The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-18

here we are, men. Bring forth the captive and escort him to yon fair damsel, who waits with trembling heart and suitcase packed (some of my things, tool"
 The car came to a stop. T guess she wouldn't talk like that if all was lost," one of the band whispered to another, as they hauled Tommy out
 and gave him a push that sent him
 stumbling across the sidewalk. Gently, gently" cautioned Beryl.
 ''Wouldst damage the bridegroom and send him frowsy to his doom ?" violence upon the person of the be- lated bridegroom and turned to Beryl. "Is that all? they chorused.
 That's all, my lads. Your reward will be forthcoming on the morrow. Picnic rations for all hands round and the end of the island if old Wind in the Face can make 1t. Bathing suits and iodine. And sound the tocsin at daybreak. Away with you now. Early to bed, or we won't get back tomorrow night"
 They scampered off, calling back goodnight. Beryl watched them go with look of pride. Noble little rascals-her gang. It was not their fault if she had failed. But had | she?
 She did not drive on at once to the ramshackle garage the boys had built for her in the back yard garage just big enough for the old car to hop into. She sat, instead, | behind the wheel and watched her stepfather's house. A half smile of satisfaction curved her lips-beauti- fully modelled lips, but much larger l than Irene's rosebud mouth. The smile did not extend to her eyes; in them was a look of doubt.
 The shades of the house were down. They usually were down at night. Beryl liked it so, and Mrs
 Everett insisted upon it. The family | life, she said, was not to be put on exhibition. Beryl had remarked that 1t couldn't afford to be-one of her | authenticated statements that always irritated her mother and | Irene. They preferred to call things by euphemisms.
 What was transpirins behind the
 shades now Beryl thought she could guess. Irene's boise must have been
 shaken to its foundation, for she
 never could abide to be kept waiting and on her wedding night of all I
 i. even if the walls of the house did
 shut out the sound. But what would
 Tommy say? That was the question
 that troubled her. We'll, she'd better
 go in and find out, she decided, for
 apparently they were not going to
 come outside to settle it.
 | Maybe the elopement was off!
 BeryPs heart skipped a beat as her
 mind actually framed in words the hope she'd been desperately holding
 to all evening. She hardly expected
 Tommy would listen to her. Her re- liance had been placed upon 1rene's | longer to learn how her plan to arouse that temper had turned out. Leaving the old car at the curb she hurried up to the house and softly opened the front door. Instant ly voices came to her from the liv- | ing room in the rear of the hall.
 That living room had once been
 bleak dining room. Beryl had trans
 formed 1.-the house being so
 planned that the old living room
 could become the new dining room
 -into a place with privacy and character. .,.,
 MT Everett had aided and abetted
 her in making the change, but Irene
 and Mrs Everett had jeered-until
 al, of the world that came to view
 1t pronounced it g. eat.
 Beryl hastened toward it now with
 quickening pulsebeats. If Tommy
 had told Irene of her part in the
 nights event she knew what to ex-
 pect. But Irene's fudy held no terror for her-poor Tommy who was
 about to make a big mistake on the
 very threshold of his life. Why. she'd
 have had to make an attempt to save him even if even if
 Beryl didn't like to say. even to