New Britain herald., 1928-12-06
CHAPTER Ii

trip. The white kid gloves that
Emmy had given her on her forty
fifth birthday lay on her dresser in
a sheet of dark blue tissue paper to
keep them from turning yellow.
"Sit down. Emmy" she said. I'm
trying to sew new lining in my
hat She threaded her needle.
holding 1t up to the light.
y had such a dream about you
last night while was taking forty
winks downstairs in the big chair"
she went on murmuring while The
knotAed Hen thread and picked up
tho .sseyhtIy". old, hat from the lit
Tie stand between the windows. 1T
woke. me up--it was so dreadful -
and ] asked Robb TO run down to
Rurkhardt's to telephone you to SEC
il you were all right. seemed to
see you standing on a. high preci-
pice. Emmy. and was 80 afraid
you'd fail before I could get to you.
You're sure that every'hing's
all right with you?" She looked up
at her sharply.
why. Of course" Emmy nodded.
Don't be foolish. Mother. Just be
cause you happened to have
nightmare"
Then she stopped, But do need
some advice, she confessed. drop
ming down on her knees beside her
mothers chair. You remember MIR.
Harrison. OF course. don't gov:
We've talked him overland you'v.
seoa. Atur- and" -
She searched for wordA guIped
once or twice. and then blurted out
the truth: Mother, he wants me to
marry him."
Mrs Miiburn stuck her needle
into the hat. laid 1t back upon the
stand. and folded her hands on her
lap. Then she unfolded them and
laid them on Emmy's shoulders.
"Hmm-'' she unused. looking
down deep into the girls eyes. And
what do you want me to tell you to-
do. my dear" -.. ....
II want you to tell me what to
DO. OF course" Her face was full Of
trouble and perplexity.
well. you know what 70 do with
cut asking me. don't you?" Mrs.
Mishnsa asksd, very softly. when
fell In love with your father
knew that the only thing to do was
to marry him. I didn't need any
body's advice In the matter. az
though ! must say got quite a loe
Of It without asking. So I always
made UP my own mind that when
my Nwn children wanted to marry
I was goirS to try to see things
through their eyes"
"Yes, but wait a minute! This
MT 70 simple ~ you think" Emmy
broke in upon her. Wells Harbi-
son is-Mother, he's married now,
you zee. But he wants me to wait
until he divorces his wife and then
marry him. That's why I've come
to you for advice. I don't know
what ought to say to him."
There was deep silence in the
room for 4 minute or two, broken
only by the loud ticking Of Charlie
NIilburr's gold watch that hung on
the wall beside the dresser. Then
Mrs. Milburn spoke. and her pretty
voice sounded tired and heavy:
We'll. Emmy, all can say Ia that
= man who won't be true to one
woman won't be true to another,
and that's Z fact. He hasn't been
fair and square With you. has he?
Going around with you, coming to
.see f0y md having 4 wife: tucked
away s@1ewhers all the time.
And. n you come between Z man
and his wife-that's what you would
bs doing. Emmy-you'l pay for 1t.
sure - Fate!"
Emmy flushed and scowled. II
didn't come between him and his
wife. because 1t wasn't until yester-
day that ! even knew he had = wife.
And By that time I vas too crazy
about him to tell him I wouldn't
see him any more" She sighed,
thinking Of Wells Harrison and the
queer mixed feeling she had for
him. A feeling that was more ex-
This comes" Mrs. Milburn said,
sof your living by yourself with no
enc to look after you and watch
over you properly. A married man
Fever would have dared to come into
this house for you! But in that flat
alone, A. you were tell you,
Emmy. 1t wasn't right! A girl has
no business living alone like that
knew It from the first. and should
have set my foot down harder than
] did! I can see it now"
Emmy. her pointed little chin
resting on the window sill. gazed
down into the street where the three
McMylers. little bigger but just as
dirty as they always had been. play
ed hop-scotch.
That's silly - to talk that way
about girl living alone. Mother"
she said after little. Thousands
and thousands of girls live alone
today. and nobody thinks anything
of it. Times have changed since you
were a girl. you koN."
Times never will change for
women. Emmy. as long as men
don't change. They'll always be
wanting woman to say Yes when
she ought to say No That is tho
bad ones always will"
Emmy turned and looked up al
her With question in her eyes
Are YOU sure I ought to say No
to Wells Harrison 90
Mrs. Nlhurn set her little Jaw
and 81 ook her head in sheer cXas-
poration.
MY goodness. Fanny. 7 can't sit
here much longer and listen to you
talk like this she cried. you
know perfectly we'll what YOU ought
TO say to him man who has n
wife OF his own. To think that my
daughter could even consider a man
lilS him-- She shook her head
more vigorously than before.