The Sunday Oregonian., October 23, 1921, Magazine Section, Page 7, Image 81

THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN PORTLAND, (OCTOBER 23, 1921
I ' If 1 1I
bij Zona dale
IX IN WHICH LULU SAYS GOOD
BYE And Starts Out to Get a Job, but Ends
Up by Listening to the Confession of a
Lonely Man Who Wants a Home
(Copyright, D. Appleton A Co.)
WHEN Di had sons upstairs, Ina
aid to Lulu In a manner of
cajoling' confidence:
"Sister " aba rarely called her
that, "why did you and Dl have the
black bag?"
So that after all It waa a relief to
Lulu to hear D wight ask. casually:
"By the way Lulu, haven't I got
acme mall somewhere about?
"There are two letters on the par
lor table." Lulu answered. To Ina
he added: "Let's go In the parlor."
Aa they passed through the hall,
lira Bett was going up the alairs to
bed when aha mounted atalra she
atooped her shoulders, bunched her
extremities and bent her head. Lulu
looked after her, aa if she were half
minded to clam the protection so
long lost.
Dwlght lighted tha gas. Better
turn down tha ai jest a little," said
he, tirelessly.
Lulu handed him the two letters.
Ba aaw Klnlan's writing and looked
Tap, said A-ha! and held It while he
leisurely read the advertisement of
dental furniture, his Ina reading over
his shoulder. "A-ha!" he said again,
and with designed deliberation turned
"to NLnlan's letter. "An epistle from
my dear brother Ninlan." The words
failed aa he aaw tha unsealed flap.
"Tou opened the letter?" he In
quired Incredulously. Fortunately ha
had no climaxes of furious calm for
high occasions. All had been used
on small occasions. "You opened the
letter" came in a tone of no deeper
horror than "Tou picked the flower"
once put to Lulu.
She said nothing. Aa it la Impos
sible to continue looking Indignantly
at someone who Is not looking at you,
Dwlght turned to Ina, who was hor
ror and sympathy, a nice halt and
half.
"Tour alster has been opening my
mall," ha said.
"But, Dwlght, If lfa from Ninlan "
lt la my mall," he reminded her.
"She asked me If she might open It.
Of course I told her no."
"Well," said Ina practically, "what
dope he say?"
"I shall open the letter In my own
time. My present concern Is this
disregard of my wishes." His self
control was perfect, ridiculous, devil
ish. He was self-controlled because
thus ha could bs more effectively
cruel than In temper. "What excuse
have you to offer?"
Lulu waa not looking at him.
"None." she eald not defiantly, or
Ingratiatingly, or fearfully. Merely,
"None."
"Why did you do It?"
She smiled faintly, and shook her
head.
"Dwlght," said Ina, reasonably,
"she knows what's In It and we don't.
Hurry up."
"She Is." said Dwight. after a
pause, "an ungrateful woman."
He opened the letter, saw the clip
ping;, the avowal, with Its facts.
"A-ha!" said he. "So after having
been absent with my brother for a
month you find that you were not
married to him."
Lulu spoke her exceeding triumph.
"You see, Dwlght," she said, "he
told the truth. He had snother wife,
He didn't Just leave me."
Dwlght Instantly cried: "But this
trnmi to me to make you consider
ably worse off than If he had."
"Oh. no," Lulu said serenely. "No.
Why." she said, "you know how It all
cams about. He he was used to
thinking of hta wife is dead. If he
hadn't hadn't liked me, he wouldn't
have told me. Tou sea that, don't
you7
Dwlght laughed. "That your apol
ogy?" he asked.
She said nothing.
"Look here. Lulu," he went on. "this
Is a bad business. The less you say
about It the better, for all our sakes
you see that, don't you?"
"See that? Why, no. I wanted you
to write to him so I could tell the
truth. Tou said I mustn't tall tha
truth till I had tha proofs. . . ."
"Tell who?"
"Tell everybody. I wsnt them to
know."
