New Britain herald., 1928-01-16
CHAPTER XLVII


 "Hello," she said into the mouth piece, and almost before the little word was off her lips she heard Pats voice. .',
 I'm down at my Dads house." he began. 'and I thought that maybe you'd"
 Lily waited to hear no more. She slammed the receiver back upon it's little black hook, and banged the telephone down upon the hall table.
 "As if I cared where he is or what he thinks!!" she said to herself. "As if I cared are single rap!"
 She reallx did not care. at that time. She was all dressed and ready 10 see Staley Drummond. 'She was hack in her old home and her old life, and she had put the very thought of Pat out of her mind.
 "He practically ordered me out of my own home." she thought. with part of her brain. while she looked up Staley's home telephone number in the directory and gave 1t.
 His Japanese butler answered her ring. Lily recognized his voice after all the months that had gone by since she had heard it-and it was a welcome sound.
 Pretty soon. Ito. you'll be taking orders from me-" she said to him. silently. while aloud she asked him if Mir. Drummond were at home.
 He was, and his voice became sharp with eagerness when the told him where she was. "Ill come over as soon as I finish my dinner" he told her. They're having party at Gains house. We'll go together and surprise them all. what?"
 It flashed through Lily's mind that Pat never would have stopped to finish dinner under these circum- stances, If she had been telephonins him instead of Staley-and he never would have wanted to drag her off to q party first thing. either. He would have wanted her all to him. self.
 But then. Staley was not Pat. He never had been the exciting. pell- mell sopt of person that Pat was. He was older and more settled than Pat, and he took things more calm ly.
 "All right, Staley, that will be fine" she answered. What time will you come for me?"
 And theE, by some trick of crossed wires, Pats voice came to her in- stead of the other mans. Hello. is this you. Lily?" he was asking. "We were cut off"
 Hello, hello, hello." Ii was Staley's voice now in her ear. "I said I'd be over about four o'clock, Lily. Do you hear me-"
 "I hear you,' Lily said. Good bye"
 Of course, she was all through with Pat France forever and ever. But she didn't want him to know that she was on with the new love or was Staley her old love? so soon. After all. Pat, was still her husband.
 She heard Staley hang up his re- ceiver, and wondering if he knew that Pat had been speaking to her.
 Hello, Pat" she said. There was no answer.
 She liggled the hook up and down. "Hello-Pat?" she asked, and after another second or two h. spoke 10 her.
 Well. it didn't take yo,i long to get Drummond pack on your string did it?" he asked. Gosh, and to think l used to think what a good wife you were. What a sap I've been. haven't F"
 His voice was filled with bitter ness, and he hung up. The click of the receiver going up at his end Of the wire sounded in Lily's ears.
 She was on the verge of tears for telephone table. clutching the edge Of it with both hands. O.. She wondered if all separations were like this. Full of moments of misgiving- and regret.
 At four o'clock Staley came to the house, looking very swagger ani elegant in an English morning coat and fresh white gardenia in his button-hole.
 It was a gray. sunless day, and