New Britain herald., 1930-07-05

hadn't moved them -Shey wer" tightly clasped in her lap, but the illusion that they were lifted in ap- peal to him was disturbingly real.
 Natalie stumbled to silence. She knew she had appealed in vain.
 "I shouldn't have come" Alan said. with a touch of pity We might have spared ourselves thisTfor the whole matter of Bobby La monts future, and my own as we'll, is settled"
 oh" Natalie thought, frenzied- ly, "why does he have 10 be so stiff? But she did not speak, except with her eyes that Alan was unable to evade.
 I'm -~oing to adopt him." he ex- plained in answer to their question.
 Yes. I thought you might do that" Natalie said rushingly, but can you bring him up, Alan, with out a woman to help you?'
 Watching his hardened face, as he studied her before replying. Natalie felt that she had sunk to the low est depths Of humility in thus throw ing herself at him.
 The undiminishing harshness of his expression made her Cringc in dread of his words. She expected a tirado of reproaches but Alan was not thinking wholly of the past. He was more occupied Wdth the present. i This was an hour he had dreamed Of in his bittcreSt moods. Natalie-at his feet,
 Her beseoching gaze, her pain parted lips, the air of supplancc ] that vibrated about her-all these i were as he hard imagined them. i Only himself was there something amiss. He was not enjoying her Contrition.
 And he had expected it to give him fierce satisfaction. For it had angered him that she had gone to the end in arrogancc-her letter, it had infuriatcd- him. She had seemed 10 have not a touch of Nceliness. not a tinge of regret for what she had done. Naughty, dis Gainful He had wished the time would come when he could humble l her.
 And now II was here. And he yas going to humble her. He was going 10 show her what miserable mistake she'd made about Bernadine What a fool shed been. Oh yes, he 1 vas going 70 do it--but he knew he ,vas going to be cheated out of his anticipated qualification. Her beauty would do that to him. His eyes were feastjng on it. He knew it But it isn't love, he denied hotly.
 His face revealed his confictne emotions. Natalie thought the rusl Of rcd To his face-that a momont before had been whitc-was caused by anger,
 Sho caught her underlip, and holt Ii sharply between her Iteeth. Fol enc wild moment she was tempted to declare her innocence and bel him 70 believe her.
 H. must hate 10 have her think h. was weak enough 10 take her back she told herself. trying to read hi changing expressions. All appeal
 would he useless. still she felt sh'
 must convince him that she was sin C,rc in her desire to have Httl' Bobby Lamont as her own.
 Shc mad" a heroic effort 10 speal
 calmly. You know. Alan" she said end her voice brokc in spite of her Whateyer you may think Of me tha
 I would make an intelligent mother.
 He surprised her by nodding i . c agreement. In his present moo(
 she had thought he might take issu
 with her even on that point.
 Her instant> of elation vanished as sarcastic curl of his lips fol lowed the nod. 'Ycs, I know that, he said witheringly But yo
 should have had children Of you own. For you cannot have Bobb Lamont, I am going 10 adopt hin and when you are granted your di
 vorco decree, I'll marry the girl wh
 is 10 be his mother"
 (To Be Continued.)