New Britain herald., 1928-11-14

Jim Tello was going to buy all of
Flower street. That was settled,
she said.
THE bulk of your Uncle Bills es-
| tate will go to young Bill. of
course" she said. her eyes on her
daughter. He left me few thou
sand. and the same amount to
Mariana"
Mr.. Milburn twisted his mouth in
a sarcastic smile. ITO him that
hath shall be given" he said. 1t
was probably the only time in his
life that he quoted anything from
the Bible.
At four O'Clock they all went back
to the little yellow house.
1t seemed to be waiting for them
with its windows shining in the last
rays OF the sun which came out for
half an hour after hiding all day
long behind banks of gray clouds.
mo place like home. after all. ;
said Mrs. MiMlburn. filling the tea
kettle and stirring up the fire in the
| kitchen stove: but we had nice
visit win MOlner.
Then her brows darkened for
moment. "She looks old, doesn't
she? Uncle Bills going away seems
, to have aged her." she said unhap-
PLY. And I'm afraid Mariana
doesn't stay at home with her very
much. She's running around with
Frances Baldwin's boy. and he's as
wild as a coot. they say. Wild as a
coot."
| She brought her husband his
house slippers. his pipe. and his
latest j. s. Fletcher murder story.
, She settled herself in her own lit
tie low rocker near his arm chair.
Dan went upstairs to tndorse the
. check that had been his grandm"h-
cr's Christmas present to him. En-
NV sat down at the old piano and
sang, 20, Little Town of Bethic-
hem"
The wings Of pcacc--warm and
comforting-settled down over the
yellow house.
The piano was drawn up before
the bay windows. and from her seat
on the bench Emmy saw Robh
coming up the street through the
pearly dusk. She watched him come
and her heart began to beat wildly
in her bosom.
She got up. Il think TIL go out
and eat piece of cold chicken.
she murmured, and made her es-
cape from the sitting room. For
| some reason, hidden from herself.
she didn't want to see him just
then. And yet she did.
She heard his voice in the hall.
I and minute afterward he came to
her in the kitchen. He stood just
inside the door, with his broad
shoulders against it, looking at her
with her eyes crinkling up at the
corners. He always smiled with his
eyes.
Il had present for you last
night" he said abruptly. "but ]
made up my mind not to give it TO
you. It's ring. Not an engage
ment ring. although that's what
meant it to be when ] bought it
WOuiu YOU llhc IL any Ilo"
Like most men who really mean
what they say to women. Robb did
not know how to say things grace
fully. He had no gift for pretty
speeches.
He took the box from his inside
| coat pocket and gave it to Emmy.
The ring was modest little jewel,
Il garnet set with tiny pearls. Com
pared to Mariannas heart-shapeI
| diamond it was nothing at all.
But Emmy slipped it on her fin
ger. She looked up at Eobb.
"I'll tell yon what you do" he
said soberly. all the crinkles gone
from the corners Of his eyes. You
wear that ring until you take an
engagement ring from somebody
else. Then you send 1t back to M,
and I'll know what's happened"
IAN right" Emmy nodded her
bright head. That's so. Re
MEMBER
They shook hands on II in a very
| matter-of fact way. as IL It were a
business deal they had just agreed
upon.
(TO BE CONTINUED