New Britain herald., 1927-06-29
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<. HlDA McClONt GIBSON

He marched forward quickly. bu, Natlee eluded him. With . Shall I sit here. Mrs. Tracy?" she passed to the other side of the table from where he was standing. and sal down.
 Anne Tracy had said nothing all through this conversation. entirely made up of small talk. She was try ing to discover If Natlee was acting or if she had really become this frothy. frivolous girl. She knew that some girls change in just this sort of way when they get from under the domineering restraint of their parents.
 She could see that Phil was quite as much at sea as she was, and she sighed as Phillip asked rather wist- fully. Has everybody in America changed as much as you have. Nat lee?"
 "Of course they have. Wynne. The old girl herself has changed. America has stepped out since the war. Just at present she is doing a toe dance on the top of the world to jazz music. You'll have to join in the grand march. Mind your step or you'll get left on the side lines. '
 I'm very tired of marching. Nat lee. but 1t may be amusing when l get used to It."
 "Oh. Wynne. hope you'll get used to 1t soon. l don't want you to be like Jerry. He's been getting more and more like 8 cold bread pudding, with an unsuspected soul of whipped prunes since he's been with father. I'm getting 50 I hate these mollycoddles who haven't guts enough to talk up for themselves. | Chats word I learned from the boys who have come back from over- seas. You ought to have heard 1t enough not to be shocked.)"
 Phillip looked across the table and smiled. This child was somebody quite new. but she was interesting after all.
 Natlee returned Phil's smile with enthusiasm, for he still had way with women, although he thought he had lost it.
 T saw your friend Mrs. Hilliard. the other day. Mrs. Tracy" This was thunder from clear sky. Both Phil and his mother were aware that Natlee knew all about Lyra, but neither of them guessed that the girl was not aware of the break between Mrs. Tracy and her old =ffiend on account, of Phillip. Anne Tracy, however, was too honest to pass this over with tire usual conventional hypocrisy. II don't think she's a friend of mine any more, Natlee," she said. T beg your pardon, Mrs. Tracy. I didn't know that. Indeed, she spoke very beautifully of you the last time I saw her. like her much better than I used to. She doesn't henna her hair any more and it seems the war has made her quite human. She isn't thinking of herself all the time and the impression she is making on any man she happens to be near. She. has dropped her youthful and frappeffsh airs and it's very becoming. Nov. you. Wynne. have grown SO. .'6ld and dignified, that I'm really afraid of you"
 And you, Natlee, have grown 50 young and frivolous and bewitch- ingly lovely. that I'm afraid of you"
 "I'm not all that, Wynne. It's just the contrast between the American girls and the French. Did you really like them?"
 Phillip grinned. Well thought I did while I was over there."
 That's a nice compliment" Nat lee exclaimed, "almast the incest I've received since you went away. It sounds more like you than anything I've heard you say since l came to breakfast"
 But you're not eating anything, my dear" put in Mrs. Tracy.
 No one eats enything nowadays. We must keep our boyish figures. you know. And now l really must run. Awfully sorry. Mrs. Tracy. but bdO otclIcu lO llIlu uOZell for mo to do for him this morning. He knew was coming here to give Wynne the once over and say Well come home'."
 Again Phillip smiled. "Your fa- ther doesn't seem 10 have lost any of his old prejudices. my dear.'
 Well, he can't say very much against man who has stopped . bullet in such a way that only croix de guerre is supposed to cover the scar.
 Goodbye, dear Mrs Tracy. You'il let me come again soon. won't you? And as for you. Wynne-" She turned and held out both hands. She seemed about to speak. Was there a mist of pain in the dark blue eyes? He could not tell. and before he had decided, she was gone.
 Mother and son looked at each other in silence for some seconds after the girl had left the room.
 Its rather an overpowering Nat lee, isn't it. Num-"
 Phillip, I think she's acting"
 Don't be foolish. No one could act as we'll as she did this morning."
 There was a grinding of gears in front of the house. Quickly Phillip enf lin and went tO the window