Then you ears nothing for our
feelings in this matter?"
She looked at htm now. "Tour feel
In srsr
"It'sj nothing to you that we have
a. brother who's a bigamist?" ,
"But It's me It's me."
"Tou! Tou're completely out of It.
Just let It rest as It Is and It'll drop."
"I want the people to know the
truth." Lulu said.
"But It's nobody's business but our
business! I take It you don't Intend
to sue Ninlan?"
"Sue him? Oh. no!"
"Then for all our sakes, let's drop
the matter."
Lulu had fallen In one of her old
attitudes, tense, awkward, her hands
awkwardly placed, her feet twisted.
She kept putting a lock back of her
ear. she kept swallowing.
"Tell you. Lulu." said Dwlarht.
"Here are three or us. Our Interests
are the same In this thing only
Ninlan Is our relative and he's noth
ing to you now. Is he?"
"Why. no." ald Lulu In surprise.
"Very well. Let's have a rote. Tour
snap Judgment Is to tell this dis
graceful fact broadcast. Mine Is.
least said, soonest mended. What do
you say. Ins considering PI and all?"
"Oh. goodness." said Tna, "if we get
mixed up with bigamy, we'll never
get away from It Why. I wouldn't
have It told for worlds"
Still In that twisted position. Lulu
lnokd up at her. Her straying hair,
her parted Hps, her lifted eyes were
slnrrularly pathetic.
"My poor, poqr sister!" In said.
She struck totrether her little plump
hands. "Oh. Dwlcht when I think
of It: What have I done what have
wa done that I should have a good,
"kind, loving husband be so protect
ed, so loved, when other women . .
. . Darling!" aha aobbtd, and drew
near to Lulu. "Tou know how aorry
I am we all are. . . ."
Lulu stood up. Tha white ahawl
slipped to the floor. Her hands were
stiffly Joined.
"Then," she said, "give ma the only
thing I've got that'a my pride. My
pride that ha didn't want to get rid
of me."
They stared at her. "What about
my pride?" Dwlght called to her, s
. across great distances. "Db you
think I want everybody to knew my
brother did a thing- like that?"
"Tou cai't help that." said: Lulu.
"But I want you to help it- I want
you to promise me that you won't
shams us like this before all our
friends."
"Tou want ma to promise what?"
"I want you I ask you," Dwlght
said with an effort,' "to promise me
that you will keep this, with us a
family secret."
"No!" Lulu cried "No. I won't do
it! I won't do it! I won't do it."
It was like some crude chant,
knowing only two tones. 8ha threw
out her hands, her wrists long and
dark on her blue skirt.
"Can't you understand anything?"
she asked. "I've lived here all my
life on your money. I've not been
strong enough to work, they say
well, but I've been strong enough to t
be a hired girl In your house and
I've been glad to pay for my keep
. . . But there wasn't anything
about It I liked. . . . Well, then
I got a little something, same as other
folks. X thought I was married and
I went off on the train and he bought
me things and I aaw the different
towns. And then it was all a mistake.
I didn't have any of It. I came back
here and went Into your kitchen
again I don't know why I came
back. I spose because I'm most 14
and new things ain't so ea.iy any
more but what have I got or what'll
I ever have? And now you want to
put on to me having folks look at me
and think he run off and left me, and
having 'em all wonder ... I
can't stand It. I can't stand it. I
can't ..."
"Tou'd rather they'd know he
fooled you, when he had another
wife? -Dwigrht sneered.
"Yes! Because he wanted me. How
do I know maybe ha wanted me only
Just because he was lonesome, the
way I was, I don't care why! And
I won't have folks think he went and
left me."
"That," said Dwlght, "Is a. wicked
vanity."
That's the truth Well, why can't
they know the truth?"
"And bring disgrace on us all."
"It's me It's me " Lulu's Individ
ualism strove against that terrible
tribal sense, was shattered by it,
"It's all of us!" Dwight boomed.
