The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-29


That was only for tonight.
The next day she would be
modern again-a clear-eyed,
lknow-what-it 's-all-about miss.
No one would have to know
lthat she had been misty-eyed
and hesitantly prayerful the
night before-just like any
sap who believed in fairy tales.
She thought Of the advice one
17-year-old Scion had given
her: "Don't let it get you,
BERTHE Lou. If you don't like
it, you can chuck it, you
know"
'tBut it does get you-no
matter how wise you are, "
BERTHE Lou whispered into the
warm darkness of her room.
And that was the nearest she
ever had come to wisdom.
She lay a little longer, lost in the
enchantment Of standing on the
threshold Of a new life, before the
heat of the summer night pressed
unbearably in upon her.
The little breeze that had sprung
I'D at shutdown had died down
again. Her room had grown sultry
since she had gone to bed.
SBertie Lou threw back the sheet
at covered her and slipped her
n-tanned legs over the edge of
Ii. She felt around with her toes
SEor her old mules and thrust her
feet into them.
They clattered a little as she
crossed the bare floor and CROPPED
her way down the hall to the sairs.
Her mother called to her: "Ber-
tie Lou, is thai you?"
BERTHE Lou halted in surprise. Her
1 mother was a sound sleeper. But
4 Berthe Lou did not know what 1t
meant to have a little girl getting
married on the morrow.
J Perhaps her mother was suffering
from the heat. I'm going down
for q drink" she answered. want
b. glass of ice water?"
Don't drink ice water, honey.
There's some lemon juice in in a
bottle in the refrigerator. Let the
water run a while"
'"The whole water supply is hot
enough to boil an egg," BERTHE Lou
replied, and went down the stairs
on the banister.
She didn't do this for sport-it
was too old habit for that-but
to save time.
She made glass of lemonade for
her mother after she'd had her
own and started back upstairs
with it
On the way she passed the hall
door leading to the dining room and
sudden wish to take peek at the
wedding presents seized her.
She put the lemonade on stand
and opened the door. The light
from the hall shone in upon the
gift-covered dining table and BERTHE
Lou stood looking at the array with
frank pleasure in the generosity OF
her friends.
Since the family supper on the
screened back porch she had been
too busy to view the gifts and she
did not know that one had arrived
which she had not yet seen.
It was encased in a leather OBJ
long with gold satin lining. Mrs
Ward had put it down on the edge
of the table, with the case open
The light struck softly on a dull
bronze blade and caught BERTHE
Louis eyes.
Eureka! Another one!" she
calculated, and went in to examine
it and the card of the sender.
"A funny wedding present" she
thought, picking it up. SHARP as
the DEVIL" Then she looked at the
card.
Miss Lila Marsh"
BERTHE Lou dropped the paper cut
ter quickly into the case. Her face
already flushed with heat and ex-
element, grew a trit1e warmer ir
color and her eyes darkened. AL
: ways the name of Lila Marsh af-
fected her in some way.
If others were present she man
= aged somehow to keep a poker face
but if, as now, she was unobServed
she showed her true feelings towarc
the girl who had refused to MARI!
Rod.
The rich blood in her cheeks be.
tokened consciousness of Lila's i'm.
portance and the darkened eyes eX,
pressed her will to stand firmly OF
her own ground.
She was Rods girl now. Lila be-
longed to his past. Moderns didn'
trouble about person't past. Tha
is, they didn't acknowledge tina
they did.
But BERTHE Lou knew Lila-haC
known her for years. Lila was {
menace. Shed always played thu
game by her own rules. She neve
gave another girl sporting chance