New Britain herald., 1927-06-08
, WlDA McClONt GIBSON

Right here Phillip Wynne Trac
" gave up.
surely. Nat, you don't think
want to be in love with Lyra Hill
lard? You must know 1t is no
pleasant to look ahead and wonde
where ] am going to get off. Some
time you will know that love Is no
all ecstasy and bliss and I can tel
you now 1t hurts like hell"
Natlee turned her face away from
Phil that he might not see the pail
in her eyes. Well she knew-non'
better-that sometimes. yes, almos
all times love hurst like hell"
And all the while Anne Tracy wa!
looking at her son with worried
eyes. She said to I.yra Hilliard
who for the moment was standing
by her: Il am afraid that clever
little Jones girl is making up with
Phil.
Il am sure that since you came
we had kept him so busy that posi-.
bly, she might have turned her at.
tention to Rodney Maxwell and
was much surprised when she made
her appearance here tonight for
did not invite her.
Il canot tell whether she thought
she was invited or not, but tomor.
row III make Phil confess his share
in the invitation business.
In the meantime. Lyra I consider
your visit very timely. He seems tc
| hang upon your words and think a
great deal of your advice. Tell him
will you not, how ruinous it would
be for him to fall in love and mar
ry a girl now while he is so young
"Natlee Jones is smarter than
most girls OF her age. She Is more
clever than Phil but certainly you
can find some way to put the case
before him in the right light"
why don't you tell him, yourself,
Anne?" asked Lyra rather thickly.
"Oh, he would not pay any atten-
ton to mel am only his mother.
Mothers, my dear. bear sons and all
through their childhood and youth
hey give their very hearts blood
to make them good citizens as we'll
as happy individuals. only at the
end to see these sons gayly lay all
their love and appreciation at the
dancing feet of girl like the one
out there clasped in Phil's arms.
You know / gave him that car
about Christmas time with the I'M
derstandins that he must make up
his conditions and enter college at
The spring term
Has he done this?"
"My dear Lyra, you yourself
know that he hasn't opened book
or visited his tutor once since you
came"
Well, very we'll, Lyra Hilliard
knew. For one CHASTITY moment she
looked ahead and turned pale as
her knees seemed to crumple under
her. She knew she was not only
wicked but weak-she knew she
had gone too far to draw back now
she knew-O God! what would be
the end?
Look at them now. Lyra. That
girls face is as hard as flint.
hope she didn't know that Phil was
getting her here on false invita-
ton, for when she finds it out she
will be too angry to forgive him.
Phil seems to be begging for
something but she Is still as cold as
the stecly blue of her eyes"
Mrs. Tracy was right. Memories
of her childish friendship were
making Phillip ask pleadingly of
Malice: do you mean that you are
not going TO call me Wynne il Mrs
billiard does?"
Il mean that after tonight I shall
not call you at ALL
Nat, can't We be friends? l
want to be friends, honest l do"
He was so earnest and unhappy
about losing his childhood playmate
entirely that Natlee Jones wanted
to hold his head against her breast
then and there and tell him that the
woman with whom he thought he
was in love was only using him to
bring back her youthful thrills, but
she knew that If she told him this
he would not only think but say
that she was jealous.
Nat. I'm honest in wishing that
you would stay my friend. ! ex-
pect that you think am very weak
and very young. for l know you
have guessed my secret.
II know that I am swiftly going
on the rocks. Nat, for when Mother
discovers my affair with Lyra she
will make bigger fuss than when
I told her ! had proposed to you"
80 your mother did object to
me?"
Eyes"
Then that is why she gave this
party. She probably thought. Phil,
that you would forget me for one of
these other girls. She needn't have
worried about me-you had already
forgotten twenty-four hours after
you had asked me to be your wife.
You say you want me to be your
friend, Phillip. ] cannot give my
friendship to a stranger. I loved
Wynne Tracy-I do not know that
other person they call Phillip. Take
me to Rod. Phil, want to 20
nome"
CHAPTER XVII
Rodney Maxwell Consoles Malice
But you can't go now. Malice
Mother will be suspicious
Must you always be thinking of
yourself. Phil, and expecting me TO
help you out of every scrapeo Well,
this Is one time l am not going TO