"It s DL"
. "Dl?" He had Lulu's eyes now.
"Why, It's chiefly on Di's account
that I'm talking," said Dwlght.
"How would it hurt Di?"
"To have a thing like that In the
family? Well, can't you see how it'd
hurt her?"
"Would It, Ina? Would It hurt Dl?"
"Why, It would shame her em
barrass her make people wonder
what kind of stock she came from
oh." Ina sobbed, "my pure little girl!"
"Hurt her prospects, of course,"
said Dwight. "Anybody could sea
that"
"I s'pose It would," said Lulu.
She clasped her arms tightly,
awkwardly, and stepped about the
floor, her broken shoes showing be
neath her cotton skirt.
"When a family once gets talked
about for any reason " said Ina and
shuddered.
"I'm talked about now!"
"But nothing that you could help.
If he got tired of you. you couldn't
help that." This misstep was
Dwlght's.
"No." Lulu sa'd, "I couldn't help
that. And I couldn't help his other,
wife, either."
"Bigamy," said Dwight, "that's a
crime."
"I've done no crime," said Lulu.
"Bigamy," sa'd Dwlght, "disgraces
everybody It touches."
"Even Dl," Lulu said.
"Lulu." said Dwlght. "on DI's ac
count will you promise us to let this
thing rest with us three?"
"I s'pose so," said Lulu quietly.
"You will?"
"I s'pose so."
Ins, sobbed: "Thank you. thank you-.
Lulu. This makes up for everything."
Lulu was thinking: "Di has a hard
enough time as It Is." Aloud she
said: "I told Mr. Cornish, but he won't
tell."
I'll see to that," Dwlght graciously
offered.
"Goodness," Ina said, "so he knows.
Well, that settles " She said no more.
"You'll be happy to think you've
done this for us. Lulu." said Dwight.
"I s'pose so." said Lulu.
Ina, pink from her gust of sobbing,
went to her. kissed her, her trim tan
tailor suit against Lulu's blue cotton.
"My sweet, self-sacrificing sisteT."
she murmured. "
"Oh stop that!" Lulu said.
Dwlght took her hand, lying limply
in his. "I can now," he said, "over
look the matter of the letter."
Lulu drew back. She put her hair
behind her ears, swallowed, and cried
out.
"Don't you go around pitying me!
I'll have you know I'm glad the whole
thing happened!"
Cornish had ordered six new copies
of a popular song. He knew that It
was popular because It waa called so
In a Chicago paper. When the six
copies arrived with a danseuse on tha
covers he read the "words." looked
wistfully at the symbols which shut
him out, and felt well pleased.
"Got up quite attraorive." he
thought, and fastened tha six copies
In the window of his music store.
It was not yet o'clock of a vivid
morning. Cornish had his floor and
sidewalk sprinkled, his red and blue
pliua plana spreads, dusted. Ut sat
-litie:" said sirs, bett, ajvd left deb dinner and h e:.t to her daughter and put her hands
l POX HER.
at a folding table well back in the
atore, and opened a law bosk.
For halt an hour he read. Then
he found himself looking off the
page, stabbed by a reflection which
always stabbed him anew: Was he
really getting anywhere with his
law? And where did he really hope
to get? Of late when he awoke at
eight this question had stood by the
cot, waiting.
- Tha cot had appeared there In tha
back of the music store, behind a
dark sateen curtain with too few
rings on tha wire. How little else
was In there, nobody knew. , But
those passing In the late evening saw
the blur of his kerosene lamp behind
that curtain and were smitten by a
realistic illusion of personal loneli
ness. It was behind that curtain that
these unreasoning questions usually
attacked him, when his giant, wav
ering shadow had died upon tha wall
and the faint smell of the extin
guished lamp went with him to his
bed; or when ha waked before any
sign of. dawn. In the mornings all
was cheerful and wonted the ques
tion had not before attacked him
among his red and blue plush spreads,
his golden oak and ebony cases, of a
sunshiny morning.
