New Britain herald., 1928-01-17

He takes care of me the way ought to be taken care of," thought Lily. But when I'm with Pat I'm supposed to be taking care of him every minute. |. . He's really . selfish beast, with all his talk about marriage being . bo-5o partnership" !"
 The nurse held up the roses 70 that she could see them.
 Mrs. Drummond sent these to you a while ago. and he wondered if he could come and have supper with you," she said. "He said he would bring some things with him. ,. He's a remarkable man, Miss Lex ington. He just about supports an orphanage in this town that I know about"
 T suppose ought to tell her that I'm not Miss Lexington. but Mrs. France" thought Lily, wondering why staley had given the nurse her maiden name. as If it still belonged to her.
 "Oh, we'll, what difference does 1t maker" she argued with herself. "I'll soon be Mrs. staley Drum mond' anyway" And the thought filled her with a glow. To Inve everything she wanted! Everything! The very thought Of 1t was thrilling to lily after her taste of poverty with Pat France.
 That was at noon.
 At six o'clock Staley arrived, and with him came Ito. the Jap. bearing two big baskets of good things to eat-chicken patties and shoe-strine potatoes and tellied vegetable sal- ad and a chocolate cake.
 Mrs. Gray. the cold-eved nurse. had helred lilly to dress in a warm challis house gown. and she and staley had their meal on tea waeon before the living room fire.
 Isn't this nice?" Staley asked. when it was over and he was clip- ping the end from thick black cf. gar. "We'll spend many an evening like this when we're married, eh 2"
 "Yes, indeed" answered Lily, stur- dily. The thought of quiet evenings spent in sitting before the fire and watching the dancing flames while waiting for bed time. never had had a particularly strong appear for her. She had spent too many evenings In just that way the last few months.
 Staley vent into the hall and took a folded newspaper from his over- coat pocket.
 He brought it back into the living room and read the financial page. It took him a full half hour to do it, and during that time he never made a sound except when he clear ed his throat.
 My, but he clears his throat . lot" thought Lily. The nervous lit- tie sound made her jumpy.
 When Staley had finished reading the paper he began to tell her about a fishing trip he had made up in the Canadian Rockies.
 He told it very we'll, but it did not stir Lily. What did she care about lot of fish, anyway? Or about the way staley tipped his canoe?
 It seemed to her that his voice never would stop. It ran on and on and on.
 Suddenly, for her, he had stopped being the fascinating bachelor with money whom she had secretly met while she was living with Pat. All of that excitement and the need of secrecy was gone now. He was just Staley Drummond, a good mix CT and a fine person in a party.
 But I get no boot at all from listening to him when we're alone" Lily said to herself. when he was gone after trying frantically to kiss her and failing.
 She was glad he was gone. Very glad
 The clock fin the hall struck ten silver notes. Ten O'CLOCK! That was the time Pat always came home when he worked late. He sat down at the dining room table and fairly wolfed his food. sometimes, in his hunger. and then went straight to bed after fourteen or fifteen hours of hard work.
 But at least, I loved him-and it was good 10 have him in the house." thought Lily. and suddenly, just as if telegraphic message had flashed across her mind. she knew that she was making mistake in leaving him and marrying Staley Drum- moned, no matter how much money Staley Drummord had.
 What did the things he offered the comfort. the soft lights and the flowers of his home. the imported automobiles, the clothes = matter. compared with Pat and his love?
 I'm going back to him. whether he wants me or not" said Lily. ex- actly like a spoiled child who yearns for a doll that she has discarded and thrown into the trash barrel. 'I'll go to zee him first thing tomorrow or"
 As she started upstairs to bed, the front door bell rang sharply through the house.
 ITO BE CONTINJ-ED,