The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-18
CHAPTER I
The Guilty Conscience

T lila LATHAM-Soon to be Lila
l. Ware-even now the motor that
was to take her to the church was
wl1irring under the porte -cochere-
had a guilty conscience.
She stood before the full-length
mirror in her dressing rooms and
saw herself, misty, white-clad, Vi
sion, with eyes like stars under the
tulle of her bridal veil.
She looked like an angel. She felt
like a black imp. The opening of
the door behind her made her start
"Oh, it's you, Dot? I'm jumpy,
guess" She turned to a slender girl
IN a powder blue bridesmaids frock,
who carried in her arms a huge
bouuuet of white orchids and lilies
of-the-valley.
"Your floWers-they'ye just come, -
Dorothy Caine buried her pretty
nose in their fragrance.
Lila took them absently.
DOT" she said hollowly, "rve
been wondering if dare go through
with IT.
Dorothy's eye opened wide.
Marry Herbert, you mean? What
on earth has happened Have you
discovered suddenly that you don't
love him?"
"You know very well what 1
mean! And I love him too fright
fully much. If I didn't, I wouldn't
be behaving like a, coward and a
perfect hussy, in the bargain, be-
cause of my fear of losing him"
'Nonsense!'' Dorothy deity tucked
a fold of the bridal veil more Sc
curely under it's bandeau OF pearls.
you're Just in funk at the loea
of walking down a church aisle In
about fifteen minutes, with the
whole world gaping at you, I've
been maid of honor eight times
and it affects 'em all the7safae way
Lille gripped Dots arm with
tense hand.
"Dot-should I tell-even now? 1t
isn't too late?"
Dorothy's clear eyes met hers
gravely.
Lila, dear, giving advice, even TO
ones dearest friends, is racer LOT
the most intrepid person. How 90
know what to say? To me- II
seems that if not telling were to hurt
some one, then you'd have prob
lem on your hands. But 1t can .
hurt any one; neither can it do any
good. If you confess at TINS eleV-
enth hour, you will take the nne
edge off this day-and it should oS
the happiest in your life ana
Herbert's."
r lila sighed and trailed her
cleaning train across the room
to her dressing table. She unlocked
her level case with tiny key and'
taking something from an inner
conpartment, held it up for Dorothy
to see.
"Is it wise to keep that?" asked
Dorothy gravely.
Have I ever been wiser" countered
Lila, with a wistful smile. "O1
course. 1 shouldn't keep it-though
it's quite safe here. It's in a secret
compartment in the box-see?"
why don't you-dispose OF it?''
"I don't know" confessed the pros
pective bride 1--WE women are queer
things. aren't we? We cherish such
ridiculous, such dangerous tokens OF
sentiment"
She turned the slender diamond
circlet over and over in her hand.
Il thought 1 was SO in love the
day Jack put that on my finger and
said: only death can part us now!''
well, death parted you" said
Dorothy solely.
Lila dropped the ring back in the
Jewel case. Her face was wistful.
DOT, tell me, am I frightfully
wickedP Should tell Herbert-eVen
now, at the last minute-confeSS to
him that I wasn't speaking all the
truth when l gave my word that I'd
never loved any one else? You see,
it means so much to him. He isn't
like other men,"
"You should powder your nose and
be ready to go down." advised Dor
othy sensibly. 1.-THE cars are wait
ing. and we're already late" The
matter-of -factness dropped from
her voice. Lila, dearest, don't tor
ture yourself and spoil your wedding
day. Captain Farquaher is dead. He's
been dead five years, even though
YOU didn't know that until recent
ly. Nobody knows, or suspects
that you were engaged-almost
married"
1--WE meant to be married as soon
as Jack could came back" insisted
Lila feverishly. I'VE pledged our
selves to each other that night in
France, before all those witnesses.
We were terribly in love-or thought
we were"
well, you weren't, or you wouldn't
have recovered the first minute
you set eyes on Herbert" said Dor
othy, with a tiny smile.
Lila smiled, too, waveringly.
Haven't I been mad about him
though? It's the real thing, this
time, Dot. I've completely lost my
independence and my sense of humol
and that's ominous. can't ever
laugh at myself for being such &
ninny about man.
And the worst of it is that