A step at his door set him flying.
He wanted passionately to cell a
piano.
"Well!" he cried, when he saw his
visitor.
It was Lulu, In her dark red suit
and her tilted hat.
"Well!" she also said, and seemed
to have no lda of saying 'anything
else. Her excitement was so ob
scure that he did not discern it.
"Tou're out early," said he, parti
cipating In the village chorus of this
bright challenge at this hour.
"Oh, no," said Lulu.
He looked out the window, pretend
ing to be caught by something pass
ing, leaned to see it the better.
"Oh, hoWd you get along last
night?" he asked, and wondered why
he had not thought to say It before.
"All right, thank you," said Lulu.
CODE SYSTEM OF MARKING PRICES
RAPIDLY DISCARDED BECAUSE OF ABUSES
Leaders of Trade Are Abandoning Scheme and Substituting Plain Figures Change to Some Extent
Forced by Buyers.
AMONG the less noticeable and
important changes that have
taken place in the business
world in the last few years has been
the gradual disappearance of codea in
connection with price tickets and the
-marking of tha values of the mer
chandise In plain figures. While many
concerns still stick to pricing their
lines in code, the trade leaders have
very largely abandoned the practice.
Smaller concerns have followed suit to
some extent, but others have been
loath to put plain figures on their
goods.
The change from code to figures In
marking prices, according to Infor
mation gained In this market, has
been forced to some extent by tha
buyers. There are many retailers
and special buyers for the big stores
who will not patronize a concern
which hides Its prices behind a code.
Tha reason one such buyer gave re
cently for this is that the code does
not mean the same to all buyers
when translated Into figures. In
other. words, he asserted that the use
of a code Is merely a subterfuge by
.means of which different buyers can
be charged different prices for the
same merchandise without their
knowing it. That this Is done, he
further said, ha has definite proof,
having personally been the victim of
such a deal.
System la Old.
Just where and by whom tha code
system of marking prices was origi
nated appears to .be not clearly
known. The reason why -it was
adopted is also something of a puzzle,
although plausible solutions are of
fered. About the only thing regard
ing it that Is at all definite la that
it came into being years ago. when
It was tie custom of the manufactur
ers and wholesalers to build a kind
of Chinese wall around their business
and statiod a regiment of soldiers at
every gate. In those days, according
to trade veterans, commercial spying
was a high art and more than one
man had his palm crossed with 'silver
"Was he about the letter, you
kpow?"
"Yes," she said, "but that didn't
matter. You'll be sure." she added,
"not to cay anything about what was
in the letter?"
"Why. not till you tell me I can,"
said Cornish, "but won't everybody
know now?"
"No," Lulu said.
At this he had no more to say, and
feeling his speculation In his eyes
dropped them to a "piano scarf from
which ha began flicking Invisible
specks.
"I came to tell you goodby," Lulu
said.
"Goodby!"
"Yes. I'm going off for a while.
My satchel's in the bakery I had my
breakfast in the bakery."
"Say!" Cornish cried warmly, "then
everything wasn't all right last
night?"
"As right as It can ever be with
me," she told him. "Oh, yes. Dwlght
forgave me."
"Forgave you!"
She smiled, and trembled.
"Look here," said Cornish, "you
come here and sit down and teil me
about this."
He led her ' to the folding table,
as the only social spot In that vast
area of his, seated her in the one
chair, and for himself brought up a
piano stool. But after all sh told
him nothing. She merely took the
comfort of his kindly indignation.
"It came out all right," ehe said
only. "But I won't stay there any
more. I can't do that."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"In Millton yesterday," she said, "I
saw an advertisement in the hotel
they wanted a chambermaid."
"Oh. Miss Bett!" he cried. At that
nama she flushed. "Why," said Cor
nish, "you must have been coming
from Millton yesterday when I saw
you. I noticed Miss Dl had her bag "
He stopped, stared. "Tou brought
her back!" he deduced everything.
