walked
over to the dressing table and pick
ed up the glove.
AS his hand touched 1t he shud-
dered--there is something so init
mate about a glove-Phillip felt al
most as though he We're holding
Lyra's hand.
(To BE CONT1NUED)
Natlee carries out her intention to
visit Mrs. Tracy. How she receives
her Is told in the next chapter. .