New Britain herald., 1927-12-15

fat, you re nOt go lot of hard work and no fun at all. We won't even have an auto mobile unless l can borrow one from Roy every now and then" Lily crinkled her nose up at him and laughed. Her eyes were starry with. happiness. "Oh, you foolish kid!" she said to him. Don't you know that your piston ring is going l to make us rich? I'll have every thing that Staley Drummond's wife ! could have in a few years, and I'll have my own boy besides" She 1 kissed her own boy on the tip of his cleft chin, and was smothered in his arms instantly. and swept from her 1 feet in wild embrace that left them both shaken and brcathless.
 "Ill so and pack up few things, tool" she told him after minute or two. And we'll go right away, ; won't we?"
 1 Still quivering and tingling with excitement. sine ran into the house and up the back stairs to her own room.
 Her mother was waiting for her. 1 She was sitting in the window seat and in her hands she held the pad ded hanger that had held Lily's orchid-and- pink dress a few minutes 1 before. Her eyes were narrowed un- til they were gleaming slits in her $.r f in nervous anger
 T didn't come in here to spy on you, Lily" she said. But Sarah MacCabe finished your wedding dress this morning, to the very last inch of pearl embroidery, and ] brought it in here to hang it up Then found this"--she waved the hanger like a flag-"lying on 1 the closet floor. And here you are Tn one of your trousseau dresses. NOW, what did you put it on for? Just to go say goodbye to that chauffeur out in the garaGc''
 q didn't say good bye to him." answered Lily, wide-eyed as an in nocent child. I'm not going to say good bye to him. I'm gong 10 say goodbye to you, Mother. and to this house. I'm leaving with Pat"
 If she had struck her mother n hard blow between the eyes she could not have amazed or hurt her more. Mrs. Lc,>inston's proud. cold face lost its look of pride and cold ness in an instant. It seemed 10 crumple up like a Withered flower, and her chin shook like a chllds chin when it whimpers. The change was so swift that 1t was like magic.
 Her hands flew to her face, press ing it hard as if she were trying to hold it ill shape - to keep from breaking down and sobbing Tears of shock sprang to her eyes.
 Lilly. You don't mean it! Tell me you don't meant this.' she begged. You mean you want to marry that--that chauffeur?'
 Lily nodded. and dragged her pale-gray bags from the closet. AS she bent down to do it, the 1ooped- up court train of her wedding dress brushed her face.
 She took 1t from its hanger and looked at it--not as If it belonged to her, but as if 1t were some other girls bridal gown of white satin and soft lace and seed-pearl embrold- cries.
 Nice, isn't ito" she said 10 her mother, as if she were speaking to casual acquaintance.
 A half hour before, when she had stood in the little writing room down. stairs and begged her mother 10 tell her what 10 do about Pat France, she would have been ready and will ing to take advice and orders. She had felt young and helpless and in need of her mother then.
 But now she had made her own decision--her decision to leave the house and marry Pat France. Her decision to set a whole town talking by iilting one of it's wealthiest bachelors almost at the altar. and
 running away with a penniless chauffeur.
 She began to put her tortoise shetland gold toilet articles into
 the smaller bag. AS she did it, she heard the crisp rustic of her moth CTS skirts as she left the room. She said 10 herself. 'I expected her to
 kick up an awful rumpus.' But Mrs. Lexington was far from
 calm and very, very far from talk , ing the news calmly, as Lily might , have known is she had stopped tc think. But she was far too happy tc do any straight-line thinking her | self. She was caught up into [ cloud of sunshiny happiness, iron l which she saw such details as satir wedding gowns and tilted lovers a! , through a golden mist. Even hel mothers misery did not mean very , much to her just then. Besides, r she thought dimly, she wouldn't b'
 happy if l married Staley and 1 wa: , wretched forever after"
 1 No, it was better for her mothe