"Oh!" said Lulu. "Oh. no I mean "
"I heard about the eloping again
this morning," he said. That's just
what you did you brought her back."
for posing as a, buyer and thus ob
taining price data, of the competitors
of the merchant who hired him. In
those days anything approaching the
openprice associations that bad their
being here during tha war would
have been looked upon as madness,
for then, to all Intents and purposes,
every merchant regarded his compet
itors as personal enemies.
One of tha favorite codes used in
the early days. It is said, was the one
based on the old motto, "In God We
Trust," This had the advantage of
containing but 12 letters, with no du
plications In tha first ten. Thus, by
dropping the final "st," something
like this was arrived at:
IN GOD WE TRU
12 345 67 890
With this arrangement worked out,
-J.he rest was easy. If a man were
selling broadcloth at $4.60 a yard, on
his price ticket would appear the
more or less cryptic sign O D U.
Were he selling an overcoat at $37.25,
the mark on the ticket would be
G E N D. Sometimes the code would
be varied by placing the figure 1 un
der the letter U and numbering in
sequence to the left instead of to the
right. Thousands of codes and varia
ations of original ones have since
been devised.
While there seems" to be little
doubt that the code system was
adopted originally as a protective
measure. It was not long before It
began to be used for more ulterior
purposes. What was there, Some
body evidently argued, to prevent the
use of the code to fool buyers as to
tha real price? In Its early days, at
least, wholesale business was no
mors conducted on a strictly one
price basis than was retail selling.
Therefore, not only did a code price
frequently mean different quotations
to different buyers, but It often
meant the minimum figure at which
a yard of goods or a garment could
be sold. The salesmen were permit
ted to get anything they could above
the figure indicated by the code, and
a they were paid in comparison with
"You mustn't tell that! Tou won't?
Tou won't!"
"No. 'Course not." He mulled it.
"Tou tell me this: Do they know? I
mean about your going after her?"
"No."
"Tou never told!"
"They don't know she went."
That's a funny thing," he blurted
out, "for you not to tell her folks
I mean, right off. Before last
.nigh. . . ."
"You don't know them. Dwight'd
never let up on that he'd Joke her
about it after a while."
"But it. seems "
"Ina'd talk about disgracing her.
They wouldn't know what to do.
There's no sense in telling them. They
aren't a mother and father," Lulu
said.
Cornish was not accustomed to
deal with so much reality. But Lulu's
reality he could grasp.
"You're a trump, anyhow," he af
firmed. "Oh, no," said Lulu modestly.
Yes, she was. He insisted upon it.
"By George," he exclaimed, "you
don't find very many married women
with as good sense as you've got,"
At this, just as he was agonizing
because he had seemed to refer to
tha truth that she was, after all, not
married, at this Lulu laughed in soma
amusement, and said nothing.
"You've been a Jewel in their home
all right," said Cornish. "I bet they'll
miss you If you do go."
"They'll miss my cooking," Lulu
said without bitterness.
"They'll miss more than that, I
know. I've often watched you
there "
"You have?" It was not so much
pleasure as 'passionate gratitude
which lighted her eyes.
"You don't mean Just the cook
ing?" "No, no. I mean well, that first
night when you played croquet. I
felt at home when you came out."
That look of hers, rarely seen,
which was no less than a look of
loveliness, came now to Lulu's face.
After a pause she said:
"I never had but one compliment
what they sold, they tried to get all
the traffic would bear. That way of
doing business prevailed In one of
the biggest wholesale houses In the
country for years, it Is said, and the
gentle art of buying there was ren
dered more difficult by tha fact that
practically every kind of merchan
dise sold by the concern had a differ
ent code.
Leas Leeway Allowed.
