New Britain herald., 1928-01-18

0no 10h0 G0O 00t"W and we didn't know what had hap pened."
 She was as cold aS che could be. standing there in the warm rosy slow of the fire and looking down It Lily. who lolled in the chair. with . lighted cigaret dangling from her long fingers. Beautiful fingers they were. pointed and white. with nails Of laoquercd coral.
 In the month that had just passed all their blisters and callouses had practically disappeared. and they wore smooth and white once more.
 What happened" Lily explained. getting out of her chair, twas just what you said would happen. Pat and I couldn't get along. We fought all the time, and-so I came home to you and Dad. Do you mind?"
 Mrs. Lexington simply raised her eyebrows and looked coldly indiffer- ent.
 She turned her head presently and called over her shoulder: ''Cy! Please come In here . minute." There was . moments pause while Mir. Lexington paid tho taxicab man in tho hall. and then hs came limp ing into tho room.
 Why Dad. what's the matter '" Lily asked anxiously. but he just laughed off the idea that there might possibly be something wrong with him.
 "Just old age" he said humorous ly. and then bent over her and kissed her on both of her cheeks. T had . touch of rheumatism."
 Well. we'll. 70 our Baby Girl came back" he went on, batting her head just as tf she were still four or five years old. And as soon as we heard about it we came homo post-haste-"
 His wife turned on him furiously angry in a second. That's right, start coddlins and betting her again!" she advised him with sar- casm in her voice and her large featured face. You spoiled her be- fore. and just sec how she dis graced us!"
 Her cold eyes went up and down her daughter. Are you really here to stay now?" she asked sharply, Because if you have any notion of ever going back to that fellow we aren't going to keep you here and let you run up lot of bills. I'll just bet anything that you charged that dress you have on to your father-"
 Lily laughed. "Oh. no, you've fixed 1t 50 I can't charge anything to my father" she answered serenely. Please don't think that didn't try to do 1t because l did-and failed. derling mother" She was just as full of sarcasm as Mrs. Lex ington was. at times.
 Her father began to look uneasy as he always did when the women of his family had words. Now, now. let's not bring that up." he said briskly. Our girls back home and that's all that matters" Tt Is NOT all that matters." his wife contradicted him with spir,, "If she's here to stay. well and good. But if she's hero just long enough to get q lot of new things and then make 1t up with that France and go back to live with him, it's a white hnrsa of apnfber coloru ] Her eyes were on the black cloth dress that Lily wore-one of those marvelously simple dresses that cost ! three times as much as the fusyy ones. Staley had let Lily have the money to buy it, and Lily had ! promised 10 pay him. knowing per- fectly well that she never would. | But she did not tell her mother that. She let her think anything she wanted to think as she got up and walked grandly out of the room, her chin in the air.
 If I want to % back to Pat it's | my own affair."" she said to herself, and all at once she knew that she wanted to do if. Even now, after he had sent back all her clothes to her as if he never wanted to see her again. Even now. after this month of silence
 The longing 10 see him rushed over her like homesickness. She | threw herself down across the lace- draped bed in her own room with her face buried in the pillows, too miserable to cry.
 She heard the door open and her mother came across the room to her. | She bent over her with a crea aking of the fashioned corsets that she wore and put her arms around her. My dearest, didn't mean to scold you the first minute I SEW you" she said. holding her close {. her silk-covered bosom. Don't cry like this - Mother and Daddy are just afraid you'll go back to that l