The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1932-11-11

60 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicats.l
(WNTr Garvical


country house and waved her hand at
Tom Collingwood as he went by In his
nivver. Lillian was dressed as became
the daughter OF q ''magnate." She
smiled bewitching, careless smile at
Tom as she waved her little hand In
his direction: one would have thought
her the most carefree young beauty In
all the world. But her whole express
sion changed when the fivver had
passed. A perplexed look wrinkled
her brow and her eyes took on a PEN
sive gaze.
The young man to whom she had
waved had answered her greeting with
a polite, but formal, bow and had
looked at her In a manner which was
neither one Of reproach nor of indif-
ference, but a compound of the two.
And withal there had been something
like defiance in his look and manner
as II he said: "No, thank you; once
bitten twice shy. All your pretty ways
cannot lure me back again. l am
quite satisfied to have learned my les
SON." And Lillian felt It.; felt 1t as
distinctly as II she had heard him say
1t in so many words.
For there was no denying that LII
liam had given every encouragement
to Tom-and had then thrown him
over. Yes, Lillian had done all this
and now she was sorry for 1t. She
tried to tell herself that there was
no use crying over split milk: but
even that venerable saying did not
seem to fill the bill. What she wanted
out OF the past was not a wise
proverb but Tom.
1t was not because her parents had
objected to her marrying Tom that
Lillian had rejected him. He was
not wealthy, to be sure, but he came
and rising young man holding down a
responsible job. Mr.. and Mrs. Jaf-
freys desired only that their daugh-
ter should be happy in her marriage
and considered that Tom was the very
one to make her happy. But when
him they took 1t for granted that she
knew best, and let it go at that.
If there had been little opposition
to the marrying, had their love-making
not run along in such quiet lines, so
much Of taking everything for grant
have uttered yes as emphatic as her
no when Tom asked her to be his
wife.
And so 1t had been with Lillian as
regarded Tom. But now that he was
decidedly "around the corner" as far
as she was concerned, she found that
she wanted him back more than any
thing In all this world.
When she first realized this she
had thought: "Oh, well; he Ia In love
with me and all / have got to do is
just show him l really did not mean 1t
when I said mo" / can whistle him
back all right" But now she was be-
ginning to realize that Tom could not
be whistled back as easily as she had
thought.
That day when she had strolled out
OF her fathers gates to see Tom pass,
and had seen her sweetest smile an
swered by him In that unresponsive
manner. Lillian, after q fit Of deep
dependency, resolved upon drastic
measures. She would write a letter
to Tom In which she would acknowl-
edge her mistake, tell him how much
she really loved him, beg his pardon
for her flighty conduct and offer him
yes If he would take It, OF course,
II 1t were true that he had ceased to
love her, this would place her In a
most humiliating position and expose
her to rebuff which would break her
heart. But she didn't care; she could
not stand things going on In this way
any longer. So she went home, wrote
letter upon lines indicated, and sent
1t to the post Office.
Tom would not get 1t until the next
morning. she thought-she knew he
seldom went to the post Office In the
little neighboring village for the eve
ming mail. And she passed a most
miserable night. Then the thought
occurred to her that perhaps Tom
would go for his evening mail and get
her letter. would answer 1t one way
or the other right off, and she would
get the answer In the morning.
Right after breakfast next morning
she was in her little roadster motor
Ing down to the village post Office.
AS she entered the door she and Tom
almost collided.
"Did-did you get my letter." she
faltered with a blush.
NO" replied Tom, "did you get
mine?"
"Why, no! Did you writer she
cried-and hastened to her letter box.
Tom rushed around to his. In a
couple Of minutes they had another
narrow escape from collision In front
Of the delivery window.
"Oh, Tom, ! am so glad" cried LII
lian.
And "Oh Lillian, what jewel of q
girl you are" said Tom.
You know what Lillian had written.
Tom had written that he could stand
1t no longer; that he had tried to be
Indifferent and couldn't manage It.
Would not Lillian reconsider?
There Is not much more to tell.
You know from your own experience,
gentle reader, how happy lovers are
when they have made up after an es-
arrangement. Tom and Lillian each
keep the letter the other had written
and, now that they are married,
whenever there Is hint of the ap-
proach OF family misunderstanding