Instances like those noted above
have been paralleled many times, ac
cording to the buyers heretofore
mentioned. In late years, however,
salesmen have had less leeway, it
any at all. in connection with fixing
prices. Because of this the double
price system to different buyers Is
"worked" more in the salesrooms
than on the road. Also, It is asserted,
the practice referred to Is now very
largely cqnflned to the garment
trades. In the hands of a smooth
worker, usually a member of the firm
or the so-called general representa
tive, the cryptic code letters can mean
$37.60 to one buyer and $37.25 to an
other. To a really favored buyer It
might mean even less.
While the really favored buyer can
see nothing to find fault with In such
an arrangement, his satisfaction Is
not duplicated by the ones who can
be "worked" quietly for an extra 25
or 50 cents a garment- It Is these
buyers, once they have learned the
unfortunate (to them) possibilities of
the code system of marknlg, who
start looking around for concerns
which mark their merchandise in
plain figures and where $37.50 means
the same to the buyer from Oshkosh
as It does to the one from a metro
politan store. Not all manufacturers
are yet aware of this and many of
them are consequently wondering
what makes th'e season so "rotten."
It is merely that buyers have learned
to- be suspicious of them In the mat
ter of prices, which in turn may
easily lead to suspicion In regard ta
materials and workmanship.
before that wasn't for my cooking."
She seemed to feel that she must
confess to that one. "He told me I
done my hair up nice." She added
conscientiously: "That waa after I
took notice how the ladies in Sa
vannah, Georgia, done up theirs."
"Well, well." said Cornish only.
"Well." said Lulu. "I must be. go
ing now. I wanted to say goodby
to you and there's one or two other
places. ..."
"I hate to have you go." said Cor
nish, and tried to add something. "I
hate to have you go." was all that ha
could find to add.
Lulu rose. "Oh, well," was all that
aha could find.
They shook hands. Lulu laughing
a little. Cornish followed her to the
door. He had begun on "Look here.
I wish . . ." when Lulu aald
"goodby," and paused, wishing in
tensely to know whst he would have
said: But all that he said was:
"Goodby. I wish you weren't going."
"So do I." said Lulu, and went, still
laughing.
Cornish saw her red dresa vanish
from his door, flash. by his window,
her head averted. ATid there settled
upon him a depression out of all pro
portion to the slow depression of
his days. This was more it assailed
him, absorbed him.
He stood staring out the window.
Someone passed with a greeting of
which he was conscious too late to
return. He wandered back down the
tore and his pianos looked back at
him like strangers. Down there was
the green curtain which screened his
home life. He suddenly hated that
green curtain. He hated this who!
place. For the first time It occurred
to him that'he hated Warbleton.
He came b'ack to his table,' and
sat down before his lawbook. But
he sat, chin on chest, regarding lt
AVte-p at the door and he sprang
up. It was Lulu, coming toward him,
her face unsmiling but somehow
quite lighted. In her hand was a let
ter. "See," she said. "At the office was
this. . . ."
She thrust In his hand the single
sheet. He read:
"... just wanted you to fiow
you're actually rid of me. I've heard
from her, in Brazil. She ran out of
money and thought of me, and her
lawyer wrote to me. . . . I've
never been any good Dwlght would
tell you that If his pride would let
him tell the truth once in a while.
But there ain't anything in my life
makes me feel as bad as this. . .
I s'pose you couldn't understand and
I don't myself. . . . Only the six
teen years keeping still made me
th'nk she was gone sure . . . but
you were so downright good, that's
what was the worst ... do you
see what I want to say . . ."
Cornish read it all and looked at
Lulu. She was grave and In her eyes
there was, a look of dlgnjty such as
he had. never seen them wear. In
credible dignity.
"He didn't He to get rid of me
and she was alive, just as ha thought
she might be," she said.
"I'm glad," said Cornish.
"Yes," said Lulu. "Ha isn't quite so
bad as Dwight tried to make him
out:"
It was not of this that Cornish had
beeji thinking.
"Now you're free," he said.
"Oh, that . . ." said Lulu.
She replaced her letter in Its en
velope. "Now I'm really going," she
said. "Goodby for sure this time. . . ."
Her words trailed away. Cornish
had laid his hand on her arm.
"Don't say goodby," he said.
"It's late," she said. "I "
"Bon't you go," said Cornish.
She looked at him mutely.
"Do you think you could possibly
etay here with me?"
"Oh!" said Lulu, like no word.
He went on, not looking at her.
"I haven't got anything. I guess
maybe you've heard something about
a little something I'm supposed to
Inherit. Well, It's only $500."
His look searched her face, but she
hardly heard what he was saying.
"That little Warden house It don't
cost much you'd be surprised. Rent,
I mean. I can get it now. I went and
looked at It the other day,, but then
I didn't think " be caught himself
on tht. "It don't cost near as much
as this store. We could furnish up
the parlor with pianos "
He was startled by that "we," and
began again:
"That is. if you could ever think
of such a thing as m,arry!ng me."
""But," said Lulu. "You know! Why,
don't the disgrace "
"What disgrace?" asked Cornish.
"Oh," she said, "you you "
"There's only this about that," eaid
ha. "Of course. If you loved him very
much, then I'd ought not to be talking
this way to you. But I didn't
think"
"Tou didn't think what?"
"That you did care so very much
about him. I don't know why."
She said: "I wanted somebody of
my own. That's the reason I done
what I done. I know that now."
"I figured that way," said Cornish.
They dismissed it.- But now he
brought to bear something which he
saw that she should know.
"Look here," he said, "I'd ought to
tell you. I'm I'm, awful lonesome
myself. This is no place to live. And
I guess living so is one reason why
I want to get married. I want some
kind of a home."
He said It as a confession. She
accepted It as a reason.
"Of course," she said.
"I ain't never lived what you might
say private," said Cornish. .
"I've lived too private," Lulu cald.
"Then here's another thing." This
was harder to tell her. "I I don't
believe I'm ever going to ba able to
do a thing with law."
"I don't see," said Lulu, "how any
body does."
"I'm not much good In a business
way." he owned, with a faint laugh.
"Sometimes I think." he drew down
his brows, "that I may never be able
to make any money."
-She aald: "Lots of men don't."
"Could you risk It with me?" Corn
ish asked her. 'There's nobody I've
seen." he went on gently, "that I like,
as much as I do you. I I was en
gaged to a girl once, but we didn't
get along. I guess If you'd be will
ing to try me, wa would get along."
Lulu said: "I thought It was D'
that you "
"Miss Di? Why," cald Cornish,
"he's a little liar."
"But I'm going on Si."
"So am I!"
"Isn't there somebody "
"Look here! .Do you like meT"
"Ob, yes!"
"Well enough "
'"It's you I was thinking of." said
Lulu. "I'd ba all right."
"Then!" Cornish cried, and ha
kissed her.
"And now," said Dwlght, "nobody
must mind if I hurry a little wea bit.
I've got something on."
He and Ina and Monona ware at
dinner. Mrs. Bett was in her room,
Dl was not there.
"Anything about Lulu?" Ina asked.
"Lulu?" Dwlght stared. "Why
should I have anything to do about
Lulu?"
"Well. but. Dwlght we've got to
do something."
"As I told you this morning." ha
observed, "we shall do nothing. Tour
sister Is of age I don't know about
the sound mind, but she Is certainly
of age. If she chooses to go away,
she Is free to go where she will,"
"Yes. but, Dwlght, where has she
gone? Where could ehe go? Where "
"You are a question-box," ssld
Dwlght playfully. "A question-box."
Ina had burned her plump wrist oa
the oven. She lifted her arm and
nursed it.
"I'm certainly going to miss her If
she stays away very long." aha re
marked. "Tou should be sufficient unto your
little self," said Dwlght.
"That's all right," said Ina, "ex
cept when you're getting dinner." ,
"I want some crust coffee," an
nounced Monona firmly.
"You'll have nothing of the aort."
said Ina. "Drink your milk."
"As I remarked," Dwlght went on,
"I'm In a tiny wee bit of a hurry."
"Well, why don't you say what
fcr?" his Ina asked.
She knew that ha wanted to ba
asked, and she was sufficiently will
ing to play his games, and besides
she wanted to know. But she was
hot.
"I am going." said Dwlght, "to
take Grandma Gates out In a wheel
chair for an -hour."
"Where did you get a wheel-chair,
for mercy sakes?"
"Borrowed It from the railroad
company," said Dwlght, with tha
triumph peculiar to the resourceful
man. "Why I never did it before, I
can't Imagine. There that chalr'a
vbeen In the depot ever s.nce I can
remember saw It every time I took
the train and yet I never once
thought of grandma."
"My, Dwlght," said Ina, "how good
you are!"
Nonsense!" s.ald he.
"Well, you are. Why don't I send
her over a baked spple? Monona, you
take Grandma Gates a bnked apple
no. Too shan't go till you drink
your milk."
"I don't want it."
"Drink it or mamma won't let you
go."
Monona drank it, made a piteous
face took the baked apple, ran.
"The apple Isn't very good," said
Ina. "but It show my good will."
"Also," said Dwlght. "It teaches
Monona a life of thoughtf ulness for
others."
"That's what I always think," his
Ina said.
"Can't you tret mother to come
out?' Dwlght Inquired.
"I had so much to do getting dinner
onto the table, I didn't try." Ina con
fessed. "You didn't have to try," Mrs. Bett'a
voice sounded. "I was coming when
I got rested up."
She entered, looking vaguely about.
"I want Lulle," ehe said, and the cor
ners of her mouth drew. down. She
ate her dinner cold, appeased In v
vague areas by such martyrdom.
They' were still at table when tha
front door opened.
"Monona hadn't ought to use the
front door so common," Mrs. Bett
complained.
But It was not Monona. It waa
Lulu and Cornish.
"Well!" said Dwlght, tone curving
downward.
Well!" said Ins, In replica,
"Lulle!" said Mrs. Bett. and left her
dinner, and went to her daughter and
put her hands upon her.
"We wanted to tell you first," Cor
nish said. "We've Just got married."
"Forevermore!" said Ina.
"What's this?" Dwlght sprang to
his feet. "You're Joking!" he cried
with hope.
"No,7 Cornish said soberly. "We're
married Just now. Methodist par
sonage. We've hsd our dinner," he
added hastily.
"Where'd you have "It?" Ina de
manded, for no known reason.
"The bakery," Cornish replied, and
flushed.
"In the dining room part," Lulu
added.
Dwlght's sole emotion was his In
dignation. "What on earth did you do It for?'
he put it to them. "Married In a
bakery "
No. no. They explained It again.
Neither of them, they said, wanted t"he
fuss of a wedding.
Dwight recovered himself in a
measure. "I'm not surprised, after
all," he said. "Lulu usually marries
In this way."
Mrs. Bett patted her daughter's
arm. "Lulie,""she said, "why Lulle.
You ain't been and got married twice,
have you? After waitin' bo long?"
"Don't be disturbed. Mother Bett,"
Dwight cried. "She wasn't married
that first-time, If you remember. No
marriage about It!"
Ina's little shriek sounded.
"Dwlght!" she cried. "Now every
body'll have to know that. You'll
have to tell about Ninlan now and
his other wife!"
Standing between her mother and .
Cornish, an arm of each about her.
Lulu looked across at Ina and Dwlght,
and they all saw In her face a horri
fied realizations
,"Ina!" she said. "Dwlght! Tou will
have to tell now. won't you? Why, I
never thought of that."
At this Dwlght sneered, was sneer
ing still as he -went to give Grandma
Gates her ride In the wheel-chair and
as he stooped with patient kindness
to tuck her In.
The street door was closed. If Mrs.
Bett was peeping through the blind,
no one saw her. In the pleasant mid
day light under the maples, Mr. and
Mrs. Neil Cornish were hurrying to
ward the railway station.
Tlia END.